Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Colorectal cancer screening improves survival in seniors

As people get older, their risk of developing polyps and colorectal cancer increases. Currently, there is no clear evidence or established guideline for the upper age limit for colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy.

16 Oct 2007

Capsule endoscopy finds undiagnosed Crohn's disease

A small capsule that takes "snapshots" of the small intestine as it moves through the digestive tract helped doctors spot cases of Crohn's disease that had gone undiagnosed for up to 15 years, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

16 Oct 2007

A tumor marker Ca 19-9 in diabetics can lead to misdiagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Diabetes is increasing all over the world along with the increase of obesity and associated diseases and is a well-known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The incidence of pancreatic cancer is also increasing and has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers.

16 Oct 2007

Delisheng shows anti-cancer effects on hepatocellular carcinoma

Traditional Chinese medicine is world renowned. It has supernatural effects on some diseases, but the reason is still unknown. One such article was recently reported in the November 7 issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology dealing with the great significance of a Chinese medicinal compound, "delisheng", for the therapy of HCC and its neoteric research method.

16 Oct 2007

Health-care costs of NSAIDs injury

Patients underreported their use of common but potentially dangerous over-the-counter pain medications known as NSAIDs, according to research presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

16 Oct 2007

Cause and clinical outcome of portal vein thrombosis

Among the 118 patients with portal vein thrombosis, noncirrhotic and nontumoral extrahepatic portal vein obstruction are young and present with well tolerated bleed.

15 Oct 2007

Efficiency and safety of endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal smooth muscle tumors

Gastrointestinal smooth muscle tumors (SMTs, including leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma) represent relatively common lesions that are thought to originate from a muscular layer of the gastrointestinal tract.

10 Oct 2007

Electroacupuncture on the anterior forearm may help gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms

The First Hospital of Peking University, China-Research, has shown that electroacupuncture at Pericardium Meridian Point 6 (PC6 or Nei Guan - Pericardium Meridian) may decrease the frequency of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR), which is the main mechanism underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

10 Oct 2007

18F-DG PET/CT can highly increase the detection of colorectal cancer

Combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) is currently widely used in the clinical diagnosis of cancer to provide functional and morphological imaging.

10 Oct 2007

Transcutaneous cervical esophageal ultrasound can not substitute for 24-h pH monitoring or manometry

24-h pH monitoring and esophageal manometry are the gold standards of methods used for diagnosing GER and esophageal motor disorders, respectively.

10 Oct 2007

Interleukin-8, key marker for colorectal cancer treatment

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently one of the three most frequent malignancies in Western industrial nations.

10 Oct 2007

Specific immune deficiency pinpointed as likely cause of ulcerative colitis

In a series of mouse experiments, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have pinpointed a specific immune deficiency as the likely fundamental cause of ulcerative colitis, a chronic, sometimes severe inflammatory disease of the colon or large intestine that afflicts half a million Americans.

4 Oct 2007

Individually tailored herbal concoctions possibly harmful

Scientists in Britain are warning that there is no evidence to suggest herbal medicines "tailored" to the individual do actually work; they also say such concoctions may even be harmful.

4 Oct 2007

Gastric progenitor cells in stomach may provide cancer insights

Scientists have identified and described stem cells specific to several tissues and organs of the body - key master cells that give rise to the specialized cell types characteristic of that organ.

4 Oct 2007

Key to colon cancer prevention is regular screenings

More than 100,000 people will develop colon cancer in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society; the disease currently causes more than 55,000 U.S. deaths annually.

4 Oct 2007

Indian bug is the ancestor of Crohn's disease pathogen

An Indian team of researchers led by Seyed E. Hasnain of the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), University of Hyderabad, India has found that a seemingly unknown mycobacterial organism Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) could be the earliest ancestor of the 'generalist' branch of mycobacterial pathogens.

3 Oct 2007

Fighting the spread of food poisoning

A Queensland University of Technology researcher has developed a new technique that can help scientists and clinicians quickly and cheaply diagnose the bacteria which causes the most common bout of food poisoning in Australia.

3 Oct 2007

Insights into colorectal cancer screening

Two studies in the October issue of the journal Gastroenterology may help in refining recommendations for the use of colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer.

2 Oct 2007

Noninvasive tests for cirrhosis may help to avoid liver biopsy

Newer ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging tests yield encouraging initial results in diagnosing fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis of the liver, according to three studies in the October issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

2 Oct 2007

FDA approves new adjustable gastric band for morbid obesity

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band, a surgical implant for weight reduction and improvement in obesity-related health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes, in individuals suffering from morbid obesity.

29 Sep 2007