To develop and validate a risk stratification-based screening model for predicting colorectal advanced neoplasia in Korea. Colorectal advanced neoplasia is the relevant finding of screening colonoscopy. Risk estimation for advanced neoplasia may be helpful to improve compliance and to develop more cost-effective approaches toward screening. We developed Korean Colorectal Screening (KCS) score by optimizing and adjusting Asia-Pacific Colorectal Screening (APCS) score to predict advanced neoplasia in an asymptomatic Korean population who received screening colonoscopies from September 2006 to September 2009. Moreover, we validated the KCS score in another Korean cohort who received screening colonoscopies from October 2009 to February 2011. We also assessed the predictive power and diagnostic performance of both KCS and APCS scores. There were 3561 subjects in the derivation cohort and 1316 subjects in the validation cohort, with a prevalence of advanced neoplasia of 4.7% and 4.3%, respectively. After a multivariate analysis, KCS was developed as 0 to 8 points comprising of age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and family history of CRC. Using KCS scores to stratify the validation cohort, the prevalences of advanced neoplasia in the 3 risk tiers (average, moderate, and high) were 2.0%, 3.7%, and 10.9%, respectively. Moderate-risk and high-risk tiers showed 2.1- and 6.5-fold increased prevalences, respectively, of advanced neoplasia compared with average risk tier. In addition, KCS score showed relatively good discriminative power (ROC=0.681) and higher sensitivity compared with APCS score for the high-risk tier. KCS score may be clinically simple and useful for assessing advanced neoplasia risk in Korea. However, racial disparity should be considered in risk stratification-based screening in each country.

Colonic stent placement is a commonly used bridging strategy for surgery in patients with obstructive colorectal cancer. The procedure involves the placement of a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) across the obstructive lesion to restore intestinal patency and alleviate the symptoms of obstruction. By allowing patients to receive surgery in a planned and staged manner with time for preoperative optimization and bowel preparation, stent placement may reduce the need for emergency surgery, which is associated with higher complication rates and poorer outcomes. This review focuses on the role of colon stenting as a bridge to surgery in the management of obstructive colorectal cancer. SEMS as a bridge to surgery for left-sided colon cancer has been demonstrated to be particularly useful; however, further research is needed for its application in cases of right-sided colon cancer. Colon stent placement also has limitations and potential complications including stent migration, re-obstruction, and perforation. However, the timing of curative surgery after SEMS placement remains inconclusive. Considering the literature to date, performing surgery at an interval of approximately 2 weeks is considered appropriate. Therefore, colonic stent placement may be an effective strategy as a bridge to surgery in patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

Yonghoon Choi, Young Hoon Youn, Seung Joo Kang, Jeong Eun Shin, Young Sin Cho, Yoon Suk Jung, Seung Yong Shin, Cheal Wung Huh, Yoo Jin Lee, Hoon Sup Koo, Kwangwoo Nam, Hong Sub Lee, Dong Hyun Kim, Ye Hyun Park, Min Cheol Kim, Hyo Yeop Song, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Sang Yeol Lee, Miyoung Choi, Moo-In Park, and In-Kyung Sung; the Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2025;31:133-69. https://doi.org/10.5056/jnm25007

Although endoscopic resection is safe and effective for gastric epithelial neoplasms, information is limited on its efficacy and safety in extremely elderly patients who have various comorbidities. Further, the relationship between comorbidities and complications of endoscopic resection is not well established. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic resection of gastric epithelial neoplasms in extremely elderly patients. From October 2008 to December 2017, 4475 consecutive patients underwent endoscopic resection of gastric epithelial neoplasms. Among them, 242 were 75 years or older. We assessed Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores, procedural outcomes, and procedure- and sedation-related complications related to endoscopic resection. Mean patient age was 78.7 ± 3.2 years. Of the 242 patients, 124 (51.2%) had low-grade dysplasia and 112 (46.3%) had adenocarcinoma. The most common comorbidity was hypertension (55.4%), followed by diabetes (23.1%). The mean CCI score was 1.67 ± 1.43. Sixty patients (24.8%) had a CCI score ≥ 3. During the procedure, 10 (4.1%) patients had desaturation that recovered by flumazenil use with mask (n = 2) or Ambu bag (n = 3) ventilation. During subsequent admission, atelectasis or pneumonia occurred in 45 (18.6%) patients, post-procedural bleeding in 12 (5.0%), and perforation in 3 (1.2%). Respiratory complications were more common in patients with a CCI score ≥ 3 (20/60, 33.3%) than in those with a CCI score < 3 (25/182, 13.7%, P = 0.002). CCI score is related to respiratory complications of endoscopic resection in extremely elderly patients. Endoscopic resection must be performed cautiously, particularly in elderly patients with a high CCI score, to prevent respiratory complications.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) plays important role in gut homeostasis. We aimed to evaluate the expression of endogenous IAP and to assess the clinical course according to the expression of endogenous IAP in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). A total of 32 consecutive patients (14 males) with CD were included in the study. We measured the level of endogenous iAP in inflamed and noninflamed colonic mucosa. To verify the inflammation status, we measured the level of mRNA for IL-6, TNF-α, and TLR-4. We monitored the clinical courses of patients during follow-up after acquisition of biopsy specimens. Median age of patients was 22.5 years (range, 15–49). Median CD activity index (CDAI, range) was 93.7 (22.8~ 154.9). There were colonic involvements in all patients and perianal involvement in 43.8% patients. The mRNA levels of IL-6 (p = 0.005) and TLR-4 (p = 0.013) in inflamed mucosa were significantly higher than those in non-inflamed mucosa. However, there was no difference of expression of TNF-α mRNA (p = 0.345). During a 14-month follow-up (range, 9 months–54 months), there were 19 patients with clinical recurrences. There were 9 patients (9/19, 47.4%) with IAP expression ratio (inflamed to non-inflamed) ≤ 1.0 in patients with clinical recurrence while there was one patient (1/13, 7.7%) with IAP ratio ≤ 1.0 in patients without clinical recurrence (p = 0.024). Lower expression of IAP in inflamed mucosa compared to non-inflamed mucosa may be associated with clinical recurrence in patients with CD.