A groundbreaking study has been conducted to assess the potential of a rapid, low-cost blood test that can detect multiple types of cancer. The test, known as the Dxcover® Cancer Liquid Biopsy, utilizes Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with machine-learning algorithms. The study involved 2092 patients and examined eight different cancers. The results showed promising area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) values for various cancer types, such as brain (0.90), breast (0.76), colorectal (0.91), and others. The test can detect early-stage disease and can be adjusted to maximize either sensitivity or specificity based on different healthcare system…
Author: Abhay Panchal
The Digestive Health Physicians Association (DHPA) has expressed its support for the “Protecting Patient Access to Cancer and Complex Therapies Act” (S. 2764, H.R. 5391). This act was introduced by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), U.S. Representative Mike Burgess (R-TX), and U.S. Representative Greg Murphy (R-NC). Key Points:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently disclosed data on its 2021 and 2022 settlements concerning voluntary self-disclosures related to past or potential violations of the physician self-referral law, commonly known as the “Stark Law.” In 2022, CMS settled an unprecedented 104 self-disclosures, with the total settlement amounts exceeding $9,000,000. This figure is almost four times the number and amounts settled in 2021 and surpasses the previous record from 2016. Key Points:
Vivante Health, a digital gastrointestinal health company, has successfully closed a $31 million Series B funding round. The round was led by new investor Mercato Partners, and the total funds raised by Vivante Health now amount to $47 million. Other participants in the funding round included Health Catalyst Capital, Intermountain Ventures, SemperVirens, 7wireVentures, Human Capital, and Distributed Ventures. Key Highlights:
Liver disease has been identified as the primary cause of death in patients diagnosed with alcohol-related liver disease, especially in the years following their diagnosis. The risk of mortality is almost three times higher for those with decompensated cirrhosis. Here are the main points from the article: Mortality Risk: Patients with alcohol-related liver disease face a 1-year mortality risk of 25%, even though their median age is relatively young at 60 years. 10-Year Risk Analysis: The 10-year risk for death from liver disease stands at 31.4%, compared to 11% from cancer. For those with decompensated cirrhosis, the 10-year mortality risk…
Shorter time between bowel prep completion and colonoscopy initiation is associated with improved bowel prep adequacy, but not necessarily adenoma detection rates, according to results of a meta-analysis. In the pooled analysis, shorter intervals between bowel prep and colonoscopy were associated with adequate preparation 94% of the time (95% CI, 91%-97%), which was significantly greater than the adequacy rate seen with longer intervals (84%; 95% CI, 79%-89%) (Turk J Gastroenterol 2023; 34[1]: 26-34). The meta-analysis included data from 20 studies that reported results with regard to the time interval between bowel prep completion and colonoscopy. Ten of the studies were…
CHICAGO—Maladaptive weight control and eating behaviors are associated with a significantly increased risk for irritable bowel syndrome in adulthood, according to new research. While the research is new, the findings mimic what providers have seen in the real world, senior investigator Kyle Staller, MD, MPH, told Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News. “To our knowledge, these are the first data that show prospectively what we’ve always seen in the clinic: that a lot of our IBS patients have a history of disordered eating, though many have never had a diagnosis of an eating disorder,” said Dr. Staller, the director of the Gastrointestinal…
Target RWE, a leader in real-world evidence (RWE), has announced a significant achievement: their eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) disease state registry has enrolled over 1,000 patients. EGIDs are chronic, immune-mediated gastrointestinal diseases that can affect various parts of the digestive system and may be associated with food allergen exposure. The disorders include eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), depending on the disease’s location. Key points from the article: Target RWE is a leading real-world evidence solution that unifies real-world data sets and advanced RWE analytics in a collaborative community. The company sources unique, connected data sets across multiple therapeutic…
Takeda, a global biopharmaceutical company, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) resubmission for TAK-721 (budesonide oral suspension). This drug is under investigation for the short-term treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic inflammatory disease that can damage the esophagus. The resubmission aims to address the FDA’s feedback on Takeda’s original NDA submission. Key points from the article: Background: Takeda’s resubmission for TAK-721 is driven by the significant unmet treatment needs in the EoE community. The company has reanalyzed the clinical data of TAK-721 and engaged in discussions with the…
Waste, carbon emissions are high in the endoscopy suite. How do we reduce the impacts of these vital procedures? Some 8.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are generated by healthcare systems, with gastroenterology making an outsized contribution to the healthcare sector’s impact on the environment. Some GI experts are beginning to sound the alarm about this problem and encouraging their peers to do something about it. Heiko Pohl, MD, a professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, in Lebanon, N.H., has come to a painful understanding about the impact of his work on the…