By Mollie Frost
With various new guidelines and therapies approved in the past year, there's a lot to digest in the world of gastroenterology.
"The three major topics that I chose were quite diverse," said presenter Brooks D. Cash, MD, FACP, CAPT (ret), USN, chief of the division of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition and professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Starting with the upper GI tract, he will update attendees on new treatment options for acid suppression and Helicobacter pylori, including potassium-competitive acid blockers and a rifabutin-based therapeutic. "There are a number of updates in therapies that are going to be approved shortly or that have already been approved that have the potential to change our management in the treatment of acid-peptic disorders and H. pylori," Dr. Cash said.
Moving down to the colon, the second area of focus will be new gastroenterology guidelines, including ACP's recent clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute left-sided diverticulitis and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's recommendation expanding the age range for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults to 45 to 75 years.
There are also recommendations in recent guidelines that cover when to discontinue colorectal cancer screening, as well as how to manage interval screening and surveillance for patients with a history of neoplastic polyps, Dr. Cash said. "We'll review the evidence for those new guidelines and also dive into the specific recommendations."
The final stop will be the liver. Dr. Cash will provide broad updates in the management of several hepatic diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and hepatic encephalopathy, as well as cover screening for hepatocellular carcinoma and varices in patients with cirrhosis, he said.
"I thought that these topics would be very germane to primary care, and it’s important for clinicians caring for patients with these conditions to understand the rationale for updated treatment paradigms as well as to get a glimpse of pipeline therapies that may become standards of care in the future. I am really looking forward to having a robust and interactive discussion with you all." ■