Digestive disorders in the spotlight

With up to 3,000 gastroenterologists, surgeons and healthcare professionals set to attend, DDF 2015 is a collaboration of five partner societies and associations covering GI medicine, surgery, and nutrition. These include:

• The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland (ACPGBI).
•  Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons (AUGIS).
• British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN).
• British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL).
• British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG).

The joint meeting highlights the importance of integrated working and will be an opportunity for professionals from across the UK, Europe and the globe, to both showcase and engage in worldleading clinical education and take stock of the latest scientific research in the field.

Focus on cancer

Each day of the meeting is full of activity developed by members of the five participating organisations, and the Monday is no exception with a full day focusing on cancer. Gastroenterologists, physician and surgeons play an essential role in diagnosing digestive cancers, as well as managing the complications of medical therapy and surgery experienced by patients. This first day, targeted at a post-graduate audience, is a perfect opportunity for consultants wishing to brush up on their cancer-related skills.

Sessions range from the genetics of hereditary syndromes, to robotic resections for colorectal cancer – almost everything any health professional needs to know about GI cancer will be covered, culminating in a number of MDT sessions. Upper and lower GI cancers are featured along with liver and hepatobiliary malignancies. Nutrition in the context of cancer treatment is highlighted specifically as part of the BAPEN series of lectures.

GI health and disease

Following this, the Monday plenary on “Making the news: The role of the media, doctors and pharmaceutical companies in explaining GI Health and disease” will feature an all-star line-up, including the BBC’s Medical correspondent, Fergus Walsh, ITV This Morning’s resident doctor, Dr Chris Steele and Bad Science’s Dr Ben Goldacre. Post graduate education day networking drinks round up the day to allow continuing discussion of the days programme among delegates.

Future of the health service and other horizons

The high profile programme continues on Tuesday, featuring a number of key national speakers including NHS England Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh, who will talk at the DDF Plenary about the future of the health service. Sir Bruce is joined in the Plenary by the Government’s Chief Scientific Officer, Sir Mark Walport and Professor Mark Caulfield speaking on the ‘100,000 Genome Project.’

Broadening our medical and surgical horizons is a review of military surgery and medicine from Brigadier Professor Tim Hodgetts, medical director of the Defence Medical Services. The Nursing Plenary Session attracts a key debate on GI nursing including a view from the Welsh Government Deputy Health Minister, Vaughan Gething AM.

Coeliac disease

Starting the day on Tuesday is a number of high quality clinically focused sessions – “Grand Rounds”. These include a focus on coeliac disease and villous atrophy, chaired by Professor Julian Walters. Diagnosis of coeliac disease is on the increase, impacting hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. The number of potential coeliac sufferers is claimed to be as many as 1 in 100, and the thought-provoking Grand Round on distinguishing between gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease and refractory coeliac disease, will capture the latest thinking on this hot topic.

Hepatology

Another Grand Round focuses on hepatology, specifically “Autoimmune Liver Disease-Challenges and Opportunities”. Newcastle University Dean of Research and Innovation, Professor David Jones, will co-chair and conclude the discussion which will offer an overview of the spectrum of presentation of autoimmune liver disease, outline the importance of risk stratification in assessment for patients and recognise the opportunities for new and trial based approaches to care of the patient with autoimmune liver disease. Four other grand rounds including a joint surgical session between AUGIS and ACPGBI on the perforated viscus, ensure high quality clinical education starts off the first day of the main programme.

IBD care

Dr Mike Thomson will chair a late afternoon plenary which medicalises an age-old question: ‘How to deal with teenagers?’ with a session which addresses transition care in IBD and the difficult problem of recurrent abdominal pain in adolescents. The session is aimed at primary care physicians with an interest in gastroenterology and all those dealing with transition in IBD: paediatricians, nurse specialists and gastroenterologists. Attendees will be able to develop a comprehensive understanding of Adolescent Transition Guidelines, debate the appropriateness of NICE guidance on UIC and use of biologics in IBD.

Emergency surgery

The joint AUGIS and ACPGBI session on emergency surgery will be significant for all surgeons who provide acute surgical services. With sessions on imaging in emergency surgery and laparoscopic techniques, the session will be especially relevant to those facing the challenge of day service delivery.

Bowel cancer screening

 Following on, Wednesday will be another big day, beginning with a key session on bowel cancer screening in the ICC Auditorium. Beginning at 8:30, Professor Julietta Patnick will open with the John Nicholls Lecture, with a talk on where we are now with the bowel cancer screening programme and the potential for the future screening agenda. Other related sessions include items on patient experience, statistics and what a positive FOB actually means. Highlights on Wednesday specifically relevant to the Colorectal programme are Mr John Northover as the first BDRF lecturer and Professor Willem Bemelman an international expert in diverticular disease speaking as part of the Diverticular Disease Symposium. The Pelvic Floor Society in conjuction with the DDF partners present a series of sessions on the Wednesday which are sure to attract attention.

Alcohol-related liver disease

Simultaneously in Capital Hall a grand round on alcohol-related liver disease will commence, moving into an 11:0013:00 session on alcohol addiction.

Alcohol misuse and its impact on the health service continues to feature as a high profile and often controversial issue, and many of the nation’s leading specialists in alcohol-related care will be present to lead what promises to be an enticing discussion. Concluding the session is leading thinker and advisor to the Alcohol Health Alliance, Dr Nick Sheron, with a discussion on the impact of alcohol dependency on the NHS.

Trainee symposium

“Multidisciplinary Management of Pancreatitis – an interactive case based symposium” and the 9am BAPEN Plenary and Pennington Lecture on Malnutrition also promise to be compelling gatherings. If you want to know what dietary influences are important in GI disease, all will be revealed in a further session organised by BAPEN, one of the DDF partners.

Endoscopy approaches

In the afternoon, “minimal to maximally invasive endoscopy”, and “maximal and minimal access treatment for colorectal cancer”, will be the key sessions for those engaged in therapeutic endoscopy and/or colorectal surgery. The back-to-back discussions will respectively feature best practice guidance on new diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic techniques, and outline the multidisciplinary options for treatment of colon and rectal cancer.

Obesity

Later, the provocatively titled  “Why are we becoming fat?” afternoon session is likely to attract a strong crowd and the two-part session on “a competent workforce” in nursing will explore the nursing competencies framework and the changing face of GI nursing.

International programmes

While all of the participating societies and associations are UK-based, their work spans the globe and the late afternoon session on gastroenterology and surgery in low income settings will exhibit some of the projects taking place abroad and the challenges of surgery and medicine in low income healthcare communities. This includes reports of GI Endoscopy training programmes in Bangladesh, Malawi, and of collaborative initiatives in Africa.

Liver transplantation

The pace does not slacken off for the final day which kicks off with a two hour session on “an evidence-based clinical journey of the patient with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)”. The increasing prevalence of NAFLD makes this an especially important event, chaired by Professor Phil Newsome and featuring best practice guidance for all stages of the care pathway. The session will be followed by a focus on driving improvements in liver transplantation (11.00-13.00).

The human gut microbiome

 Faecal Microbial Transplantation will be one element of a translational science masterclass entitled: “The Human Gut Microbiome in Health & Disease”. To those without a developed knowledge of this field, this looks to be a cover-all account of the complexity of the gut microbiome and its importance in both health and gut disease, as well as a look ahead at the future possibilities for faecal microbial transplantation (FMT).

‘Dragon’s Den’

Also in the morning, a ‘Dragon’s Den’ of endoscopy research ideas will be held, with BSG members in the first five years of their career having the chance to making pitches on research ideas to a panel. The brave applicants’ ideas will be put to the test in what promises to be an energetic spectacle and a rather unique method of deciding on where funds should be allocated.

Eating disorders

A later morning session “Understanding Eating Disorders: A Guide for the Perplexed” will help develop professionals’ understanding of the aetiology of eating disorders, explore psychological approaches to therapy and look at safe care – including from a legal viewpoint. The number of people with eating disorders continues to increase and so this will be another key session, supplemented in the afternoon with a Grand Round on anorexia.

Finally, for the many pathologists in attendance, the two key events of the day will be the Pathology Symposium and Basil Morson Lecture, followed by the Non Neoplastic Oesophageal Pathology and GI EQA.

Social events

The meeting will also be an opportunity to catch up and meet fellow professionals, with a number of social events – not least a “Musical Soiree”, a party at London’s Sea Life Centre, and two faculty dinners. The DDF 2015 meeting will also finish with an afternoon tea and a final chance to catch up with fellow professionals.

Fundraising

Following the success of last year’s Gastrocycle, the gathering will be preceded by a team of gastroenterologists and fundraisers cycling to the meeting to raise money for the digestive disease charity, Core. This year’s cycle will be a one day journey (21 June) from Cambridge to London, following a similar route to stage 3 of last year’s Tour de France. Those with enough energy left will be encouraged to do the ACP fun run in support of their charity the BDRF as a conference finale.

Exhibition

An exhibition of the latest innovations to advance the care and treatment of digestive disorders will also take place alongside the conference. A preview highlighting some of the companies and solutions that will be showcased at the event is included in this issue of CSJ.

For details of the full conference programme and exhibition, visit: www.ddf2015.org.uk