Setting Benchmarks for Transsphenoidal Resection of Pituitary Adenomas
Pituitary AdenomaPituitary Tumor1 moreTo conduct a retrospective multicenter cohort study to define benchmark values for best achievable outcomes following transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas.
Diagnostic Performance Indicators in Upper GI Endoscopy:PROSPERO Study
Esophageal CancerGastric Cancer8 moreCancers of the upper gastro-intestinal tract, including esophagus (gullet), stomach and small bowel, are amongst the deadliest malignancies. The main reason for their high mortality rate is that they are usually diagnosed late when curative treatments are no longer effective. However, these types of cancer generally arise from well-described pre-cancerous diseases, such as Barrett's esophagus and gastric intestinal metaplasia. This provides an opportunity for clinicians to detect these pre-cancerous conditions early and offer adequate cure or clinical monitoring before they progress to cancer. A camera test (gastroscopy) is the gold-standard test to detect pre-cancerous diseases in these organs. There has been limited research to set the standards for performance of a gastroscopy, especially with regards to diagnosis of pre-cancerous conditions, which require knowledge and skills by the physician performing the test (endoscopist). Therefore, the hypothesis behind this study is that the aforementioned pre-cancerous diseases are understudied and often go undetected. This study aims to understand how often endoscopists should diagnose these pre-cancerous diseases on routine gastroscopy and help define the standards to measure performance. The investigators will assess the following rates: i. how often endoscopists diagnose these pre-cancerous lesions during endoscopy; ii. How often these conditions are diagnosed on biopsies taken according to a standardized protocol; iii. How often these condition should have been diagnosed by the endoscopists based on the review of pictures by expert endoscopists. The investigators will also compare the rates of correct diagnosis by endoscopists with different levels of experience and based on the times spent to complete the diagnostic test. Investigating these aspects will enhance the understanding of the medical community with regards to the diagnosis of these pre-cancerous lesions and set endoscopy standards to improve their early detection and treatment before they progress to cancer. This will translate to improved cancer prevention and benefit for patients.
Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer and Advanced Adenoma Using Cancer-specific Methylation Signatures...
Colorectal CancerAdvanced AdenomaColorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. It is still a challenging task to detect colorectal cancer at an early stage. Studies have found that DNA methylation has a relationship with the occurrence and development of tumors. Singlera Genomics Inc. has invented the proprietary methyl-Titan sequencing technology and developed a detection method for colorectal cancer and advanced adenoma (Adenoma/Colorectal cancer Early detection, ACE) using the cancer-specific methylation markers. ACE is a blood-based non-invasive diagnostic technique. It has high compliance rate compared with colonoscopy, and sampling is more convenient than stool testing. It also has much higher sensitivity compared to existing blood testing methods. The current study plans to use ACE method to analyze ctDNA in the blood for the cancer-specific DNA methylation markers to aid in the differential diagnosis of patients with colorectal cancer or adenoma. This technique will greatly reduce the discomfort in the diagnosis of suspected patients and improve the diagnosis of high-risk population of colorectal cancer. The goals of this study are: 1) to establish a detection system based on plasma ctDNA methylation sequencing technology for the auxiliary diagnosis of colorectal cancer and adenoma, 2) to assess the diagnostic value of plasma ctDNA methylation signature for colorectal cancer and adenoma, and 3) to assess the association of plasma ctDNA methylation signals with colonoscopy results and pathological results of surgical specimens. A total of 1300 patients (700 cases positive and 600 cases negative) aging between 45 and 80 years old will be enrolled. Colonoscopy will be performed to determine whether patients are positive or negative. Positive patients who need surgical resection will be further classified according to their surgical histopathological results. For negative patients, the type of lesion will be clarified. The plasma samples of all subjects will be analyzed for cancer-specific ctDNA methylation profiles. Based on the results of plasma ctDNA methylation test, the risks of colorectal cancer of the enrolled subjects are scored. Combined with the grouping information, the clinical application value of the cancer-specific methylation profile for early cancer diagnosis will be assessed.
Endoscopic Full Thickness Resection in the Lower GI Tract With the "Full Thickness Resection Device"...
Colorectal AdenomasSubmucosal TumorsObservational prospective multicenter study to investigate efficacy and safety of endoscopic full thickness resection in the lower GI tract using a novel over-the-scope full thickness resection device.
Effect of Single Colonoscopy on Colorectal Adenomas Detection
Colonic PolypsIndividualized colonoscopy withdrawal time is determined based on the different grade of physician experience and quality of bowel preparation.
Predictors of Poor Bowel Cleansing and Capsule Endoscopy (CEPREDICT)
Colon AdenomaThe main purpose of the study is to determine risk factors of poor bowel cleansing in patients referred for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) examination. Patients will be prepared with polyethylene glycol (PEG), and a booster by using oral low volume sodium phosphate (NaP) and sodium-amidotrizoate and meglumine-amidotrizoate (Gastrografin ®) The investigators also will try to design a predictive score of poor bowel cleansing and to validate the Bowel cleansing score designed by Leighton and modified by Spada
Gut Microbiota Prediction of Metachronous Colorectal Neoplasms
Gut MicrobiotaMetachronous AdenomaPatients with colorectal cancer are known to be at high risk of developing metachronous adenoma, however, participation in colonoscopy are low. Colonoscopy, the primary modality used all over the word, is costly and invasive, and its efficacy depends on the endoscopist's skill and the patient's bowel preparation. As life expectancy of patients with history of colon cancer is increasing, colonoscopy would increase the overall cost for patients and for the health care system. This study aim to construct a predictive model of postoperative colorectal neoplasm development using microbiota analysis.
Outcome of Patients With Primary Aldosteronism
Primary AldosteronismPrimary Aldosteronism Due to Aldosterone Producing Adenoma7 moreMajority of patients with hypertension have primary hypertension (without an underlying cause). Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension, and can be found in 5-10% of patients locally. PA is caused by excessive release of a hormone (aldosterone) from the adrenal glands, which can be unilateral (one gland) or bilateral (both glands). It has been shown that excess aldosterone has other harmful effects in addition to hypertension, such as directly affecting the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, leading to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This is supported by studies showing reversal of these effects after treatment for PA. The investigators aim to assess the long-term cardiovascular, and renal outcomes of patients with PA, compared to patients with essential hypertension.
Multicenter Registry Comparing Preoperative Imaging for Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Parathyroid AdenomaThe study aims are: To compare the diagnostic performance of parathyroid four-dimensional CT (4D-CT), scintigraphy, and ultrasound in patients who underwent parathyroid surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism. To compare 4D-CT, scintigraphy, and ultrasound for the ability to perform focused parathyroidectomy, and for rates of persistent hyperparathyroidism and complications from parathyroid surgery. Methods The investigators will create a multicenter registry consisting of patients having parathyroid surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism from July 2009 to June 2016. Initial participating centers include Duke University Medical Center, University California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). There will be no intervention in the patient's treatment or imaging. The management will be determined by the surgeon or clinician supervising the patient's care. The registry will consist of patient data regarding basic demographics, history of prior neck/chest surgery or radiation, parathyroid imaging, biochemical evaluation, intraoperative surgical findings, parathyroid pathology, and surgical outcomes within the first 6 months (persistent disease, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and hypoparathyroidism). Data will be entered into REDCap with no PHI. The investigators expect to include 3000 patients in the registry (1000 from Duke).
Establishment and Clinical Assessment of a Prostate Cancer (PCa) Risk Model Based on the Updated...
Prostatic NeoplasmsProstatic AdenomaTo elucidate the role of CTC detection in the evaluation of risk level in PCa patients, and establish a mathematic model for predicting the pathological status. To explore the possible subtle change in CTC condition after radical prostatectomy.