Antibiotic treatment for Helicobacter pylori: Is the end coming?

Joon Sung Kim, Byung-Wook Kim, Do Hoon Kim, Chan Hyuk Park, Hyuk Lee, Moon Kyung Joo, Da Hyun Jung, Jun- Won Chung, Hyuk Soon Choi, Gwang Ho Baik, Jeong Hoon Lee, Kyo Young Song, and Saebeom Hur, The Korean Society of Gastroenterology, Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research, Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, The Korean Gastric Cancer Association, Korean Society of Interventional Radiology. Gut and Liver 2020;14:560-70. https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl20154

Two-week bismuth-containing quadruple therapy and concomitant therapy are effective first-line treatments for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A prospective open-label randomized trial

Backgrounds/Aims. Watson for Oncology (WFO) is a cognitive technology that processes medical information by analyzing the latest evidence and guidelines. However, studies of the concordance rate between WFO and clinicians for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) are lacking.Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 65 patients with AGC who consulted WFO and the Gachon Gil Medical Center multidisciplinary team (GMDT) in 2016 and 2017. The recommendations of WFO were compared with the opinions of the GMDT. WFO provided three treatment options: recommended (first treatment option), for consideration (second treatment option), and not recommended.Results. In total, 65 patients (mean age 61.0 years; 44 males and 21 females) were included in the study. The concordance rate between WFO and the GMDT was 41.5% (27/65) at the recommended level and 87.7% (57/65) at the for consideration level. The main causes of discordance between WFO and the GMDT were as follows. First, WFO did not consider the medical history. Second, WFO recommended the use of agents that are considered outdated in Korea. Third, some patients wanted to be involved in a clinical trial. Fourth, some patients refused to use the biologic agents recommended by WFO for financial reasons as they were not covered by medical insurance.Conclusions. The concordance rate at the recommended level was relatively low but was higher at the for consideration level. Discordances arose mainly from the different medical circumstances at the Gachon Gil Medical Center (GMC) and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), the main WFO consulting center. The utility of WFO as a tool for supporting clinical decision making could be further improved by incorporating regional guidelines.