The Healio article discusses significant developments in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer screening that occurred in 2023, highlighting whether these updates have been effectively communicated to patients. Key points include: These updates reflect significant advancements in GI cancer screening and treatment, emphasizing the importance of patient awareness and education in these areas.
Author: Abhay Panchal
The article from New Atlas discusses a significant advancement in the field of gastroenterology, where researchers have found that AI-assisted colonoscopies can greatly improve the detection of polyps by inexperienced doctors. This development is particularly important in reducing the chances of missing polyps, which are potential precursors to colorectal cancer. The use of AI in medical diagnostics has been expanding, with applications in mammography, ultrasound, and MRI. The introduction of AI in colonoscopy represents a significant step forward. Colonoscopy is a crucial diagnostic tool for reducing colorectal cancer-related deaths by detecting and removing premalignant polyps, known as adenomas. However, the…
Dr. David Johnson discusses the importance and current practices of genetic testing in colorectal cancer (CRC). Dr. Johnson highlights the evolution of genetic testing for CRC, beginning with the discovery of the APC gene in 1991, which is linked to familial adenomatous polyposis, and the identification of mismatch repair gene abnormalities (MLH1, MSH2, PMS2) related to Lynch syndrome in 1993. Dr. Johnson emphasizes that around 1 million people in the United States have Lynch syndrome, an autosomal dominant disease, but most are unaware of it. He estimates that gastroenterologists may encounter one to two hereditary colon cancer patients per month,…
The gastroenterology field was full of new developments in 2023. Here we present a collection of interviews from the year, with topics including the microbiome, colorectal cancer screening, endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, anorectal disease and hepatology. This video features conversations with:
The Healio article reports on a series of significant FDA approvals in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology towards the end of 2023, particularly focusing on treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC). The FDA approved four new therapies for UC, which are expected to compete in an already crowded market. These include Eli Lilly’s IL-23p19 inhibitor Omvoh (mirikizumab), Pfizer’s Velsipity (etrasimod), Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ Entyvio (vedolizumab), and Celltrion USA’s Zymfentra (infliximab-dyyb). The article highlights the potential market impact of these new treatments, which will be competing with established drugs like Stelara, Humira, and Xeljanz. Additionally, the FDA approved treatments for erosive esophagitis…
Despite the availability of effective, curative treatment for hepatitis C virus, substantial gaps remain in care. Novel approaches to closing these gaps, such as pharmacist-led HCV clinics and providing care within homeless shelters, may improve access to treatment and help further efforts to eliminate HCV, according to new research. OhioHealth, despite being a large healthcare organization, did not have ambulatory hepatology services before January 2023, when they established the referral-based, multidisciplinary Comprehensive Liver Program to care for patients with a wide array of liver diseases, said Kenneth Barga, PharmD, an ambulatory hepatology pharmacist with the program, in Columbus. The health…
The device, named the Vibrating Ingestible BioElectronic Stimulator (VIBE), is a pill-sized tool created by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT. It is designed to travel safely through the gastrointestinal tract and expand in the stomach by vibrating upon contact with gastric fluid. This vibration stimulates the vagal nerve receptors, creating a sensation of fullness. The device was tested in swine, resulting in an average 31% reduction in food intake. It remained in the digestive system for about 30 minutes on average, indicating it should be swallowed before meals. The study, published in Science Advances, demonstrates the potential…
President Biden’s executive order on AI in healthcare has prompted a significant response from the healthcare sector. Several weeks after the order, 28 health systems and payer organizations have voluntarily committed to using AI ethically in healthcare. These commitments focus on expanding healthcare access, affordability, and improving outcomes while ensuring safety and transparency, especially regarding AI-generated content on websites. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is tasked with developing a safety program to address unsafe healthcare practices involving AI. This includes setting up a process for reporting and addressing improper AI practices and offering grants for AI research…
As in past years, 2023 featured an abundance of engaging literature. Expert panels, professional societies like American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and groundbreaking international researchers all weighed in on a range of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Surveying this wide array of articles and picking the top contributions was a difficult task. Yet, in considering the totality of 2023, I felt that these 10 articles had the greatest game-changing implications. The articles are not listed in order of importance; all of them are equally invaluable resources for gastroenterologists looking to stay current with best practices in their…
Four anesthesia practices are suing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), among other parties, over CMS’s methodology for calculating reimbursements. The lawsuit, filed on December 18 by U.S. Anesthesia Partners of Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Physicians Anesthesia Service, alleges that CMS’s reimbursement calculations illegally include costs associated with nonphysician practitioners. Key Points from the Article: In summary, the lawsuit filed by four anesthesia practices challenges CMS’s reimbursement methodology, arguing that it unlawfully includes costs associated with nonphysician practitioners and unfairly penalizes certain medical specialties. The practices are seeking legal…