Fact or Fiction? Common Misconceptions About Ulcerative Colitis

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION It is well established that ulcerative colitis (UC) is a heterogeneous disease with symptoms that wane over time. The disease course for 50% of individuals is persistently active ...

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
It is well established that ulcerative colitis (UC) is a heterogeneous disease with symptoms that wane over time. The disease course for 50% of individuals is persistently active over time with worsening and relapsing symptoms and is associated with long-term anemia, colonic dysfunction, and increased risk for colorectal cancer. Evidence indicates that treating the inflammation to achieve improvement in endoscopic appearance of the mucosa early in the course of UC is effective for current flares, but also reduces the risk of future relapse. Yet, compared to Crohn’s disease (CD), UC is not always given the same treatment urgency and is considered by many gastroenterologists to be easier to diagnose and treat than CD, with better outcomes, and is a disease in which colectomy is a more acceptable outcome despite the inherent risks associated with surgery. Despite misconceptions about the “easier” inflammatory bowel disease, individuals with UC experience significant impact on their quality of life. 73% of patients report that their UC has interfered with their leisure activities, 67% report that UC has taken a negative toll on them in the workplace, and 25% have had to alter their work to accommodate their disease.1,2 It’s time to separate fact from fiction. We invite you to join this Crohn’s and Colitis Congress enduring activity as faculty use gaming and case studies to debunk many misconceptions about UC and provide evidence and best practices to pave the way for better patient outcomes. References 1. Dart RJ, Samaan MA, Powell N, Irving PM. Vedolizumab: toward a personalized therapy paradigm for people with ulcerative colitis. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2017;10:57-66. 2. Ghosh S, Mitchell R. Impact of inflammatory bowel disease on quality of life: results of the European Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations (EFCCA) patient survey. J Crohns Colitis. 2007;1(1):10-20.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
At the end of this CME/CE activity, participants should be able to:Physicians:Recognize the complex nature of UC that requires risk stratification to drive treatment decisionsIntegrate a steroid-sparing management strategy into treatment planning to minimize long-term steroid dependence and associated side effectsIn patients with moderate to severe UC, initiate early, top-down treatment aligned with the AGA UC Clinical Care Pathway to achieve remission and improvement in endoscopic appearance of the mucosaCNE/CPE:Recognize the complex nature of UC that requires risk stratification to drive treatment decisionsDescribe a steroid-sparing management strategy for treatment plans that will minimize long-term steroid dependence and associated side effectsFor patients with moderate to severe UC, explain how to initiate early, top-down treatment aligned with the AGA UC Clinical Care Pathway to achieve remission and improvement in endoscopic appearance of the mucosa

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