Salvage cryotherapy in patients undergoing endoscopic eradication therapy for complicated Barrett's esophagus.

 Some patients with dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE) experience suboptimal response to radiofrequency ablation (RFA), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), or the combination. Cryotherapy has been used as salvage therapy in these patients, but outcomes data are limited. We aimed to assess clinical outcomes among a large cohort of patients with dysplastic BE whose condition had failed to respond to RFA and/or EMR.

Endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease: Role in diagnosis, management, and treatment.

Endoscopy plays a fundamental role in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy have long been used in the care of patients with IBD. As endoscopic technologies have progressed, tools such as endoscopic ultrasound, capsule endoscopy, and balloon-assisted enteroscopy have expanded the role of endoscopy in IBD.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Colorectal Cancer Survival in African American and Caucasian Patients.

Compared with Caucasian Americans (CAs), African Americans (AAs) with colorectal cancer have poorer survival, especially younger-age patients. A robust lymphocytic reaction within colorectal cancers is strongly associated with better survival, but whether immune response impacts the disparity in colorectal cancer survival is unknown. The study population was comprised of 211 histologically confirmed colorectal cancers at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC; 159 CAs and 52 AAs) diagnosed between Jan 01, 2000, and June 30, 2013.

Efficacy and Safety of Digital Single-Operator Cholangioscopy for Difficult Biliary Stones.

Background & Aims: It is not clear whether digital single-operator cholangioscopy (D-SOC) with electrohydraulic and laser lithotripsy is effective in removal of difficult biliary stones. We investigated the safety and efficacy of D-SOC with electrohydraulic and laser lithotripsy in an international, multicenter study of patients with difficult biliary stones.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 407 patients (60.

Outcomes With Fidaxomicin Therapy in Clostridium difficile Infection.

Background And Goals: Fidaxomicin is a new antibiotic used to treat Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Given limited clinical experience with fidaxomicin, we assessed outcomes in a diverse cohort of patients with CDI treated with fidaxomicin.

Study: All CDI cases treated with fidaxomicin at 3 referral centers over a 4-year period were included.

Radiation-Refractory Brain Metastases in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Numerous studies have focused on the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases. However, to our knowledge, few have sought to examine outcomes in patients who required whole brain radiation and developed radiation-refractory disease.

Methods: This study examined the medical records of all non-small cell lung cancer patients who developed brain metastases between 2004 and 2013, required whole brain radiation, and received their cancer treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.