Spring has always been an exciting time for gastroenterologists, beginning with Colon Cancer Awareness month in March and finishing with our flagship scientific meeting in May. Gastroenterologists have led the fight against colon cancer; publishing seminal research (the National Polyp Study was published April 1, 26 years ago), building a distributed network of high-value ambulatory endoscopy centers, educating primary care physicians and the public about screening and early detection, and advocating continuously to make cancer prevention affordable for all people.
Dr. John I. Allen
This year, AGA has sponsored two meetings where truly ground-breaking science was presented and we have highlighted them on our front page this month. On March 23-24, the AGA worked with the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility to bring you the 8th annual Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit in Miami. World leaders in microbiome research presented a breath-taking array of clinically relevant research on topics that impact your patients. Dr. Stanley Hazen (Cleveland Clinic) presented his work linking dietary choices to a blood marker of atherosclerotic risk (TMAO) where the key associative link is the diet-influenced microbiome.
The AGA also brought you the 10th annual AGA Tech Summit from San Francisco, April 10-12. This meeting has become the best single source to learn about new technology emerging in our field. In this issue of GI & Hepatology News, we highlight two presentations about managing visceral pain with virtual reality technology and how predictive analysis is being used to personalize IBD therapy.
Spring wraps up with DDW® in San Diego (May 18-21). DDW begins with the AGA Postgraduate Course (May 18-19) that provides the best annual summary of both gastroenterology and hepatology combined in a single setting. The live meeting will feature key updates and new science about biosimilars, cancer prevention, celiac disease, endoscopy, the microbiome, hepatology, IBD, nutrition, and care delivery.
As usual, GIHN will feature key presentations from DDW including those from the Presidential Plenary session (Monday morning May 20).
John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF
Editor in Chief
