One major function of the liver is the uptake of endo- and xenobiotics from the bloodstream and their excretion into bile. The transport systems involved in hepatobiliary transport have been recently cloned and characterized at the molecular level and it is becoming clear that mutations and polymorphisms of individual transporter molecules underlie a variety of liver diseases. Furthermore, new research has shown that bile acids, whose function in digestion is long known, also behave as signal molecules in a variety of organs, including the intestinal and biliary epithelia, sinusoidal endothelial and immune cells. This book provides indepth surveys on the structure and function of transport molecules involved in hepatobiliary transport, on the role of different bile acids receptors in various organs and their function in health and disease, the mechanisms of bile salt-induced apoptosis and hepatocyte protection, and the role of transporter mutations as causes and modifiers of liver diseases. The book will be of interest not only for biochemists, structural chemists and biologists, but also for clinicians.

This issue presents a concise clinical overview on the most current knowledge on advanced imaging modalities. Dr. Ananadasabapathy has secured internationally recognized authors to write articles on endomicoscopy, molecular imagaing, optical coherence tomography, and chromoendoscopy. Articles are also devoted to imaging the biliary tree and red flag technologies in gastric neoplasia.

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Although the incidence of gastric cancer has declined over the past century in the United States, it remains one of the most common gastrointestinal neoplasms, particularly in immigrants and the socio-economically deprived. Recent years have seen major advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of gastric cancer (especially regarding the importance of Helicobacter pylori and its associated inflammatory response) and the emergence of adjuvant oncologic therapies of proven benefit for advanced cases, in addition to surgery. As for gastric adenocarcinoma, elucidation of the underlying biology and molecular pathogenesis has led to much progress in the management of two other malignant gastric neoplasms, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and marginal zone B-cell ("MALT?) lymphomas. This monograph highlights these developments, presenting an updated overview of gastric cancer that will be of interest to all practicing gastroenterologists.

Covers all aspects of gastrointestinal and liver malignancies (epidemiology, pathophysiology, screening where appropriate, symptoms and clinical signs, diagnostic studies, staging and classification, treatment, prognosis, follow-up, future perspectives). The text is addressed to those involved in the multidisciplinary approach to the gastrointestinal cancer patient (gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, surgeons, interventional radiologists, pathologists, nurses, and physicians-in-training). The book provides in-depth information, illustrated by numerous color/black-and-white pictures. Selective reading for a quick reference is made possible by introducing text elements such as summaries, tables, listing and treatment algorithms.

Dr. Van Dam is one of key leaders in the field of diagnostic endoscopy, and he has enlisted authors who are top experts in their fields to submit state-of-the-art clinical reviews on endoscopy and biliary tract disease. Articles are devoted to infections, choledoscopy, common bile duct stones, benign and malignant bile duct strictures, motility disorders, and EUS access and drainage of the common bile duct. Attention is also given to patients with bile duct injury, congenital anomalies, and to liver transplant patients. Readers will come away with a?full overview of endoscopy and the patient with biliary tract disease.

Esophageal diseases are amongst the most common gastrointestinal illnesses encountered by both the gastroenterologist as well as the primary care physician. Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms affect 20% of adult Americans on a weekly or more frequent basis, and Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous lesion of the distal esophagus associated with chronic GERD, is prevalent in 2-6% of the adult population. Additionally, there have been remarkable advances in the care of esophageal diseases in the last several years, with the development of new imaging modalities, new physiological tests, and promising data emerging with respect to biomarkers for esophageal neoplasia. A relatively new clinical entity, eosinophilic esophagitis, is being characterized in the literature, and the ubiquity of this condition is now recognized. Given the dynamic nature of this area, the strides being made in esophageal diseases, and the importance of these diseases to clinicians practicing both subspecialty and general medicine, a volume dedicated to esophageal diseases is timely and necessary. The goals of this work are to familiarize clinicians with advances in care of patients with esophageal disorders, and to update them on new trends in epidemiology and outcomes of these diseases.

Dr. Levy is a key leader in the field of hepatology, and she has enlisted authors who are top experts in their fields to submit state-of-the-art clinical reviews on cholestatic liver diseases. Articles are devoted to genetic determinants of cholestasis, nuclear receptors as drug targets, drug-induced cholestasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, therapeutic advances in primary biliary cirrhosis, overlap syndromes, autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis, secondary sclerosing cholangitis, Focus is also on familial cholestasis, allagile syndrome and other hereditary causes of cholestasis, Systemic causes of cholestasis, advances in pathogenesis and treatment of pruritus, care of the cholestatic patient, and transplantation for cholestatic diseases . Readers will come away with a full overview of the diagnosis and treatment of cholestatic liver diseases.

Dr. Pockros has created a clinically focused issue based on the CONO 2012 meeting, whereby he was able to have those presenters write articles for his issue. Therefore, the content for HCV in this issue reflects the most current knowledge. The issue is focused on basic/current information, current therapy and special populations, triple and quad combination therapies in development, and an article on second generation protease inhibitors.? The reader can expect that this issue will provide thorough clinical reviews on the most current therapeutic options for HCV.

The authors in this issue will provide state-of-the-art reviews on the use of probiotics in care of the gastroenterologic system. Articles are devoted to probiotics as treatment for IBD, chronic diarrhea, C. difficile colitis, functional bowel disease, allergic disorders, necrotizing enterocolitis, and obesity. Other articles examine the safety of probiotics, fecal biotherapy, and molecular assessment of intestinal microflora.

Today a number of gastrointestinal disorders that once required open surgical or percutaneous management are being managed with endolumenal therapies. This has led to an evolution of minimally invasive endolumenal approaches to many disorders. This issue reviews the progress made in the application of endolumenal therapies and not only discuss current applications but future efforts and directions for clinical investigation. Articles will focus on the scope of the problem, past management options, new endolumenal options, investigations with endolumenal therapy, current status (clinical trial results if available), and future directions.

The Guest Editors are providing comprehensive coverage of the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and management of Celiac Disease. Their authors are top experts in the field, and they have submitted state-of-the-art reviews. Topics inlclude: Clinical presentation of Celiac Disease in Adults and Children; The Irritable Bowel Syndrome--Celiac Disease Connection; Pathophysiology of Celiac Disease; Diagnosis of Celiac Disease; Histopathology in Celiac Disease; Management of Celiac Disease; Malignancy and Mortality in Celiac Disease; Gluten Sensitivity; Video Capsule Endoscopy in Celiac Disease; Refractory Celiac Disease; Celiac Disease in the Developing World; and Dietary Assessment in Celiac Disease.

Dr. Hammer has assembled an international list of authors who fully update the topic of chronic diarrhea, from examining the causes of diarrhea (and the appropriate treatments) to various diagnostic tools. Among the topics covered are bacterial flora as a cause or treatment, the value of fecal analysis in the evaluation, circulating secretagogues, functional diarrhea, celiac disease, chronic inflammatory diseases, diarrhea as a symptom of food intolerance, immunosuppression and immune-deficiency, and chronic diarrhea in the developing world.

An important review on esophageal neoplasms for the general surgeon! Topics will include epidemiology and prevalence of esophageal cancer, molecular basis of esophageal cancer development and progression, diagnosis and management of Barrett's esophagus, evaluation and staging of patients with esophageal cancer, medical evaluation of patients preparing for an esophagectomy, management of stage 1 esophageal cancer, management of T2 esophageal cancer, management of advanced stage operable esophageal cancer, management of GE junction tumors, traditional esophagectomy surgical techniques, minimally invasive esophagectomy techniques, esophageal reconstruction with alternative conduits, complications of esophagectomy, quality of life after an esophagectomy, palliation of inoperable esophageal cancer and more!

A very hot topic at the 2010 AASLD meeting, hepatic encephalopathy is being brought to the Clinics in Liver Disease for the very first time by top experts, Dr. Mullen and Dr. Prakash. Authors have written articles that fully discuss the clinical aspects of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Articles presented include History, Nomenclature and Classification; Theories involved in the pathogenesis of HE; Clinical Assessment and utility of clinical scales for semi-quantification of Overt HE;? Assessment of Minimal HE
( with emphasis on computerized psychometric tests); Brain Imaging and HE; Management of Overt HE; Management of Minimal HE; Nutritional Interventions for HE; TIPS and HE; Liver Transplantation and Reversibility of HE; Minimal HE and Driving; and HE and Quality of Life.

As Executive Director of the H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center, University of California, Irvine, Dr. Chang brings the wealth of hix experience and knowledge to the topic of interventional endoscopic ultrasound. His issue is divided into two sections, the first dealing with the best practices of interventional EUS.? Articles in this section address FNA of solid pancreatic tumors, pancreatic cysts, diagnosis of SMT's, lung cancer staging, pancreatic drainage, and celiac neurolysis. The second section addresses emerging technologies for intervention EUS. These articles discuss pancreatic cyst ablation, vascular access and therapy, anti-tumor agents, fiducial markers and brachytherapy, image enhancement, tumor ablation, and anastomosis.

This issue reviews and updates a variety of topics in pancreatic imaging.? Pearls on the Multiphasic CT of the pancreas are offered, along with the key MRI techniques for pancreatic imaging. Emerging CT, MR and US techniques for pancreatic evaluation (such as dual energy, DCMRI, spectroscopy, and US contrast) are elucidated.? Ultrasound for pancreatic imaging is given a thorough review.? An update on staging and resectability of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is discussed.? Acute and chronic pancreatitis are reviewed, as well as cystic pancreatic lesions, congenital pancreatic anomalies, uncommon solid pancreatic neoplasms, and other pancreatic pathology. Post-operative imaging of the pancreas is discussed, and finally, an update on endoscopic techniques for the pancreas is provided.

As the National Quality Advisor and Chair of the AGAI Clinical Practice and Quality Management Committee, Dr. Allen, along with Dr. DeLegge, have created a very insightful list of topics to educate gastroenterologists about how to adapt to health care reform. The issue addresses the impact in both private practices and academic medical centers. Specific issues discussed include Gastroenterologists and Accountable Care Organizations; Health Information Technology and the Gastroenterologist; Transitioning from Fellowship to Practice 2012; Going Big in Private Practice; Clinical Service Line Management; The Impact of Health Reform on GI Reimbursement; The Impact of Health Care Reform on Innovation and New Technology; Industry and Gastroenterology: A New World; and Demonstrating Value: Registries and Beyond.

This issue of Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America, Guest Edited by Neal Wilkinson, MD, is devoted to the Management of Gastric Cancer.? Articles in this issue will focus on Epidemiology; Genetics and Prophylactic Surgery; Endoscopic Diagnosis & Staging; Gastric Stromal Tumors (GIST); Management of Early Stage Gastric Cancer; Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR); Tailored Lymphadenectomy; Laparoscopic Resection Gastric Cancer - Western Experience; Gastric Cancer - Eastern Experience; Update of Gastric Cancer Clinical Trials; Preoperative and Postoperative Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer; and Phase I and II Clinical Trials.

The Guest Editors have focused on methods of diagnosing and evaluating IBD to help guide optimal treatment to maximize clinical outcomes and minimize risks. Authors have provided state-of-the-art updates with practical information/guidelines/algorithms and cutting-edge data for incorporation into practice. The first set of articles deals with endoscopy: its role in diagnosis and monitoring IBD; the growing importance of chromoendoscopy in IBD surveillance exams; assessment of post-operative recurrence; and finally the emerging role of capsule endoscopy. The second section focuses on specific scenarios that IBD physicians encounter frequently: health maintenance in IBD focusing on proper vaccinations; the growing problem of Clostridium difficile in IBD; assessment of pouch problems; optimal evaluation of perianal disease; the state of the art in using thiopurines including use of allopurinol to optimize metabolites and optimizing the use of infliximab by measuring levels and antibodies to infliximab; factors to consider in choosing monotherapy versus combination therapy and communication of risk/benefit to patients; and finally disability assessment in IBD. The third and final section highlights noninvasive methods to evaluate IBD: clinical predictors of aggressive or disabling disease; the evolving role of specific antibodies in diagnosing, subtyping and most recently prognosticating in IBD; stool markers (calproctectin and lactoferrin) for evaluating and monitoring IBD; the growing role of imaging modalities with emphasis on MR enterography and CT enterography; and finally, the genetics of IBD and the potential role of genetic testing in the diagnosis/prognosis and tailoring of therapy.

Surgical Management of Benign Esophageal Disorders: The "Chicago Approach" covers all stages of the diagnosis and treatment of the most common benign esophageal disorders in a concise and easy-to-read format.Indications, patient preparation, operative techniques, and strategies for avoiding and managing complications are included and based both on evidence-based data and the experience of the most famous esophageal surgeons in the United States and abroad. Each chapter includes a summary of the current management strategy for the disease process, and a review of current state of the art techniques provided by world leaders on esophageal disease, surgeons and gastroenterologists alike. A special emphasis is given to emerging procedures in laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, and endoscopy. Surgical Management of Benign Esophageal Disorders: The "Chicago Approach" is illustrated throughout with line diagrams that depict fundamental anatomic or technical principles and is a valuable resource for surgeons and gastroenterologists in residence and training.

Dr. Van Dam is an internationally recognized leader in gastroenterology and has been a leader in advances in intervedntional endoscopy. He brings this expertise to the topic of management of benign and malignant pancreatic disease and has selected top experts in the field to provide state-of-the-art clinical information to gastroenterologists. The modern management treatise of each article addresses current diagnostics as well as medical management. Seven articles are devoted to pancreatic cancer and span medical management, surgial mangament, radiologic imaging, endoscopic diagnosis, palliation, and screening. Other important topics addressed are pancreatic transplantation, pancreatic cystic neoplasms, acute and chronic pancreatitis, and autoimmune pancreatitis.

New research has shown that neuroendocrine tumors are more common than previously thought. Progress in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of these not-so-rare cancers has resulted in renewed interest in developinginnovative therapeutic options. In particular, novel molecular targeted agents have been shown to have significant anti-tumor activity, and integration of these therapies has led to critical advances in management.

In this volume, an outstanding group of the world s leaders in the field have assembled to convey their knowledge of the epidemiology, biology, and management of allthemajor types of neuroendocrine tumors. The book takes a multi-modality approach to understanding disease processes and therapeutics, including chapters on medical and surgical treatment as well as a chapter devoted to imaging. Throughout, the authors emphasize recent advances in our understanding of molecular biology and the subsequent emerging therapeutic options.

Colorectal Cancer Screening provides a complete overview of colorectal cancer screening, from epidemiology and molecular abnormalities, to the latest screening techniques such as stool DNA and FIT, Computerized Tomography (CT) Colonography, High Definition Colonoscopes and Narrow Band Imaging. As the text is devoted entirely to CRC screening, it features many facts, principles, guidelines and figures related to screening in an easy access format. This volume provides a complete guide to colorectal cancer screening which will be informative to the subspecialist as well as the primary care practitioner. It represents the only text that provides this up to date information about a subject that is continually changing. For the primary practitioner, information on the guidelines for screening as well as increasing patient participation is presentedd. For the subspecialist, information regarding the latest imaging techniques as well as flat adenomas and chromoendoscopy are covered. The section on the molecular changes in CRC will appeal to both groups. The text includes up to date information about colorectal screening that encompasses the entire spectrum of the topic and features photographs of polyps as well as diagrams of the morphology of polyps as well as photographs of CT colonography images. Algorithms are presented for all the suggested guidelines. Chapters are devoted to patient participation in screening and risk factors as well as new imaging technology. This useful volume explains the rationale behind screening for CRC. In addition, it covers the different screening options as well as the performance characteristics, when available in the literature, for each test. This volume will be used by the sub specialists who perform screening tests as well as primary care practitioners who refer patients to be screened for colorectal cancer.