Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although conclusive evidence is still missing, epidemiological and preliminary clinical work strongly suggests that mesalazine may have chemopreventive properties against IBD-related CRC. Therefore, in recent years, several experimental studies have been conducted to dissect the mechanism(s) by which mesalazine interferes with CRC cell growth and survival. This review summarizes the current information on the molecular pathways that are regulated by mesalazine in CRC.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer (CRC), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), mesalazine, molecular pathways, EGFR