Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection is a common worldwide infection that is an important cause of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. H. pylori may also have a role in uninvestigated and functional dyspepsia, ulcer risk in patients taking low-dose aspirin or starting therapy with a non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory medication, unexplained iron defi ciency anemia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. While choosing a treatment regimen for H. pylori , patients should be asked about previous antibiotic exposure and this information should be incorporated into the decision-making process. For fi rst-line treatment, clarithromycin triple therapy should be confi ned to patients with no previous history of macrolide exposure who reside in areas where clarithromycin resistance amongst H. pylori isolates is known to be low. Most patients will be better served by fi rst-line treatment with bismuth quadruple therapy or concomitant therapy consisting of a PPI, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and metronidazole. When fi rst-line therapy fails, a salvage regimen should avoid antibiotics that were previously used. If a patient received a fi rst-line treatment containing clarithromycin, bismuth quadruple therapy or levofl oxacin salvage regimens are the preferred treatment options. If a patient received fi rst-line bismuth quadruple therapy, clarithromycin or levofl oxacin-containing salvage regimens are the preferred treatment options. Details regarding the drugs, doses and durations of the recommended and suggested fi rst-line and salvage regimens can be found in the guideline. Asia and Central and South America ( 8,22 ). Th ere is, however, preliminary evidence that it may be falling in some previously high prevalence areas ( 22 ). People immigrating to North America from Asia and other parts of the world have a much higher prevalence of the infection than people born in North America ( 23 ). In one study, the seroprevalence among immigrants from East Asia was 70.1% ( 24 ). Hispanic immigrants to North America have higher rates of the infection than fi rst-or second-generation Hispanics who were born here ( 25 ). QUESTION 2: WHAT ARE THE INDICATIONS TO TEST FOR, AND TO TREAT, H. PYLORI INFECTION? RecommendationsSince all patients with a positive test of active infection with H. pylori should be off ered treatment, the critical issue is which patients should be tested for the infection (strong recommendation, quality of evidence: not applicable), All patients with active peptic ulcer disease (PUD), a past history of PUD (unless previous cure of H. pylori infection has been documented), low-grade gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, or a history of endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer (EGC) should be tested for H. pylori infection. Th ose who test positive should be off ered treatment for the infection (strong recommendation, quality of evidence: high for active or history of PUD, low for MALT lymphoma, low for history of endoscopic resection of EGC).In patients with uninvestigated d...

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CgA is currently the best available biomarker for the diagnosis of NETs. It is critical to establish diagnosis and has some utility in predicting disease recurrence, outcome, and efficacy of therapy. Measurement of plasma CgA is mandatory for the effective diagnosis and management of NET disease.

Epithelial neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) have been the subject of much debate regarding their optimal classification. Although multiple systems of nomenclature, grading, and staging have been proposed, none has achieved universal acceptance. To help define the underlying common features of these classification systems and to identify the minimal pathology data that should be reported to ensure consistent clinical management and reproducibility of data from therapeutic trials, a multidisciplinary team of physicians interested in NETs was assembled. At a group meeting, the participants discussed a series of "yes" or "no" questions related to the pathology of NETs and the minimal data to be included in the reports. After discussion, anonymous votes were taken, using the Delphic principle that 80% agreement on a vote of either yes or no would define a consensus. Questions that failed to achieve a consensus were rephrased once or twice and discussed, and additional votes were taken. Of 108 questions, 91 were answerable either yes or no by more than 80% of the participants. There was agreement about the importance of proliferation rate for tumor grading, the landmarks to use for staging, the prognostic factors assessable by routine histology that should be reported, the potential for tumors to progress biologically with metastasis, and the current status of advanced immunohistochemical and molecular testing for treatment-related biomarkers. The lack of utility of a variety of immunohistochemical stains and pathologic findings was also agreed upon. A consensus could not be reached for the remaining 17 questions, which included both minor points related to extent of disease assessment and some major areas such as terminology, routine immunohistochemical staining for general neuroendocrine markers, use of Ki67 staining to assess proliferation, and the relationship of tumor grade to degree of differentiation. On the basis of the results of the Delphic voting, a minimum pathology data set was developed. Although there remains disagreement among experts about the specific classification system that should be used, there is agreement about the fundamental pathology data that should be reported. Examination of the areas of disagreement reveals significant opportunities for collaborative study to resolve unanswered questions.

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Management of neuroendocrine neoplasia represents a clinical challenge because of its late presentation, lack of treatment options, and limitations in present imaging modalities and biomarkers to guide management. Monoanalyte biomarkers have poor sensitivity, specificity, and predictive ability. A National Cancer Institute summit, held in 2007, on neuroendocrine tumours noted biomarker limitations to be a crucial unmet need in the management of neuroendocrine tumours. A multinational consensus meeting of multidisciplinary experts in neuroendocrine tumours assessed the use of current biomarkers and defined the perquisites for novel biomarkers via the Delphi method. Consensus (at >75%) was achieved for 88 (82%) of 107 assessment questions. The panel concluded that circulating multianalyte biomarkers provide the highest sensitivity and specificity necessary for minimum disease detection and that this type of biomarker had sufficient information to predict treatment effectiveness and prognosis. The panel also concluded that no monoanalyte biomarker of neuroendocrine tumours has yet fulfilled these criteria and there is insufficient information to support the clinical use of miRNA or circulating tumour cells as useful prognostic markers for this disease. The panel considered that trials measuring multianalytes (eg, neuroendocrine gene transcripts) should also identify how such information can optimise the management of patients with neuroendocrine tumours.