Articles related to Surgery, Colon & Rectal

Anal intercourse is becoming more common among heterosexual couples. In the US, 30-44% of men and women report experience of anal sex. There are a host ofnegative health implications, especially for women, that should be communicatedespecially so patients can make truly informed decisions.

Technology to the rescue. Employing artificial intelligence (AI) during a colonoscopy could save money and lead to earlier detection of cancer and better health outcomes for patients. AI detection tools also were associated with a cost savings of $57 per patient after lowering discounted costs from $3,400 to $3,343, which persisted in secondary colonoscopy modeling analysis.

In a randomized clinical trial of 128 patients with refractory mCRC, the addition of the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab to capecitabine and bevacizumab therapy resulted in marginally longer PFS vs the placebo comparator arm. However, the median improvement — 4.4 vs 3.6 months – was deemed not clinically relevant.

The CDC has released updated guidelines for prescribing opioids. The newest guidelines focus on patient-centered decisions and reduce some limitations on prescribing that were put in place back in 2016. The updated guidance recognizes the ongoing increase in opioid-related deaths, but seeks to give physicians and patients more direction in managing individual therapy.