Screening using flexible sigmoidoscopy significantly reduced the incidence of colorectal cancer and mortality, according to a recently published large prospective randomized study. Overall, colorectal cancer mortality was reduced by 26% in patients assigned to sigmoidoscopy (2.9 vs 3.9 deaths per 10,000 person-years) in the study. A 50% reduction in death…
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Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) without bowel preparation correctly identified more than 90% of adenomas ≥10 mm in a recent multicenter study. Key Point: Laxative-free colonography is accurate at detecting adenomas 10 mm and larger but is less reliable for detecting smaller lesions. Most polyps that affect survival are 10 mm…
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Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes demonstrated an increased risk for cancers of the liver, pancreas, colon, and rectum, according to an analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study. It was estimated that 41 million people in India had type 2 diabetes in 2006, according to a 2010 report…
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Hospitalized patients who receive doxycycline in addition to ceftriaxone have a 79% reduced risk of Clostridium difficile infection vs patients who receive ceftriaxone only, a recent study found. “In India, the true prevalence of [C. difficile] is not known because a majority of the hospitals do not investigate for this…
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mdCurrent Conference Report: Digestive Disease Week Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase the risk of ulcerative colitis in postmenopausal women, according to a new study presented at Digestive Disease Week 2012. “It is important that clinicians are aware of the results of this study, but it should not lead to…
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Fidaxomicin, a macrolide antibiotic, is noninferior to vancomycin in the treatment of Clostridium difficile diarrhea in terms of clinical cure. This was the main finding of a recent randomized trial that sought to demonstrate the noninferiority of fidaxomicin for this indication. C difficile, which causes 15% to 25% of antibiotic-associated…
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Changing diet and better hygiene in India may be factors in the increase in Crohn’s disease
There is a worldwide increase in Crohn’s disease (CD), with an increasing number of cases in the developing world. India, undergoing rapid industrialization, is experiencing changes in diet and hygiene—and these changes are accompanied by an increase in CD. A recent hospital-based study tested the hypothesis that lifestyle and hygiene-related…
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