Factors affecting treatment decisions for endoscopically resected low- and high-risk malignant colorectal polyps in a screening setting.

Introduction: The European Guidelines for colorectal cancer screening of 2006 state that only high-risk endoscopically resected malignant colorectal polyps (MCPs), defined as poor/no differentiation or positive resection margins or lymphovascular invasion, require colonic resection.

Methods: A multicentre series of 954 patients with screen-detected MCP (northern Italy, 2005-2016, age 50-69) was studied to identify (1) the factors affecting the choice of colonic resection, and (2) the factors associated with deviation from the European Guidelines for low- and high-risk patients. Data analysis was based on multilevel logistic regression models.

Effects of Attendance to an Organized Fecal Immunochemical Test Screening Program on the Risk of Colorectal Cancer: An Observational Cohort Study.

Background & Aims: This cohort study compared colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality between people who participated in an Italian regional biennial fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening program and people who did not.

Methods: The program started in 2005. The target population included over 1,000,000 people aged 50 to 69 years.

Early menopause is associated with lack of response to antiviral therapy in women with chronic hepatitis C.

Background & Aims: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and liver fibrosis progress more rapidly in men and menopausal women than in women of reproductive age. We investigated the associations among menopause, sustained virologic response (SVR), and liver damage in patients with CHC.

Methods: We performed a prospective study of 1000 consecutive, treatment-naïve patients 18 years of age and older with compensated liver disease from CHC.

Efficacy, tolerance and safety of new intragastric air-filled balloon (Heliosphere BAG) for obesity: the experience of 17 cases.

Background: Overweight and obesity lead to serious health consequences, so that many strategies were recommended for preventing or curing this emerging problem. Treatments are various: diet, physical activity, psychotherapy, drugs, and bariatric surgery. Moreover, during these years, the use of intragastric balloon (BIB) to treat obesity increased rapidly, aimed to (1) reduce bariatric surgical risks; (2) reduce general surgical risks; (3) lead to a significant reduction in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers.