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Colon cancer screening key to prevention, survival
(03/25/08) Colon cancer screening is a tough sell. It’s icky, uncomfortable and the thought of a colonoscopy, especially the prep, can be intimidating, to say the least. But here’s what clinches the sale: Colon cancer can be largely prevented through proper screening.
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U-M study: Identifying cirrhosis with better accuracy
(03/03/08) A U-M-led study of patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C revealed that a 3-variable model of serum fibrosis markers, including serum HA, TIMP-1 and platelet count, could identify cirrhosis with better accuracy than other published models. These findings are in the March issue of Hepatology.
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Avoid tummy trouble while traveling this holiday season
(12/03/07) While holiday goodies are often to blame, U-M gastroenterologists say that holiday travel, along with stress and poor eating habits, can create a recipe for tummy trouble too. But, they say, understanding your gut’s internal rhythm and watching what you eat when you travel can help ease tummy trouble this holiday season.
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Predicting survival after liver transplantation
(11/01/07) Patients awaiting liver transplantation who also suffer from coronary disease, diabetes, COPD, connective tissue disease or renal insufficiency may face poorer survival after liver transplantation, a new study finds. Researchers say these study results, published in Liver Transplantation, will be useful when counseling patients with comorbidities about outcomes after transplantation.
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7 common myths about irritable bowel syndrome
(04/02/07) While IBS is a common disorder - affecting 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population - its also one of the most misunderstood among patients and physicians alike. To help separate IBS fact from fiction, a U-M gastroenterologist offers information about the condition, as well as diagnosis and treatment options available.
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12 myths about colon cancer
(02/23/07) Colorectal cancer screening prevents more deaths due to early detection than breast or prostate cancer screening. Yet colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death because not enough people get screened. Experts from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center address some of the common myths and misconceptions about colon cancer.
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New technology treats GI disorders without surgery
(01/31/07) The U-M Health System is now in the beginning stages of using double balloon endoscopy technology - a minimally-invasive scope procedure capable of exploring, diagnosing and even treating obscure gastrointestinal disorders in the small intestine with minimal discomfort to the patient and without invasive surgical intervention.
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Holiday heartburn: Tasty treats may trigger acid reflux
(11/06/06) For the 15 million Americans who experience chronic heartburn, or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), the holidays can be especially painful. To help people with heartburn survive the holidays, a U-M expert dishes up some advice to keep your stomach and esophagus merry and acid-free this holiday season.
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Common IBD surgery triples women's risk of infertility
(06/15/06) The risk of infertility in women triples after the most common major surgery for the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Health System.
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7 things you should know about colon cancer
(03/07/06) Colon cancer screening is essential to preventing this second most deadly cancer. It's not enough to look out for symptoms. If you start experiencing signs of colon cancer, the disease is likely to be advanced. Here, in time for Colon Cancer Awareness Month, experts share what you need to know about colon cancer.
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Too much of a good thing: Expert warns of overuse of over-the-counter pain medication
(03/06/06) Acetaminophen is generally a safe and effective medication, one that is used by millions of people every day to treat minor aches and pains and to diminish fevers. It might surprise many people, then, that overdoses of Tylenol and other products containing acetaminophen account for a staggering 40 percent to 50 percent of all acute liver failure cases each year in the United States.
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Rodney Pacifico, U-M gastroenterologist, dies
(09/10/05) On Aug. 28, Rodney J. Pacifico, M.D., clinical lecturer in the U-M Division of Gastroenterology and U-M Medical School alumnus, died surrounded by family in his Ann Arbor home. He was 33 years old.
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Study: Women prefer female colonoscopists
(08/01/05) A new study from the UMHS Division of Gastroenterology has identified another factor preventing or even delaying women from getting a colonoscopy: the colonoscopistýs gender. The study, published in the August issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, found that 43 percent of women preferred a female colonoscopist in a primary care setting - and most would be willing to wait and pay more for one.
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Colonoscopy: A woman's best defense against colon cancer
(05/18/05) A new study has reaffirmed the difference between the sexes - at least when it come to colon cancer detection. It found that colonoscopy is the best screening tool for average-risk women in the detection of colon cancer because other screening tools would miss most advanced pre-cancerous polyps."
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An alternative in the prevention of ulcerative colitis
(05/16/05) A new study from the University of Michigan Health System suggests that there may be better and more cost-effective means to prevent colon cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis than the current standard of care: statins.
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Overnight blood pressure linked to high blood sugar
(05/13/05) People whose blood pressure doesn't drop overnight can face a number of health problems. Previous research has shown that they can suffer more cardiovascular problems. Now, research at the University of Michigan Health System indicates they also may be at greater risk for diabetes because they have a tendency to have higher levels of blood glucose.
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Doctors form Michigan Bowel Control Program
(05/06/05) It's a topic many people don't feel comfortable discussing, but bowel disorders affect millions of Americans. To help improve treatment for these patients, doctors from a variety of specialties at U-M have created the Michigan Bowel Control Program.
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Chronic inflammation leads to gastric cancer
(04/04/05) When it comes to gastric cancer, too little stomach acid can be just as dangerous as too much, according to scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School. Both extremes create inflammatory changes in the stomach lining and a condition called chronic atrophic gastritis, which over time often leads to cancer.
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50 is the golden age to begin routine colonoscopies
(03/03/05) Colon cancer, a cancer of the large intestine, is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It’s also the leading cause of cancer death among non-smokers. The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2004, there were about 145,400 cases of colon cancer diagnosed, and approximately 56,300 colon cancer deaths in the U.S. Colonoscopies are the best way to prevent colorectal cancer and increase survival rate following diagnosis,
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Study looks at detection of early-stage liver cancer
(02/24/05) A two-year study to validate a test to detect early-stage liver cancer has been initiated by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, at six centers across the United States, including the U-M Health System."
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Patient knows best when it come to ulcerative colitis
(01/25/05) A U-M Health System study found that patient-reported symptoms can be used as an effective and less expensive alternative to lower endoscopies to monitor the progression of ulcerative colitis.
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U-M leads drug-related liver damage study
(12/14/04) A number of medicines and herbal remedies can harm the liver, and doctors don't understand why. A new study co-led by U-M doctors will enroll people who have suffered such drug-induced liver damage to try to solve the mystery.
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Patients find tiny, high-tech cameras easy to swallow
(08/04/04) Using new non-invasive technology, known as a capsule endoscopy system, physicians at the U-M Health System now have the ability to explore uncharted, and often unseen, territory within a patient’s small intestines to diagnose obscure conditions.
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Exposing the hidden syndrome: Irritable Bowel
(11/03/03) Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is among the most common gastrointestinal problems in the United States. Between 7 percent and 20 percent of Americans experience symptoms suggestive of IBS, such as abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, but many shy away from discussing the problem and end up missing out on effective treatment for the syndrome. Physicians are building IBS awareness in hopes that those suffering will seek medical help.
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Study: For those who take painkillers regularly, a heartburn pill a day may keep ulcers away
(10/14/03) For those who take certain painkiller drugs regularly to help ease arthritis pain or other chronic aches, the relief comes with a tradeoff: a quadrupled chance of developing painful ulcers over the long term. But a new study may offer a promising way to prevent this unwelcome effect.
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Real colonoscopy still beats virtual colonoscopy
(10/14/03) Issued on 10/13/03 by the Public Relations staff of the American College of Gastroenterology: A new study by UMHS researchers and their Iowa colleagues finds that 'virtual' colonoscopy, which uses imaging technology rather than a colonoscopy to screen for polyps and other lesions, missed 27 percent of colorectal lesions, including pre-cancerous colon polyps and colon cancers.
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Another reason to get a colonoscopy
(05/07/03) A new study gives Americans over 50 one more reason not to put off having a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer and its forerunners. Not only is the screening technique already known to be very good at finding problems, but new data now show it's far more cost-effective for most people than promising cancer-preventing drugs will probably be.
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Need for hepatitis C testing revealed by post-disaster blood donation
(11/08/01) U-M physician calls for universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection.
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Aspirin not a cost effective substitute for colorectal cancer screening, study finds
(11/06/01) Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Michigan have determined in a recent study that aspirin is not a cost-effective addition to the national strategy for reducing death from colorectal cancer.
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Study offers hope for reflux disease patients who can't live without chocolate
(05/22/01) - U-M researchers reveal pathway, possible defense against chocolate's ill effects on stomach.
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Study finds troubling trends in hepatitis C screening, diagnosis and referral
(05/21/01) Primary care doctors and their patients need to be more aware of risk factors, need for testing.
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Two from U-M Health System helping American Liver Foundation's new Michigan chapter
(01/12/01) Two liver experts from the U-M Health System - Anna Lok, M.D., and Amy Randall-Ray, M.S., R.D., - are helping the American Liver Foundation's new Michigan chapter get off the ground, as members of its Board of Directors and Medical Advisory Committee.
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