Pri-Med Midwest Highlights: Infectious Diseases, Colorectal Cancer, Adult Plaque Psoriasis

At Pri-Med Midwest 2022, several clinicians gave presentations on key points they wished to emphasize regarding research into topics of interest in the world of medical science.

Some of the highlights emerged from such topics as infectious diseases, vector-borne viruses, COVID-19, adult plaque psoriasis, and the importance of colorectal cancer screening. Each presenter stressed the importance of the topics and elucidated the most impactful research and findings in the subjects discussed.

Michael Angarone, DO

In an HCPLive interview with Michael Angarone, DO, Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Angarone spoke on a variety of topics relating to emerging infectious diseases and viruses.

“After SARS-CoV-2, and with the COVID pandemic, I think this is something that has been on everyone’s mind,” Angarone said. “There are a host of different infectious diseases out there that we see popping up. I think some of the ones that clinicians should really be aware of are SARS-CoV-2, so I think that’s going to be with us for the foreseeable future.”

He elaborated on specific infections considered to be concerning public health issues such as monkeypox, burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria, Bourbon virus, and various hantaviruses.

Charles Vega, MD

During his interview with HCPLive, Charles Vega, MD, Health Sciences Clinical Professor at the UC Irvine Department of Family Medicine, spoke on a variety of topics covered in his Pri-Med speeches including common urgent care presentations, atrial fibrillation, and colorectal cancer.

“Colorectal cancer remains the number three leading cancer killer in the United States,” he said. “And it does have a good lead time associated with it, meaning that if we detect it early, or we'd get better outcomes, and so it's not just about preventing cancer related mortality, which is what that New England Journal study failed to demonstrate in terms of its randomized group to colonoscopy, or to usual care, but it's about preventing…surgery, preventing chemotherapy and radiation and all the sequelae.”

Vega further discussed elements of his presentation regarding aspirin use, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and the overall state of preventative care.

Veronica Anwuri, MD

In another interview with HCPLive, a discussion with Veronica Anwuri, MD, a Family Medicine Specialist for St. Luke’s Medical Group, regarding the use of treatment of adult plaque psoriasis with apremilast.

Anwuri went into the difficulties many patients have in dealing with plaque psoriasis and its long-term effects.

“What we find is that patients don't like to bring it up because they've tried things in the past and nothing's worked,” Anwuri explained. “It's a condition that–even though they're coming to their primary care doctor–creates a lot of the debility for them, because people can see it and so it's very embarrassing. And the other concern is that it creates a lot of pain and itching for patients.”

She went into the ways in which treating plaque psoriasis with apremilast may benefit certain patients struggling with plaque psoriasis, as well as the ways patients may benefit in regard to their issues with psoriatic arthritis.

Find out more by reading about HCPLive’s coverage of Pri-Med Midwest 2022.