The new data comes from the 1,162-subject LUCENT-1 trial – first unveiled last year – which compared induction treatment with the anti-IL-23p19 antibody to placebo in patients with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis who had not tried a biologic therapy before. The study found that 24% of patients treated with mirikizumab were in clinical remission at 12 weeks – meaning inflammation of the colon is controlled or resolved – compared to 13% of the placebo group.
Author: Praveen Suthrum
In this issue of “Endoscopy Insights,” I’m focusing on resection of colon polyps, an essential tool in the gastroenterologist’s toolbox during screening and surveillance colonoscopy and so important in preventing future colorectal neoplasia. As the three studies I highlight this month demonstrate, adequate instruction during gastroenterology fellowship, marking polyp margins before endoscopic mucosal resection, and appropriately resecting polyps smaller than 10 mm using cold snare polypectomy are three methods gastroenterologists can use to ensure proper colon polyp removal.
The emerging treatment landscape of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis has “exploded” as understanding of the pathogenesis grows, according to a presenter at GUILD 2022. “We [have] a huge armamentarium of drugs in development,” Manal F. Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and director of the NAFLD Clinical Research Program at Duke University School of Medicine, told attendees. “In my opinion, the future of NASH is going to be binding combination therapies, for which we have a foundation of anti-metabolic therapy, coupled with anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic therapy, depending on where patients are in the disease spectrum.”
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a fecal wash sample yields more information about histological inflammation than a biopsy sample, and may help inform diagnosis, disease monitoring and treatment selection, researchers say. “Our lab reasoned that the cells that are shed from the gastrointestinal tract could carry information that would report on pathological processes in the gut,” Dr. Shalev Itzkovitz of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, told Reuters Health by email. “We therefore sequenced the mRNA content (the host transcriptome) of fecal washes in inflamed IBD patients and in controls.”
Here are the most expensive cities in the U.S. to have a colonoscopy screening, according to Healthcare Bluebook, a patient resource for finding affordable care. Prices include facility, physician and anesthesia fees and are calculated based on the amount health plans have paid on medical claims. Here are the average prices for colonoscopy screenings in the 30 most populous cities in the U.S., based on data from the Census: 1. New York City: $2,7122. Milwaukee: $2,511
DUBLIN, Feb. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) today announced they are working to provide colorectal cancer screening technologies in low income and underserved communities across the United States through the MedtronicHealth Equity Assistance Program for colon cancer screening, with support from Amazon Web Services (AWS). The initiative will include the donation of 50 Medtronic GI Genius™ intelligent endoscopy modules to endoscopy centers across the country that can potentially improve the detection of polyps that can lead to colorectal cancer. Certain types of colorectal cancer, when caught early, can have a survival rate (five year) of…
New guidance from the American Gastroenterological Association recommends that physicians consider de-prescribing proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for any patient on chronic PPIs without a clear indication, and step-down dosing for those on twice-daily treatment. The expert review focuses on three domains: documentation of an indication for PPI usage, identification of suitable candidates for whom de-prescribing may be appropriate, and how to successfully go about de-prescribing.
Dec. 3, 2021 — For the first time since 2013, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has issued updated evidence-based recommendations and practical guidance on the evaluation and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including pharmacologic, lifestyle, surgical, and endoscopic management. Over the past 8 years, understanding of the varied presentations of GERD, enhancements in diagnostic testing, and approach to patient management have evolved, and there has been closer scrutiny of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and its potential side effects, the guideline authors say.
WASHINGTON — A federal court on Wednesday struck down the Biden administration’s interpretation of a controversial part of the federal law banning surprise medical bills. Health care providers have filed several lawsuits challenging how the Department of Health and Human Services created a mediation process for hospitals and doctors and insurers to settle disputes over out-of-network medical bills.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AMSURG, a division of Envision Healthcare and a national leader in gastrointestinal care, is seeing an increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses and encouraging Americans to receive timely, appropriate screenings and not delay care. AMSURG data reveals that, in 2021, there was a measurable increase in advanced stage colorectal cancer and precancerous growths, called polyps, in adults of all ages compared to 2020. This increase might be due to patients delaying screenings and care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, AMSURG reported more than 200,000 patients had missed their colonoscopies since the start of the pandemic.