NEW YORK (May 6, 2011) -- Among those presenting at this year's Digestive Disease Week meeting are physician-scientists from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The meeting takes place May 7-10, at McCormick Place, Chicago. The following are two notable research studies:
Dr. Benjamin LebwohlA gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and instructor in clinical medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
The prevalence of colorectal neoplasia (CRN) among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States has not been extensively studied. Previous reports of greater polyp prevalence among blacks have not incorporated histologic findings, and adenoma prevalence among Hispanics as compared with blacks and whites is unknown. Dr. Lebwohl and his co-authors did a retrospective analysis of asymptomatic individuals ≥50 years undergoing screening colonoscopy at a single site. They found that prevalence of colorectal adenomas was higher in blacks and Hispanics compared with whites, where blacks had a greater risk of multiple adenomas and Hispanics had a greater risk of large adenomas. Once validated, the authors write, these results may support customized screening and surveillance recommendations based on race and ethnicity to improve outcomes related to colorectal cancer incidence and mortality among diverse, underrepresented populations.
"Increased Prevalence of Colorectal Adenomas and Advanced Neoplasia in Asymptomatic Hispanic and Black Patients Compared to White Patients Undergoing Screening Colonoscopy." AGA Topic Forum. S100-C. Saturday, May 7, 8:30 a.m. CT
Dr. Amrita SethiA gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Single Operator Choledochoscopy (SOC) using the SpyGlass™ Direct Visualization System (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) is a platform used to assist in the confirmation of diagnosis of biliary lesions. However, there is little data regarding the interobserver agreement of SPY imaging interpretation. There is currently no established scoring criteria for the cholangioscopic diagnosis of intraductal pathology. In a pilot multicenter study to assess the interobserver agreement and variance in interpretation of SOC, Dr. Sethi and her co-authors report that interobserver agreements of the proposed scoring categories of cholangioscopy images range from slight to fair. The average accuracy of determining a final diagnosis by cholangioscopic imaging by experienced users was less than 40 percent. The authors write that lack of agreement on specific features of imaging as well as the final diagnosis suggest that imaging criteria for malignancy need to be established and training should be addressed.
"Interobserver agreement for Single Operaror Choledochoscopy imaging reading: what are we looking at?" AGA Topic Forum. S101. Saturday, May 7, 8:45 a.m. CT
Source: New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center