April 2012 Briefing - Gastroenterology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for April 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Persistent Constipation Rates May Be Lower Than Reported

FRIDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- The clinical symptoms of persistent and nonpersistent chronic constipation (CC) are similar, with persistent CC estimated to have a prevalence of 3 percent, according to a study published in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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Heart Surgery Safe for Compensated Cirrhosis Patients

THURSDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with compensated cirrhosis, defined by a Child-Pugh (CP) score of <8, have no significant increase in postoperative mortality and morbidity following cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, according to a study published in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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Adjuvant Therapy Shows Promise in Biliary Tract Cancer

THURSDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with biliary tract cancers, postresection adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy appears to be beneficial in treating patients with biliary tract cancers, with significant improvement seen for patients with node or margin positivity, according to research published online April 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Thiazolidinediones Tied to Lower Cancer Risk in Diabetes Patients

THURSDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- Thiazolidinediones are associated with a lower risk of liver and colorectal cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the May issue of Hepatology.

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Erosive, but Not Nonerosive, GERD Ups Esophageal CA Risk

WEDNESDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease with a history of esophagitis are at increased risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma, although the absolute risk is low, according to a study published in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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Bariatric Surgery Effective Therapy for Diabetes in Obese

THURSDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- For morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery is more efficacious than conventional medical treatment, leading to improvement or remission of diabetes and associated comorbidities, according to a study published online April 16 in the Archives of Surgery.

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Lower Small-Bowel Obstruction Risk With Laparoscopy

THURSDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- Laparoscopic surgical procedures are associated with a lower incidence of small-bowel obstruction (SBO) compared with open surgery, according to a study published in the April issue of the Archives of Surgery.

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Albendazole Cuts Enteric Parasite Prevalence in Refugees

WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- The administration of a single 600-mg dose of albendazole to United States-bound refugees prior to departure from Africa and Southeast Asia reduces the prevalence of intestinal nematodes, according to a study published in the April 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Low Gastroprotective Drug Adherence Ups Upper GI Events

MONDAY, April 16 (HealthDay News) -- For patients taking cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs), low adherence to gastroprotective agents (GPAs) increases the risk of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) complications, according to a study published online April 16 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

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Indomethacin Cuts Incidence of Post-ERCP Pancreatitis

WEDNESDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- For patients who undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), a single dose of rectal indomethacin immediately after the procedure is associated with a significantly reduced incidence of pancreatitis, according to a study published in the April 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Smoking Found to Be a Risk Factor for Barrett's Esophagus

WEDNESDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Cigarette smoking may be a modifiable risk factor for Barrett's esophagus, according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.

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More Gastro Events in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

WEDNESDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) events is higher among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as is the risk of mortality due to GI events, when compared to individuals without RA, according to a study published online April 1 in the Journal of Rheumatology.

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Strategy of Offering Choice of CRC Screening Ups Adherence

TUESDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening varies based on the screening strategy, with adherence linked to patient preference and ethnicity/race, according to a study published in the April 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Early Response Is an Indicator for Rectal Cancer Survival

TUESDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with locally advanced rectal cancer undergoing radical resection, response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is an early marker that correlates with rates of recurrence-free survival, distant metastases, and local recurrences, according to research published online April 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Radiation Exposure High for Patients With GI Disorders

TUESDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with inflammatory bowel disorders and other organic and functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are exposed to high levels of annual and cumulative diagnostic radiation, according to a study published in the March issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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Somatic Mutations in Two Genes ID'd in Stomach Cancer

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- Somatic mutations have been identified in two genes, FAT4 and ARID1A, involved in cell adhesion and chromatin remodeling in some patients with stomach cancer, according to a study published online April 8 in Nature Genetics.

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Asymptomatic High-Risk Adults Often Have Pancreatic Lesions

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- Screening of asymptomatic high-risk individuals (HRIs) for pancreatic cancer often detects pancreatic lesions, many of which are proven or suspected neoplasms, according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.

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Wire Grill Brush Bristles Pose Unexpected Danger

FRIDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- For patients presenting with odynophagia or abdominal pain, physicians should consider the possibility of inadvertent wire brush bristle ingestion after eating grilled meat, according to a report published in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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Treating Hepatic Encephalopathy Reduces Costs Due to MVAs

FRIDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), diagnosis and treatment with lactulose reduces costs associated with motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), according to a study published in the April issue of Hepatology.

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Endodermal Progenitor Cells Generate Into Multiple Cell Types

FRIDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Endodermal progenitor (EP) cells derived from embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into multiple cell types, including functional pancreatic β-cells, and are not tumorigenic, according to a study published in the April 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell.

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Antibiotics Safe and Effective to Treat Appendicitis

FRIDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Although surgery is standard practice for treating appendicitis, uncomplicated acute appendicitis can be safely and effectively treated with antibiotics, according to a meta-analysis published online April 5 in BMJ.

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Esophageal Cancer Surgery Has Lasting Effects on QoL

THURSDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term survivors of esophageal cancer surgery who experience postoperative complications continue to experience long-lasting adverse effects on their health-related quality of life (HRQL), according to a study published online April 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Medical Malpractice Claims Incur Substantial Defense Costs

WEDNESDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Defense costs for medical malpractice claims vary among specialties and are higher for claims that result in indemnity payments, according to a letter published in the April 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Cetuximab With Chemo Doesn't Improve Colon Cancer Outcome

TUESDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- Adding cetuximab to adjuvant chemotherapy does not improve disease-free survival in stage III colon cancer patients following surgical resection, according to a study published in the April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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