Effectiveness of digital feedback on patient experience and 30-day complications after screening colonoscopy: a randomized health services study.

Background and study aims European guidelines (ESGE) recommend measuring patient experience and 30-day complication rate after colonoscopy. We compared digital and paper-based feedback on patients' experience and 30-day complications after screening colonoscopy. Patients and methods Screenees attending for primary screening colonoscopies in two centers from September 2015 to December 2016 were randomized (1:1) to an intervention arm (choice of feedback method) or control arm (routine paper-based feedback). Participants in the intervention arm could choose preferred feedback method (paper-based, automated telephone or online survey) and were contacted by automated telephone 30 days after colonoscopy to assess complications. Control group participants self-reported complications. Primary and secondary endpoints were response rates to feedback and complications questionnaire, respectively. Results There were 1,281 and 1,260 participants in the intervention and control arms, respectively. There was no significant difference in response rate between study groups (64.8 % vs 61.5 %; P  = 0.08). Free choice of feedback improved response for participants identified as poor responders: younger than 60 years (60.8 % vs 54.7 %; P  = 0.031), male (64.0 % vs 58.6 %; P  = 0.045) and in small non-public center (56.2 % vs 42.5 %; P  = 0.043). In the intervention arm, 1,168 participants (91.2 %) answered the phone call concerning complications. A total of 79 participants (6.2 %) reported complications, of which two (0.2 %) were verified by telephone as clinically relevant. No complications were self-reported in the control group. Conclusion The overall response rate was not significantly improved with digital feedback, yet the technology yielded significant improvement in participants defined as poor responders. Our study demonstrated feasibility and efficacy of digital patient feedback about complications after colonoscopy.

Watch and wait policy after preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer; management of residual lesions that appear clinically benign.

BACKGROUND: During an ongoing phase II observational study on watch and wait policy in rectal cancer, a substantial number of patients presented residual lesion after radiotherapy with a clinical benign appearance. This article aims to discuss the clinical significance of such findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Main entry criteria were age ≥70 years and small tumour (≤5 cm and ≤60% of circumferential involvement) located in the low rectum. Patients received chemoradiation (50 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction concomitantly with a 5-Fu bolus and leucovorin) or 5 × 5 Gy if considered unfit for chemotherapy. Patients with clinical complete response (cCR) were observed. Those with persistent tumours underwent transanal endoscopic microsurgery [TEM] if the baseline tumour was ≤3 cm and cN0 or total mesorectal excision. RESULTS: The watch and wait procedure was used in 11 out of the total 35 patients (31%) with a cCR; 17 patients (49%) with residual tumours that appeared clinically malignant were referred for TEM or abdominal surgery. In the remaining seven (20%), the residual tumour clinically appeared benign. Of these, there were two invasive cancers, four high-grade dysplasias and one low-grade dysplasia. The five patients with dysplasia, underwent local lesion resection without recurrence within a median of 11 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of lesions that appeared clinically benign after radio(chemo)therapy were also benign on pathological examination. Thus, local excision of such lesions should be considered.

The protective role of antiplatelet treatment against ulcer formation due to argon plasma coagulation in patients treated for chronic radiation proctitis.

AIM: Following treatment with argon plasma coagulation (APC), rectal ulceration is seen in approximately 50% of patients with haemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis (CRP). This study aimed to assess the frequency of rectal ulcers (defined as a mucosal defect of 3 mm or more in diameter) in relation to the use of antiplatelet treatment for concomitant cardiovascular disease. METHOD: Sixty-two patients with CRP were included in this retrospective study. Patients underwent pelvic irradiation due to prostate cancer (n = 28), cervical cancer (n = 16), endometrial cancer (n = 17) or rectal cancer (n = 1). APC was performed in all patients. Control endoscopies were performed at 8 and 16 weeks after enrolment. RESULTS: Rectal ulcers were observed after APC in 35 (56%) patients. They were symptomatic in 5 and asymptomatic in 30. The 20 (32%) patients who were on antiplatelet therapy had a significantly lower risk of ulceration after APC (OR = 0.21; 95% CI 0.049-0.91; P = 0.019). The number of symptomatic ulcers (5% vs 10%; P = 1.0) and asymptomatic ulcers alone (30% vs 58%; P = 0.06) was also lower in patients respectively taking and not taking antiplatelet therapy, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Argon plasma coagulation-related ulceration in patients treated for CRP is less common when concomitant antiplatelet treatment is administered. This preliminary finding suggests that antiplatelet therapy may benefit patients treated with APC for CRP.

Sucralfate or placebo following argon plasma coagulation for chronic radiation proctitis: a randomized double blind trial.

AIM: Chronic radiation proctitis is a long-term complication of radiation therapy for pelvic malignancy. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of two treatment regimens, sucralfate or placebo, following argon plasma coagulation (APC) for chronic haemorrhagic radiation proctitis. METHOD: A single-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was performed on patients with haemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis after irradiation for prostate, uterine, cervical, rectal or vaginal cancer. All patients received APC, and were then randomized to oral sucralfate (6 g twice a day) or placebo treatment for 4 weeks. APC was repeated every 8 weeks if necessary after the first session. Patients were graded clinically and endoscopically according to the Chutkan and Gilinski scales before and at 8 and 16 weeks after initial APC treatment (1.5-2 l/min, 25-40 W) and after 52 weeks (clinical only). RESULTS: Of 122 patients, 117 completed the entire protocol, with 57/60 in the sucralfate group and 60/62 in the placebo group. At baseline there were no significant differences between the sucralfate and placebo groups. At 1 year, a significant improvement in the clinical scale in both groups occurred compared with baseline. After 16 weeks, the median overall clinical severity scores fell from 4 to 2 points and the median bleeding score from 2 to 0 in both groups. CONCLUSION: APC is safe and effective for the management of chronic radiation proctitis. Additional sucralfate treatment did not influence the clinical or endoscopic outcome.

Endoscopic ultrasonography for prediction of postpolypectomy bleeding in patients with large nonpedunculated rectosigmoid adenomas.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Case reports suggest that endosonographic visualization of blood vessels in a gastric polyp may be predictive of risk of postpolypectomy bleeding; however, this issue has never been studied in patients with colorectal adenomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Endosonography (EUS) was performed prior to endoscopic polypectomy of 42 large (>/= 20 mm) nonpedunculated adenomatous polyps. The median diameter of the polyps was 30 mm (range 20-100 mm); 35 were located in the rectum and seven in the sigmoid colon. During EUS both the polyp and the bowel wall underneath were searched for the presence of vessels, which were defined as longitudinal/tortuous or round/oval echo-free structures >/= 2 mm in diameter. RESULTS: The polyp was visualized adequately in 39 cases; three cases were excluded from analysis due to inadequate visualization. In eight polyps (20.5%, group 1) EUS revealed vessels measuring 2-4 mm; in 31 polyps (79.5 %, group 2) no vessels were found. The postpolypectomy bleeding incidence (per polyp treated) was 12.5% in group 1 and 12.9 % in group 2 (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this small series of patients with large nonpedunculated rectosigmoid adenomas, the EUS image of the polyp was not predictive of postpolypectomy bleeding. The detection of vessels on EUS did not increase the risk for bleeding; however, the sample size was to small to draw definite conclusions. The absence of vessels on EUS did not rule out the possibility of bleeding.

Argon plasma coagulation after piecemeal polypectomy of sessile colorectal adenomas: long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the long-term outcomes of using argon plasma coagulation (APC) as an adjunct to piecemeal polypectomy of large sessile colorectal adenomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 77 patients with 82 sessile colorectal adenomas (median size 2.9 cm, range 1.5 - 8.0 cm) underwent snare piecemeal polypectomy. Patients in whom polypectomy was complete received no further treatment (polypectomy group; n = 14). When polypectomy was incomplete, additional treatment with APC was started either immediately or 1 - 3 months after the last polypectomy session (polypectomy + APC group; n = 63). Patients were followed (by endoscopy and biopsy) at regular intervals. RESULTS: Histologically proven adenoma eradication was achieved in 100 % of patients (14/14) in the polypectomy group and in 90 % of patients (57/63) in the polypectomy + APC group (two patients died of unrelated causes before adenoma was eradicated, two underwent operation because cancer was detected in the polyp treated, and two underwent operation because of endoscopic treatment failure). The adenoma recurrence rate was 14 % in both the polypectomy and polypectomy + APC groups. All recurrences except one occurred during the first year of follow-up and all were successfully re-treated endoscopically. A total of 69 patients in whom long-term follow-up data are available are free from adenoma at a median follow-up of 37 months (range 12 - 80). No major complications of endoscopic treatment occurred. In seven cases (9 %) the polyp was eventually shown to be malignant; in two of these patients the diagnosis of cancer was delayed as a result of unsuccessful endoscopic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: APC used in combination with piecemeal polypectomy of large colorectal adenomas is an effective and safe method of therapy, provided patient selection is careful and follow-up close.