Bowel Disease, GLP-1s, and Colon Cancer; Herbs for MASLD? Managing Bile Duct Stones

In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a retrospective study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Breakthrough Meeting.

A majority (54%) of patients initially screened for CRC with an annual stool-based test consistently repeated the test, while 16% never got one again, a study of four U.S. health systems found. (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

A randomized trial of minimally invasive rectal cancer resection turned up similar rates of symptomatic anastomotic leakage with either low ligation (4.9%) or high ligation (6%) of the inferior mesenteric artery. (JAMA Surgery)

MRI-based prediction models could help identify hepatocellular carcinoma patients at high risk for early recurrence following tumor resection. (Journal of Hepatology)

Telehealth-delivered stepped treatment can reduce unhealthy alcohol use in chronic liver disease patients, a randomized trial indicated. (Hepatology)

Liver fibrosis screening should expand to include overweight patients with any cardiometabolic risk factor, researchers in the American Journal of Gastroenterology suggested.

Can some herbal products help improve metabolic parameters in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)? (Gastro Hep Advances)

Use of the cancer immunotherapy nivolumab (Opdivo) in chronic hepatitis B didn’t result in hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance in a phase II study. (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

HepQuant announced FDA premarket approval of its Shunt Liver Diagnostic Test, which aims to quantify the risk of large esophageal varices in patients with compensated cirrhosis.

In the Journal of Hepatology, experts reviewed what’s known about liver cirrhosis regression.

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and other groups issued updated guidelines on evaluating pediatric liver transplant candidates. (Hepatology)

Preclinical research linked red meat to colitis-promoting effects, suggesting red meat could worsen IBD. (Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

Perianal disease occurs in about 4% of ulcerative colitis patients and may behave less aggressively than it does in Crohn’s disease. (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)

A randomized trial showed no benefit to at-home fecal calprotectin monitoring for reducing symptomatic flares in ulcerative colitis. (Gastroenterology)

Does single-stage management of bile duct stones cut down on costs? (JAMA Surgery)

Earlier use of microbiota-based therapy for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection would be more cost-effective than delayed use, according to an analysis in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Dupilumab (Dupixent) could improve histological outcomes in eosinophilic gastritis, a small proof-of-concept study suggested. (Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology)