Trending Clinical Topic of the Week (April 27 – May 3): Colorectal Cancer
News about important risk factors, disparities in prevention strategies, information about screening, and considerations about treatment options helped make colorectal cancer this week’s top trending clinical topic. A new study from the United Kingdom found that moderate consumption of red meat and/or processed meat is associated with a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. Alcohol consumption was also associated with increased risk, whereas eating fiber from bread and cereals lowered the risk. Another recent study investigated the connection between the biology of colorectal cancer and smoking as a risk factor. The results indicated that smoking may inhibit innate immunity, which might be the biological link between cigarette use and colorectal carcinogenesis.
Despite information on modifiable risk factors such as smoking and dietary consumption, the American Cancer Society’s latest review of the prevalence of these risks and preventive screening in US adults found that many adults do not follow proven strategies. This is particularly true for individuals from lower socioeconomic groups and racial minority groups. In terms of detecting the presence of colorectal cancer, a new study found that surgeons are as good as endoscopy specialists at detecting polyps through colonoscopy. These findings refute prior studies that suggested endoscopists were superior at detecting polyps. Ideally, this expands the pool of clinicians that can help address the aforementioned low preventive screening rates.
In terms of patients who are diagnosed with cancer, a new study compared the long-term complications of laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer with the results after open surgery. The results indicated that the two approaches offer similar results, suggesting that laparoscopic surgery can be considered a safe alternative approach for patients with resectable rectal cancer. The influx of important news that covered everything from disease development to treatment made colorectal cancer the top trending topic for this week.
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Cite this: Ryan Syrek. Trending Clinical Topics for May 2019 - Medscape - May 31, 2019.
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