Joshua Melson

Interests

Research

Gastrointestinal cancers, with emphasis on colorectal cancer; Colorectal cancer screening, surveillance, and endoscopic removal of precancerous lesions; Rectal polyposis; Colorectal polyps.

Courses

No activities entered.

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

• Bresalier, R. S., Senore, C., Young, G. P., Allison, J., Benamouzig, R., Benton, S., Bossuyt, P. M., Caro, L., Carvalho, B., Chiu, H. M., Coupé, V. M., de Klaver, W., de Klerk, C. M., Dekker, E., Dolwani, S., Fraser, C. G., Grady, W., Guittet, L., Gupta, S., , Halloran, S. P., et al. (2023). An efficient strategy for evaluating new non-invasive screening tests for colorectal cancer: the guiding principles. Gut, 72(10), 1904-1918.
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  New screening tests for colorectal cancer (CRC) are rapidly emerging. Conducting trials with mortality reduction as the end point supporting their adoption is challenging. We re-examined the principles underlying evaluation of new non-invasive tests in view of technological developments and identification of new biomarkers.
• Djinbachian, R., Pohl, H., Rex, D. K., Levenick, J. M., Pleskow, D. K., Wallace, M. B., Khashab, M., Singh, A., Melson, J., Yang, D., Gavrić, A., & von Renteln, D. (2023). Thermal ablation after endoscopic mucosal resection of large colorectal polyps: not only the margins, but also the base?. Gut, 73(1), 12-15.
• Rodgers-Fouche, L., Arora, S., Ricker, C., Li, D., Farooqi, M., Balaguer, F., Dominguez-Valentin, M., Guillem, J. G., Kanth, P., Liska, D., Melson, J., Mraz, K. A., Shirts, B. H., Vilar, E., Katona, B. W., & Hodan, R. (2023). Exploring Stakeholders' Perspectives on Implementing Universal Germline Testing for Colorectal Cancer: Findings From a Clinical Practice Survey. JCO precision oncology, 7, e2300440.
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  New guidelines recommend considering germline genetic testing for all patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, there is a lack of data on stakeholders' perspectives on the advantages and barriers of implementing universal germline testing (UGT). This study assessed the perspectives of members of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer (CGA-IGC) regarding the implementation of UGT for patients with CRC, including readiness, logistics, and barriers.
• Van, J., Alsayid, M., Ma, K., Vemulapalli, K., Rex, D., & Melson, J. (2023). Impact of Cold Snare vs Cold Forceps Resection of Diminutive Adenomas on Segmental Incomplete Resection Rate. The American journal of gastroenterology, 118(8), 1410-1418.
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  Polypectomy technique, for diminutive lesion resection, is variable among colonoscopists using either cold snare polypectomy (CSP) or cold forceps polypectomy (CFP). While it is well described that CSP is a preferred technique to resect small lesions, there is little data evaluating the impact resection techniques have on metachronous adenoma burden. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of incomplete resection attributable to CSP and CFP of diminutive adenomas.
• Gebrekiristos, M., Melson, J., Jiang, A., & Buckingham, L. (2022). DNA methylation and miRNA expression in colon adenomas compared with matched normal colon mucosa and carcinomas. International journal of experimental pathology, 103(3), 74-82.
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  Dysregulation of DNA methylation patterns and non-coding RNA, including miRNAs, has been implicated in colon cancer, and these changes may occur early in the development of carcinoma. In this study, the role of epigenetics as early changes in colon tumorigenesis was examined through paired sample analysis of patient-matched normal, adenoma and carcinoma samples. Global methylation was assessed by genomic 5-methyl cytosine (5-mC) and long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) promoter methylation by pyrosequencing. KRAS mutations were also assessed by pyrosequencing. Expression of miRNA, specifically, two microRNA genes-miR-200a and let-7c-was analysed using RT-qPCR. Differences in global methylation in adenomas were not observed, compared with normal tissue. However, LINE-1 methylation was decreased in adenomas (p = .056) and carcinomas (p = .011) compared with normal tissue. Expressions of miRNA, miR-200a and let-7c were significantly higher in adenomas than normal tissues (p = .008 and p = .045 respectively). Thus the significant changes in LINE-1 methylation and microRNA expression in precancerous lesions support an early role for epigenetic changes in the carcinogenic process. Epigenetic characteristics in adenomas may provide potential diagnostic and prognostic therapeutic targets early in cancer development at the adenoma stage.
• Hamoudah, T., Vemulapalli, K. C., Alsayid, M., Van, J., Ma, K., Jakate, S., Rex, D. K., & Melson, J. (2022). Risk of total metachronous advanced neoplasia in patients with both small tubular adenomas and serrated polyps. Gastrointestinal endoscopy, 96(1), 95-100.
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  The impact of concomitant small serrated polyps (SPs) on the risk of subsequent neoplasia when small tubular adenomas (TAs) are found is uncertain.
• Melson, J. (2022). The pathway to monitoring quality of care for patients with adenomatous oligopolyposis of unknown etiology. Endoscopy, 54(7), 698-699.
• Pannala, R., Krishnan, K., Watson, R. R., Vela, M. F., Abu Dayyeh, B. K., Bhatt, A., Bhutani, M. S., Bucobo, J. C., Chandrasekhara, V., Copland, A. P., Jirapinyo, P., Kumta, N. A., Law, R. J., Maple, J. T., Melson, J., Parsi, M. A., Rahimi, E. F., Saumoy, M., Sethi, A., , Trikudanathan, G., et al. (2022). Devices for esophageal function testing. Gastrointestinal endoscopy, 95(1), 27-29.
• Chandrasekhara, V., Kumta, N. A., Abu Dayyeh, B. K., Bhutani, M. S., Jirapinyo, P., Krishnan, K., Maple, J. T., Melson, J., Pannala, R., Parsi, M. A., Sethi, A., Trikudanathan, G., Trindade, A. J., & Lichtenstein, D. R. (2021). Endoscopic polypectomy devices. VideoGIE : an official video journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 6(7), 283-293.
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  Video 1Use of submucosal injection prior to en-bloc endoscopic mucosal resection.Video 2Use of a detachable loop ligating device prior to hot snare resection of a pedunculated polyp.

Poster Presentations

• Melson, J., Chambers, S. K., schmanski, a., maynard, l., lee, s., alvarez, r., alameri, a., & trieu, r. (2023). Frequency and determinants of missed colonoscopy surveillance in Lynch Syndrome patients in a Screening program with a procedural recall system (ABSTRACT/POSTER). Collaborative Group of Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer (CGA-IGC). Las Vegas, NV.