Sangeeta Agrawal

Colorectal Cancer in African Americans

Colorectal cancer in African Americans has an increased incidence and mortality relative to Whites. The mean age of CRC development in African Americans is younger than that of Whites. There is also evidence for a more proximal colonic distribution of cancers and adenomas in African Americans.African Americans are less likely to have undergone diagnostic testing and screening for colorectal cancer. Special efforts are needed to improve colorectal cancer screening participation rates in African Americans.Clinical gastroenterologists should play an active role in educating the public and primary care physicians about special issues surrounding colorectal cancer in African Americans. Community healthcare groups and gastrointestinal specialists should develop culturally sensitive health education programs for African Americans regarding colorectal cancer. The high incidence and younger age at presentation of colorectal cancer in African Americans warrant initiation of colorectal cancer screening at the age 45 yr rather than 50 yr.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy associated gastric metastasis.

An interesting case of gastric metastasis of head and neck cancer after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement is presented. Gastric metastases may appear in 3 morphologic varieties endoscopically. They may be multiple nodules of varying size, submucosal tumor masses with tip ulceration, or nonulcerated masses. Histologically, they may be seen as microscopic infiltration, a gross nodule, gross ulceration, or a gross hypertrophied wall. A case of PEG associated gastric metastasis has been reported almost every year since 1989. Even then, PEG placement by pull method continues to be a common procedure for patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer. The mechanism of gastric metastasis in patients with PEG is unclear. Seeding as well as hematogenous and lymphatic spread to traumatized tissue may be the cause.

Gallstones, from gallbladder to gut. Management options for diverse complications.

PREVIEW Gallstones may be incidental and asymptomatic or painful and accompanied by life-threatening obstruction or infection. A thorough knowledge of potential complications is therefore critical, especially because some asymptomatic stones require prompt treatment. In this article, Drs Agrawal and Jonnalagadda provide valuable instructions for recognizing and treating the various manifestations of gallstone disease.

Anaplastic and sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine: an unusual tumor.

Primary malignant tumors of the small intestine are rare, and sarcomatoid carcinomas have rarely been reported at this site. Anaplastic and sarcomatoid carcinomas are well described in the upper aerodigestive tract, particularly in the esophagus and the larynx. The authors report a case of anaplastic and sarcomatoid carcinoma of the ileum presenting as gastrointestinal bleeding. Their patient and the literature suggest that these tumors are much more aggressive than other small intestinal tumors. The importance of a systematic diagnostic approach in diagnosing these tumors is also discussed.

Metformin use and the risk of esophageal cancer in Barrett esophagus.

Objectives Diabetes mellitus is a significant risk factor for total cancer incidence and mortality. Metformin, a commonly used antidiabetic drug, has been shown to be protective against different types of cancers; however, its role in esophageal cancer is unknown. The goal of this study was to determine whether the use of metformin modifies the risk of development of esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett esophagus. Methods Patients with diagnoses of Barrett esophagus and esophageal cancer were identified during a 20-year period. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The outcome variable was esophageal adenocarcinoma. Univariate analysis was performed using two-sample t tests for continuous variables or the Fisher exact test for categorical variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was then performed using the significant variables. Results A total of 583 patients were identified with the diagnosis of Barrett esophagus or esophageal adenocarcinoma from 1992 to 2012. Of these, 115 had esophageal adenocarcinoma and 468 had Barrett esophagus. Age, smoking, and diabetes mellitus were found to be significant risk factors for the development of esophageal cancer with the following results: age (P < 0.001), smoking (P = 0.003), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.007). Statin use was protective against the development of cancer with P = 0.001. Metformin use was neither associated with an increased nor a decreased risk of esophageal cancer. Conclusions The three independent variables that predicted progression of Barrett esophagus to esophageal adenocarcinoma in our study were older age, smoking, and diabetes mellitus. Statin use showed protective effect against development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Metformin use did not demonstrate any statistically significant protective effect.

Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmissions of Individuals with Decompensated Cirrhosis.

Objectives Patients with cirrhosis have a high rate of 30-day hospital readmission that affects their quality of life and contributes to increased healthcare-related costs. The aim of our study was to identify frequency, predictors, and preventable causes of hospital readmissions among patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Methods We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of decompensated cirrhosis admitted to Dayton VA Medical Center between 2009 and 2013. Demographics, clinical factors, laboratory values, and outcomes were recorded. Univariate analysis was performed using independent samples t tests and Wilcoxon rank sums tests for continuous variables and &khgr;2 or Fisher exact tests for categorical variables. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for variables found to be significant by univariate analysis to predict the risk factors for 30-day readmission. A detailed chart review was conducted for all patients readmitted within 30 days by a single gastroenterologist to identify the reason for readmission and to decide whether any of these readmissions were preventable. Results The 30-day readmission rate for decompensated cirrhotic patients was 27.03%. The risk factors for 30-day readmission were higher body mass index (BMI), lower body temperature, higher blood urea nitrogen, higher creatinine, more cirrhosis-related complications, and more readmissions per year per univariate analysis. Multivariable analysis revealed only BMI as a significant predictor of 30-day readmission (P = 0.023). A total of 36.7% of 30-day readmissions were possibly preventable. Conclusions The independent variable that predicted 30-day readmission in patients with decompensated cirrhosis was higher BMI. Approximately one-third of 30-day readmissions were possibly preventable. These findings support the need to develop specific interventions for disease management to improve patient care and save on extraneous healthcare costs.

Missed esophageal and gastric cancers after esophagogastroduodenoscopy in a midwestern military veteran population.

Objectives Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsy has become the standard procedure for diagnosing esophageal and gastric cancers (EGC) and is considered to have high sensitivity and specificity. To date, few studies have attempted to examine the rates of missed EGC after EGD and no study addresses the rate of missed EGC in a military veteran patient population. This led to us examine missed EGCs at our VA Medical Center across a 10-year period. Methods An electronic database was used to identify patients who were diagnosed between 2000 and 2010 as having EGC. Missed cancers were defined as cancers diagnosed within 1 year of EGD, possible missed cancers as those diagnosed 1 to 3 years after EGD, and latent cancers as those diagnosed between 3 and 5 years after EGD. Results A total of 94 patients fulfilled the study criteria: 69 had esophageal cancer and 25 had gastric cancer diagnosed at our institution during the study period. Of the included cases, one patient had a missed cancer (1.06%) and four patients had possible missed cancers (4.26%); no patients had latent cancer. Conclusions The true incidence of missed EGC in military veteran patients is not known. It is difficult to compare our findings to those of other studies because of the heterogeneity of studies. Our study echoes the findings of the others: EGD remains an important and effective tool in diagnosing EGC. At the same time, it also points out an important limitation, that EGC can be missed on EGD. Our findings also emphasize the importance of obtaining biopsies of any abnormality and timely clinical follow-up and by repeat EGD as needed.

Anatomical distribution of colorectal cancer in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Objectives The incidence of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) among individuals younger than 50 years of age and the incidence of proximal cancers has varied based on demographic factors in previous studies, and multisociety screening guidelines advise various modalities for average-risk individuals beginning at age 50. We studied the incidence and anatomic distribution of CRC in a population of military veterans to determine whether screening at a younger age is warranted. Methods In a retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients diagnosed as having CRC at the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center between 2000 and 2010, a descriptive analysis of age at diagnosis, race, indication for colonoscopy, and anatomical distribution of the tumor was performed. Results A total of 280 patients with CRC were identified, 272 of whom were histologically confirmed as having adenocarcinoma. The majority (98.6%) were men, with 25.6% of them African American. The mean age at diagnosis was 68.9 years (range 41–89 years), with 35% diagnosed in the eighth decade of life. Only 8 patients (2.9%) were younger than age 50. Most tumors (55%) were located distal to the splenic flexure, with synchronous lesions identified in seven patients. Screening colonoscopy identified only 18 (3.6%) cases. Conclusions Sporadic colorectal adenocarcinoma in patients younger than age 50 was identified in only 2.9% of all cases, whereas 42.5% of all cases were located proximal to the splenic flexure. This reinforces the American College of Gastroenterology guideline recommendation to initiate CRC screening in average-risk individuals at age 50. This study supports optical colonoscopy as the preferred screening modality.

Endoscopic diagnosis of biliary Pneumocystis carinii.

VOLUME 56, NO. 6, 2002 GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY 937 Current affiliations: Wright State University, Wright State University VA Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio. Reprint requests: Muhanad Mustafa, MD, 3048 Bright Bounty Ln., West Carrollton, OH 45449. Copyright

Acute pancreatitis as a complication of trans-arterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular cancer—case report and review of literature

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a therapeutic procedure often performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Local complications, though generally uncommon, can arise from arterial ischemia and local cytotoxicity from the chemotherapeutic delivery. We present a case of acute pancreatitis as a rare complication of the TACE procedure along with a review of literature of this uncommon adverse effect.