Digestive Disease Week roundup: Colorectal cancer data dominated; what else did you miss?
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Digestive Disease Week 2023 in Chicago may have ended in early May, but Healio coverage has continued all month long. Wondering what you missed and what is coming next? Healio recaps the biggest meeting news making waves in the specialty.
Healio covered a variety of presentations from this year’s DDW annual meeting, with a significant focus on the latest data on colorectal cancer, including subsequent cancer diagnoses, cell-free DNA blood test for screening and the impact of aspirin and NSAID use.
Additionally, we covered research results on multiple treatment options for Clostridioides difficile infection and use of immunoprophylaxis and ileocecal resection in Crohn’s disease. The rise in liver disease due to alcohol use and misinformation on liver diseases on social media were also top topics of interest.
In case you missed it, here is a list of Healio’s top meeting coverage from DDW 2023:
1 in 6 early-onset colorectal cancer survivors diagnosed with subsequent cancer
Among those who survived early-onset colorectal cancer, approximately 16% developed a second cancer, with higher risk reported among men, according to a population-based study presented at Digestive Disease Week.
“The number of cancer survivors is increasing and is projected to grow to 26 million by 2040 in the United States,” Aniruddha Rathod, PhD, MBBS, MPH, a postdoctoral researcher at Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, told Healio. “These survivors are at an increased risk of developing another cancer in future. Read More.
Cell-free DNA blood test ‘poised to have significant impact’ on CRC screening
A cell-free DNA blood-based test displayed 83% sensitivity for colorectal cancer detection and 90% specificity in an average-risk population, similar to the performance of current noninvasive screening options.
“Colorectal cancer screening is recommended for everyone in the United States,” Daniel C. Chung, MD, director of the High-Risk GI Cancer Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, told attendees at Digestive Disease Week. “But, despite the widespread availability of many screening options, there remain persistent and significant barriers, and unfortunately, screening rates remain suboptimal. In fact, only 59% of eligible individuals aged 45 and over are adherent, which is well below the acceptance target rate of 80%.” Read More.
Rise in liver failures, transplants highlights need to curb high-risk drinking in all ages
Researchers reported a 262% increase in liver transplantation for acute-on-chronic liver failure in older patients from 2005 to 2021, with alcohol-related liver disease becoming the leading cause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Data on liver transplantation for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in adults older than 65 years are currently limited,” Joseph J. Alukal, MD, assistant clinical professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine, told Healio. “The underlying etiology of ACLF varies between older and younger patients, however, this has not been explored in detail.” Read More.
Alcohol-related cirrhosis worsened during pandemic, remains ‘top public health issue’
Hospital admissions for alcohol-related cirrhosis jumped from March 2020 to March 2021, with associated increases in costs and mortality, according to study results presented at Digestive Disease Week.
“The most striking finding from our study was the more than doubling in hospital admission for alcohol-related cirrhosis during the post-pandemic time period in both men and women,” Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Jefferson Fatty Liver Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, told Healio. “This was also associated with increased hospital costs and increased mortality rates. Costs increased in NASH cirrhosis patients, but we did not see increased admissions in this group.” Read More.
VIDEO: ‘We can feel confident’ in Rebyota for recurrent C. difficile in high-risk patients
In a Healio video exclusive, Glenn S. Tillotson, MSc, PhD, discusses the safety and sustained efficacy of Rebyota at 6 months for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection in patients with immunocompromising conditions.
“One thing we need to remember about this population is that they are often on antibiotics for other infections and conditions that suppress their immune responses,” Tillotson, a partner at GST Micro and consultant microbiologist, said. “The repeat courses of antibiotics that [patients] receive lead to a condition known as dysbiosis ... that is when organisms like Clostridium difficile come to the surface and cause recurrent disease.” Watch here.
Nearly 40% of posts about cirrhosis, liver disease on TikTok contain misinformation
Although inaccurate posts about cirrhosis or liver disease were less popular, they still represented a high volume, leaving people with liver disease “susceptible to false claims,” a presenter noted at Digestive Disease Week.
“Given the high mortality associated with liver disease, the impact of spreading inaccurate claims on such a popular social media platform could have serious clinical ramifications,” Macklin Loveland, MD, an internal medicine resident at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told Healio. Read More.
Immunoprophylaxis ‘does not seem superior’ to prevent postoperative Crohn’s recurrence
Immediate immunoprophylaxis after curative ileo-colonic resection did not reduce the rate of early recurrence among patients with Crohn’s disease who only had one risk factor for postoperative recurrence.
“As we all know, approximately half of our patients with Crohn’s disease will need at least one intestinal resection during their lifetime,” Gabriele Dragoni, MD,PhD, from the University Hospital of Florence in Italy, said at Digestive Disease Week. “And 65% to 90% of patients may develop endoscopic postoperative recurrence at 1 year.” Read More.
Aspirin, NSAIDs use may reduce risk for early-onset CRC, further study warranted
The regular use of aspirin and NSAIDs was associated with a lower risk for early-onset adenomas, especially those with advanced histology, according to a researcher at Digestive Disease Week.
“Early-onset colorectal cancer is on the rise,” Cassandra D. L. Fritz, MD, MPHS, assistant professor of gastroenterology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said during her presentation. “When you look at trends, specifically for 20- to 49-year-olds, it has been increasing for a number of years, and all stages of disease have been increasing in incidence. When we look at the proportion of early-onset colorectal cancer cases and all newly diagnosed colorectal cancer, this has doubled since 1995 and most early-onset colorectal cancer cases are sporadic.” Read More.
Ileocecal resection may have role as ‘primary treatment’ in recently diagnosed Crohn’s
Patients who underwent ileocecal resection for Crohn’s disease had a 33% lower risk for hospitalization, repeat surgery, systemic corticosteroid exposure and perianal CD, according to a presenter at Digestive Disease Week.
“The LIR!C trial has demonstrated comparable quality of life with ileocecal resection compared to infliximab as a first-line treatment for limited, non-stricturing ileocecal CD,” Manasi Agrawal, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine and gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Healio. “However, real-world data on the long-term impact of primary ileocecal resection for CD, compared to medical therapy, are limited.” Read More.
VIDEO: Low risk for congestive heart failure exacerbation with Zinplava for C. difficile
In this Healio video exclusive, Paul Feuerstadt, MD, FACG, AGAF, recaps results from a real-world analysis of Zinplava for prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection in patients with congestive heart failure.
“C. difficile is a major problem in the United States,” Feuerstadt, assistant clinical professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and attending gastroenterologist at PACT Gastroenterology Center, said. “It is estimated about a half a million people will be diagnosed with this infection on an annual basis. Read More.
- DDW News. Let’s hear from attendees – why are you #HereForDDW? https://news.ddw.org/news/lets-hear-from-attendees-why-are-you-hereforddw/ Accessed June 8, 2023.
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