Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About End-Stage Liver Disease.

End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is an increasingly prevalent condition with high morbidity and mortality, especially for those ineligible for liver transplantation. Patients with ESLD, along with their family caregivers, have significant needs related to their quality of life, and there is increasing attention being paid to integration of palliative care (PC) principles into routine care throughout the disease spectrum. To provide upstream care for these patients and their family caregivers, it is essential for PC providers to understand their complex psychosocial and physical needs and to be aware of the unique challenges around medical decision making and end-of-life care for this patient population.

The gut microbiome and colorectal cancer: a review of bacterial pathogenesis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common newly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the Unites States. Colonoscopy has become increasingly popular in CRC screening and represents the gold standard for detecting and removing pre-cancerous lesions. Although colonoscopy is considered a relatively safe procedure, it is invasive and bowel preparation can be challenging for patients.