COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A real-time, blood-sensing capsule (PillSense, EnteraSense Ltd) that detects upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is safe and effective for patients before undergoing upper endoscopy, according to results from the first US open-label, single-arm comparative clinical trial of a novel bleeding sensor for patients with suspected UGIB. It is also the largest such trial. This tool is rapidly deployed, safe to use, and easy to interpret, study researchers say. In under 7 minutes, the capsule correctly detected the presence of blood in 26 of 28 patients and its absence in 87 of 96 patients, as confirmed afterward by esophagogastroduodenoscopy…
Author: Abhay Panchal
CHICAGO—On average, surgeons are much less likely than gastroenterologists to detect adenomas during routine screening colonoscopy, according to a VA data set. Based on the lower relative adenoma detection rate (ADR), the disparity “highlights potential opportunities for quality improvement,” according to study investigator Andrew J. Gawron, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and an assistant professor at the University of Utah, also in Salt Lake City. The study analyzed 669,434 colonoscopies performed by 1,095 unique providers between October 2018 and September 2022. Although gastroenterologists greatly outnumbered surgeons (906 vs. 189) and performed 88.8%…
Debulking, when combined with standard systemic therapy, did not have a significant negative effect on the overall quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. This was revealed in a study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. However, the study also found that patients who underwent the debulking procedure experienced serious adverse events at a rate twice as high as those who received standard treatment. Study Details: Future Implications: Bakkerus emphasized the need for further exploration, given the significant complications from local treatment without a noticeable dip in patients’ perceived quality of life. She suggested…
TOPLINE: People aged 75 years or older (the upper age limit of colorectal cancer [CRC] screening) who had a negative fecal immunochemical test (FIT) but a detectable fecal hemoglobin (f-Hb) concentration at their last screening are nearly five times as likely to develop CRC than are those with no detectable f-Hb concentration, suggests a study from the Netherlands. METHODOLOGY:
A cloud-based artificial intelligence system named Caddie has shown significant improvement in the detection of adenomas, especially the hard-to-detect lesions in the proximal colon. This was observed when used by non-expert endoscopists in the UK. The findings were presented at UEG week. Rawen Kader, MRCP, PhD, a clinical research fellow at University College London, emphasized that while most previous trials in this field were conducted by expert endoscopists, the main advantage of AI polyp detection was expected to benefit non-expert endoscopists. Key findings from the study: Thought-Provoking Questions/Insights:
The chair of Harvard Medical School’s bioinformatics department, Isaac Kohane, M.D., Ph.D., highlighted that artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to make its most significant initial impact in the healthcare sector through billing and reimbursement. Here are the main points: AI in Healthcare: Contrary to popular belief that AI would first revolutionize diagnosis or data analysis, Kohane believes its primary influence will be in the financial aspects of healthcare, specifically billing and reimbursement. Billing and Reimbursement: AI’s deterministic and discrete data capabilities make it well-suited for managing these areas. Kohane predicts that many healthcare professionals currently working for insurance companies to…
NEW YORK – Laboratory services provider Stone Diagnostics will offer Fibronostics’ artificial intelligence-based liver disease test to physicians in the US, the companies announced on Tuesday. The Liverfast test uses artificial intelligence and 10 blood-based biomarkers to provide information about the degree of fibrosis, steatosis, and activity of a patient’s liver, the companies said in a statement. The strategic partnership “gives us the comprehensive, efficient, reproducible, and scalable laboratory operations platform required to meet increasing Liverfast demand and allows us to focus on the most important needs of our prescribers and their patients,” Brock Smith, Fibronostics general manager for the…
A new DNA test system, the Common Hereditary Cancers Panel by Invitae Corp., has been granted marketing authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This system evaluates an individual’s genetic predisposition for certain cancers and is the first of its kind to receive such authorization. Here are the main points: Test Overview: The test uses next-generation sequencing to assess germline human genomic DNA extracted from a single blood sample. The system detects substitutions, small insertion and deletion alterations, and copy number variants in a panel of 47 targeted genes. Validation: The test’s approval followed the FDA’s review of…
Researchers have found that high levels of serum anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (tTG-IgA) can predict duodenal villous atrophy, potentially serving as a reliable measure to bypass biopsy in diagnosing adult patients with suspected celiac disease. Here are the main points: Background: The prevalence and incidence of celiac disease (CeD) are on the rise globally. Traditional diagnosis involves specific serology and an intestinal biopsy. However, the accuracy of gluten-specific serology is high, while histology, which requires upper endoscopy, remains operator-dependent. Study Details: In a multicenter prospective study involving 436 adults suspected of having celiac disease, the accuracy of serum tTG-IgA as a…
Although the use of robotic-assisted cholecystectomy increased 37-fold from 2010 to 2019, the procedure was associated with significantly higher rates of bile duct injury compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy, according to research.