Advances in radiotherapy in operable rectal cancer.

Dig Surg. 2009;26(3):187-99

Authors: Suppiah A, Hartley JE, Monson JR AIMS: Radiotherapy (RT) reduces local recurrence in rectal cancer but the optimal treatment schedule is unknown. Relevant questions in designing optimal therapy are set out. This review identifies evidence that influences current practice and shapes future trials in treatment of operable rectal cancer.

Tryptophan degradation in irritable bowel syndrome: evidence of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activation in a male cohort.

BMC Gastroenterol. 2009;9:6

Authors: Clarke G, Fitzgerald P, Cryan JF, Cassidy EM, Quigley EM, Dinan TG

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects 10-15% of the population. Although characterised by a lack of reliable biological markers, the disease state is increasingly viewed as a disorder of the brain-gut axis. In particular, accumulating evidence points to the involvement of both the central and peripheral serotonergic systems in disease symptomatology.