Geographic trends and risk of gastrointestinal cancer among patients with celiac disease in Europe and Asian-Pacific region

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects genetically predisposed individuals upon the ingestion of gluten. It is now considered one of the most common genetic disorders in Europe and Asian Pacific region with a prevalence of up to 2.67% of the population. The true prevalence of celiac disease may still be underestimated. Studies remain limited by sample size and selection bias. Celiac disease predisposes to the development of gastrointestinal malignancies, especially lymphomas and small bowel adenocarcinoma. The risk of developing a celiac disease associated malignancies remains uncertain, despite numerous studies. In Middle Eastern countries, the literature regarding celiac disease has expanded significantly in recent years. These studies reported have largely concentrated on the epidemiology of Celiac disease and there is an absolute and relative paucity of published research regarding celiac disease associated malignancy. The aim of this article is to review the current literature and evaluate the risk of gastrointestinal malignancies among patients with celiac disease and then review studies from the Asian Pacific region of the world.