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VIDEO: WCOG at ACG 2017 highlights include early-onset colon cancer, smoking and GI disease, burnout

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ORLANDO — In this exclusive video from the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG 2017, ACG Public Relations Committee Chair Jordan J. Karlitz, MD, FACG, of Tulane Cancer Center in New Orleans, provides an overview of important research being presented at this year’s meeting, and shares some details from his own abstract focusing on which health care providers should be performing genetic testing for hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes.

Karlitz said some of the most important topics covered at the meeting include early-onset colorectal cancer, “which has been increasing in incidence and has been a major topic in the media over the past few years;” Clostridium difficile infection, which is “a major cause of morbidity across the world;” the interaction between opioids and GI disease; and physician burnout among gastroenterologists.

Of note, he said the impact of cigarette smoking on GI disease is an important topic covered at this year’s meeting. One particular study showed an increased risk for serrated polyps among cigarette smokers, and another showed higher rates of diverticulosis in smokers, he said.

Finally, Karlitz discussed his own survey study on how GI providers feel microsatellite instability testing on tumor tissue specimens should be performed to identify Lynch syndrome.

“What we demonstrated is that there is really no clear ... specialist that is assigned to be doing this kind of tumor testing, so GI doctors do it sometimes, pathologists do it sometimes, surgeons do it sometimes, oncologists do it sometimes, and what this can lead to is unclear responsibility in who’s going to be ordering testing, and that can prevent testing from being done to begin with.”

References:

Anderson JC, et al. Abstract P1044. Presented at: World Congress of Gastroenterology at American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 13-18, 2017; Orlando, FL.

Noll A, et al. Abstract P1884. Presented at: World Congress of Gastroenterology at American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 13-18, 2017; Orlando, FL.

Wijarnpreecha K, et al. Abstract P96. Presented at: World Congress of Gastroenterology at American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 13-18, 2017; Orlando, FL.

Disclosures: Karlitz reports no relevant financial disclosures.