[Choosing wisely - perspectives: what are the key questions?].

Gastroenterology offers a wide field for future "choosing wisely" recommendations (CWR). They should refer not only to an under- or overuse of diagnostic tools like laboratory or imaging tests but also to an evidence-based application of drug therapies und endoscopic interventions. Drugs like antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors are both often prescribed in the absence of clearly defined underlying diseases and not given when an indication is clear.

Evidence-Based Follow-up for Adults With Cancer.

Background: The objectives of follow-up care for cancer patients include psycho- social assistance and the detection of health problems. The concept of follow-up care rests on the assumption that the early detection of cancer recurrences and disease- or treatment-related complications is beneficial to patients. In this article, we provide an overview of the scientific evidence supporting current recommen- dations for the follow-up care of patients with colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and lymphoma.

[Long-term drug treatments to improve prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and to prevent complications due to portal hypertension].

Portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis can be improved, not only by surgical or interventional shunt placements, but also by drug-only treatment. Many recent studies addressed the question whether any of these substances can improve survival of patients with liver cirrhosis when administered continuously for months and years. Non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB), statins, antibiotics, enoxaparin and albumin have been shown to possess many beneficial effects in the pathophysiology of portal hypertension or on events leading to decompensation of liver cirrhosis.