Faculty Bibliography

Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) screens for colorectal cancer (CRC) through detection of hemoglobin. Specimens without a collection date are a common source of test cancellation. We implemented a quality improvement intervention to improve collection date documentation and screening completion using a pre-post design. Within a large US Veterans Affairs (VA) CRC screening trial, we modified the FIT return envelope instructions, including a field for collection date documentation on the envelope. Preintervention 6654/7083 FIT kits (93.9%) were received with a collection date compared to 3069/3105 (98.8%) postintervention (p < .00001). Preintervention, 35.2% of kits without a date were received within 15 days of original outbound mailing of the kit from VA, thereby allowing testing in 95.4% of all kits received. Postintervention, 44.4% of undated kits were received within 15 days of mailing from the VA, allowing for testing of 98.8% of all kits (p < .00001 compared to preintervention). The intervention was associated with an absolute 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8%-4.1%) increase in testable kits, thereby reducing the proportion of individuals requiring retesting from 4.6% to 1.2%. This no-cost, targeted intervention was associated with a significantly increased proportion of individuals successfully completing screening. Programs using FIT should consider implementation of this no-cost intervention to enhance program effectiveness.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. Despite the wide availability of effective screening tools, adherence to screening modalities and recommendations remains a significant challenge, influenced by various sociodemographic factors. This study examines the disparities and factors related to adherence to CRC screening methods. METHODS:Participants aged 45 to 75 years were selected from the 2022-2023 BRFSS dataset. The key variables extracted included CRC screening modalities and test frequencies (colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, stool testing, and virtual colonoscopy), as well as sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore associations between social factors and up-to-date adherence to specific screening tests. RESULTS:A total of 239,512,188 (Weighted frequency) adults were included in this study, with the majority identifying as White (63.90%), female (51.92%), having access to a primary care provider (PCP; 90.64%), married (61.36%), reporting a yearly income of $50,000 or greater (69.17%), and residing in urban areas (93.11%). The most reportedly used screening options were colonoscopy (27.34%) and stool-based tests (8.67%). Up-to-date adherence to colonoscopy was more likely among adults who are Black non-Hispanic (aOR = 1.86, 95% CI [1.57-2.19], p < .0001), had access to PCPs (aOR = 2.13, 95% CI [1.80-2.52], p < .0001), and urban residents (aOR = 1.18, 95%CI [1.04-1.34], p = 0.0105) among cohorts with colonoscopy. Up-to-date adherence to stool test was more likely among Hispanic (aOR = 1.37, 95%CI [1.03-1.81], p = 0.0296), those with access to a PCP (aOR 1.63, 95%CI [1.21-2.21], p = 0.0014), individuals who were divorced (aOR = 1.15, 95%CI [1.00-1.32], p = 0.0431), and uneducated ( aOR = 1.58, 95%CI [1.15-2.16], p = 0.0046) among cohorts with stool test. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Racial/ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and marital status were associated with whether individuals adhered to a particular screening modality among their cohorts with the same screening test. We recommend creating specific and culturally aware programs to overcome obstacles and targeted interventions among patients, which may help improve adherence rates.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Colorectal cancer(CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy with a rising global incidence. CRC shares many risk factors with other malignancies and may occur as a part of hereditary cancer syndromes. This retrospective cohort study aims to evaluate outcomes in patients with CRC and a history of prior malignancy to identify potential implications for personalized management. METHODS:The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2022 for patients diagnosed with CRC, who were stratified into two cohorts: those with and without malignancies prior to CRC diagnosis. Propensity score matching was performed to balance sociodemographic characteristics, and logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios(ORs) for tumor and treatment characteristics. Subsequently, a Cox proportional hazards model was fit to assess the association of having prior malignancies and mortality. RESULTS:A total of 576,076 patients were included, with 288,038 in each cohort. Patients with prior malignancies had significantly lower odds of KRAS mutation(OR = 0.86, 95% CI:0.83-0.89, p < 0.001), abnormal CEA levels(OR = 0.95, 95% CI:0.94-0.96, p < 0.001), perineural invasion(OR = 0.86, 95% CI:0.84-0.88, p < 0.001), early-onset CRC(OR = 0.73, 95% CI:0.71-0.74, p < 0.001), advanced-stage CRC(OR = 0.77, 95% CI:0.76-0.77, p < 0.001), and tumor deposits(OR = 0.82, 95% CI:0.80-0.84, p < 0.001). These patients also had higher odds of receiving treatment(OR = 1.05, 95% CI:1.02-1.08, p < 0.001). However, they had higher odds of microsatellite instability(OR = 1.20, 95% CI:1.17-1.23, p < 0.001), treatment delays(OR = 1.42, 95% CI:1.40-1.43, p < 0.001), and postoperative readmissions(OR = 1.14, 95% CI:1.11-1.17, p < 0.001). Patients with a history of prior malignancies were associated with higher overall mortality(aHR = 1.19, 95% CI:1.10-1.27, p < 0.001) as well as stage-specific mortality, except for stage 1 CRC. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:These findings indicate that patients with prior malignancies may require greater preoperative optimization, closer post-discharge monitoring, and proactive efforts to avoid treatment delays.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:We investigated the impact of racial/ethnic disparities in therapy initiation on colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. METHODS:Adults aged 18-84 years with CRC were identified. Cox models for 60-month all-cause and cancer-specific mortality were adjusted for demographics, stage, tumor site, income, and rural-urban residence. RESULTS:Therapy initiation was slower for Hispanics (HR 0.85) and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients (HR 0.80) compared with non-Hispanic Whites (p < 0.001). Each additional month of delay was associated with a 3% increase in cancer mortality (p < 0.001). Findings were consistent across diagnosis eras, with no significant race-by-era interaction, and adjustment for socioeconomic and geographic factors resulted in minimal attenuation of racial disparities. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Treatment delays independently contribute to all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, disproportionately affecting NHB and lower-SES patients.

GOAL/OBJECTIVE:To investigate the safety of corticosteroid escalation before antimicrobial treatment among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flares associated with an enteric infection. BACKGROUND:Corticosteroids are often necessary to treat individuals with IBD; however, there is concern that immunosuppression in the setting of a gastrointestinal infection may worsen outcomes. METHODS:We conducted a retrospective study of adults (18 y or older) hospitalized for an IBD flare (2015 to 2023) who received both systemic corticosteroids and antimicrobials for a gastrointestinal infection. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital death, IBD-related surgery, need for intensive care unit, toxic megacolon, or acute kidney injury, stratified by timing of corticosteroid escalation (before vs. after antimicrobial initiation). Outcomes at 90 days were also collected in a secondary analysis. RESULTS:Overall, 76 individuals were included; 48 (63.2%) had ulcerative colitis. The most common infection was Clostridioides difficile (n=50; 65.8%), and the majority of patients (n=51, 67.1%) received corticosteroid initiation (or escalation) before antimicrobials. There was no significant difference in the development of the primary (9.8% vs. 8.0%, P=1.00) or secondary (29.4% vs. 32.0%, P=0.82) outcome based on corticosteroid initiation before versus after antimicrobial initiation. Among patients with C. difficile, similar results were seen. CONCLUSIONS:Among patients hospitalized with an IBD flare complicated by enteric infection, initiation or escalation of corticosteroids before antimicrobial therapy did not increase the risk of in-hospital or 90-day adverse events. This study supports the notion that corticosteroids can be safely utilized while awaiting the results of the gastrointestinal infectious testing.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Studies show women are underrepresented in gastroenterology (GI). Understanding representation is crucial to improving representation. This study describes the geographic distribution of women in academic GI in the United States (US). METHODS:We conducted a cross-sectional study of 224 US GI fellowship programs in 2023 by review of program websites and direct inquiry. Gender distribution of trainees and faculty across US regions was evaluated. Program characteristics were examined in univariate analyses. Logistic regression models assessed factors associated with women in leadership, adjusting for program type and region. RESULTS:Women comprised 39.3% of 1,801 fellows and 30.2% of 3,899 GI faculty. Percentage of women fellows was highest in the West (50%), Northeast (38%), South (33%), and Midwest (33%), (p = 0.014). Median percentage of senior women faculty was highest in the Northeast (27%) (p = 0.009). Programs with women GI division chiefs had more women GI fellowship program directors (60% vs 40%, p = 0.001) and higher median percentage of women faculty (33% vs 26%, p = 0.016). The presence of a woman GI division chief was independently associated with having a woman GI fellowship program director (p = 0.008) and increased percentage of women faculty (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Gender representation varied regionally, with some institutions lacking women faculty or trainees. Women in leadership are associated with greater faculty gender diversity, potentially impacting trainee recruitment, faculty retention, and patient care. The association between women GI division chiefs and increased women faculty and program directors highlights how leadership gender diversity may support recruitment and retention of women in academic GI.

OBJECTIVE:Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as constipation are prevalent autonomic symptoms seen in prodromal and end-stage Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the association of GI symptoms and constipation alone with progression and severity of PD-associated cognitive impairment. METHODS:). RESULTS:Eleven prospective, nine cross-sectional, three retrospective, three case-control, and one randomized controlled studies were included, totaling 7042 PD patients. The presence of GI symptoms like constipation was significantly associated with PD dementia (RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.09, 1.71; p = 0.005). However, over 5 years, GI symptoms were not found to be associated with an increased prevalence of PD dementia. In subgroup analysis of three prospective studies, constipation was associated with worsened PD cognitive impairment over 5 years (decreased MOCA score by 1.259 points; 95% CI -2.059, -0.459; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS:GI symptoms, and constipation specifically, were commonly reported among patients with PD dementia. In a subgroup analysis of prospective studies, worsening constipation seemed to correlate with greater cognitive impairment over 5 years. Although this meta-analysis did not establish causation, these findings highlight the potential importance of monitoring constipation in PD individuals as ongoing research about the role of the gut-brain axis continues.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS/OBJECTIVE:Colorectal cancer screening reduces mortality, yet uptake remains suboptimal. Various interventions aim to improve screening rates, but their comparative effectiveness is unclear. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening uptake interventions using a systematic review and network meta-analysis. METHODS:We analyzed data from 76 randomized clinical trials across eight intervention strategies: patient navigation, mailed FIT outreach, educational multimedia, reminder-only, choice-based outreach, colonoscopy outreach, multistep, and usual care. Network meta-analysis compared interventions using risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). P-scores and rankograms assessed intervention rankings. Risk of bias was assessed, and certainty of evidence was graded using the GRADE framework. RESULTS:Patient navigation (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.23-2.02; P-score 0.81) and mailed FIT outreach (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.07-1.74; P-score 0.79) were the most effective strategies, significantly outperforming usual care. Educational multimedia (RR 1.27, 95% CI 0.91-1.78) and reminder-only interventions (RR 1.24, 95% CI 0.98-1.57) showed modest effects. Choice-based outreach and colonoscopy outreach were not significantly more effective than usual care. Mailed FIT outreach was superior to colonoscopy outreach (RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.11-1.63), and patient navigation outperformed reminder-only interventions (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14-1.94). In low baseline uptake settings (<30%), mailed FIT outreach was most effective (RR 3.12, 95% CI 1.70-5.71), while educational multimedia performed best in higher uptake populations (≥30%) and in recent studies (2021-2024). Majority of studies were at low risk of bias while the certainty of evidence mostly ranged from moderate to low. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Patient navigation and mailed FIT outreach are the most effective strategies for increasing colorectal cancer screening uptake, particularly in low baseline uptake populations. Educational multimedia shows promise in recent years and high baseline uptake settings, offering a scalable alternative.