Becker's ASC Review

79 GASTROENTEROLOGY some when form fits function in science and this translates to better outcomes for patients. LK: It's going to change it completely because C. difficile is really common in people who've gotten antibiotics and who are older. What happens when you get C. difficile is that you kill the bacteria with antibiotics, but spores remain, so aer a few days in certain people the spores germinate, and the C. diff comes back. It used to be that aer a second recurrence, you would send the patient for a fecal transplant, which required getting the material and having the patient go through a full colonoscopy. At one point the FDA banned the use of fecal transplants and there was such an outcry because there was not really another effective treatment available. e FDA basically made an ex- ception. With this therapy, what you're doing is replenishing the good bacteria, which helps to keep C. diff from colonizing. With the results we're seeing from this study, it looks very promising. Q: What advice do you have for early-career physicians who want to do research and go into private practice? PF: Getting involved in research is not for everyone. e best people to get involved in pharmaceutical trials are those providers who love the scientific process and who see specialized patient populations with that/those diseases. Offering the opportunity of new therapeutics for disease states is powerful as a provider and rewarding seeing new mechanisms of action and new approaches to treating diseases. e young practitioner who enjoyed conducting research in fellowship, who attends national conferences and keeps track of cutting-edge therapeutics within gastroenterology and who is highly motivated, can provide this wonderful service to their patients. LK: One of the things Capital Digestive Care has done as it has grown is to create an organization called Chevy Chase Clinical Research that includes physician and physician assistant sub-investigators, as well as certified clinical research coordinators. It's great for our patients who need new options, and it helps make valuable contributions to the field of medicine. If you're an early-career physician, it would be good to make sure that the group you're considering joining has a support infrastructure and has a clear compensation model for physicians who want to research. So, it would be smart to research what kind of capabilities the practice has and what kind of commitment they have in terms of supporting research efforts. Q: Are there any other studies in the pipeline from your GI practices? PF: Our center participates in quite a few trials since many of our providers have sub-specialties that lend to having patients who would be interested in these newer treatment options. We participate in a wide array of trials considering various treatments of C. difficile infec- tion, along with trials assessing products for the treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, celiac disease and many others. We also participate in trials considering technologies in endoscopy, such as capsule assessment of the colon. By contouring the studies for the patients that we see in our practice, we are able to provide these innovative treatments to our patients and offer opportu- nities for therapy that might not be available elsewhere. LK: We're working on several different C. diff studies, and have studies on inflammatory bowel disease with several clinical trial sponsors. It's incredibly important for community practices to participate in studies and actively recruit younger physicians to do the research. It changes the character of the practice by bringing a certain level of scholarly activity that benefits the patients we serve and the field of gastroenter- ology and medicine as a whole. n American Cancer Society projects 52,280 CRC deaths in 2022: 7 notes By Alan Condon C olorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer- related deaths in men and in women, is projected to cause 52,280 deaths this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Seven notes: 1. The society is forecasting 106,180 new colon cancer cas- es and 44,850 new rectal cancer cases this year. 2. In 2021, there was a significant increase in advanced- stage colorectal cancer and precancerous growths, called polyps, in adults of all ages compared with 2020. The spike has been attributed to patients delaying care during the COVID-19 pandemic. 3. More than 200,000 Americans are reported to have missed colonoscopy appointments since the pandemic began. 4. The most effective way to reduce the risk of colon cancer is to get screened routinely, beginning at age 45, accord- ing to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. 5. Though colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in America, it is one of the most prevent- able cancers, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. A colonoscopy is the most thorough screening test for colorectal cancer. 6. Patients have a 90 percent five-year survival rate when colorectal cancer is found at an early stage and 14 percent when cancer is found in an advanced stage and has spread to distant organs. 7. Obesity (defined as a body mass index greater than 30) is linked with a higher risk of 13 types of cancers, including colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Soci- ety. In men, colorectal cancer is the most common obesity- associated cancer. n

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