Fall Issue 2010

Steven J. Morris, MD, FACP, PCC Board Chair

In September, initial elements of national healthcare reform went into effect – portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Now is an excellent time to review the various provisions and how they impact patients, physicians and insurers.

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Stan Plavin, MD, PCC Vice Chair

In recent months, the sedative-hypnotic drug propofol, a mainstay in the field of anesthesiology, has become nearly impossible to obtain and our options are severely limited. This article takes a look at how the new rarity of propofol threatens to hamper the ability of anesthesiologists to provide the best, most affordable, and safest care to their patients.

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When government physicist Dennis P. was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2006, he was surprised since he had taken all the right preventive measures. After a positive hemocult in 1999 as well as another two years later, a test in 2003 was negative, leading Dennis to believe he was out of the woods.

It was during a routine colonoscopy three years later that the polyp was found. The question is whether the use of propofol during his 2006 colonoscopy, when the cancer was discovered, played a role in the detection of the polyp in a fold of his colon.

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In this interview, Kristin Tabor, founder and president of the Colon Cancer Coalition, speaks to PCC.org about her organization’s Get Your Rear in Gear 5K races. After her sister passed away from colon cancer, Kristen started a campaign to spread awareness about the dangers of colorectal cancer, as well as to make the topic something more Americans can comfortably discuss. The events have continually grown and evolved in cities throughout the country.

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Did you know a recent study links a vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of colorectal cancer? This is one of several stories highlighted in this section.

Read about a University of Florida study that looks at how methods of communication between family, friends and caregivers can influence treatment decisions for those with colorectal cancer.

…Or the steps PCC.org is taking to help reduce incidences of colorectal cancer and increase awareness of the disease, as well as how you can help take action by becoming a member of Preventing Colorectal Cancer.org.

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Randall H.H. Madry, PCC Executive Director

One of the biggest challenges facing gastroenterology today is the declining number of gastroenterologists. Whether it’s fewer residencies available for aspiring gastroenterologists coupled with the increase in the number of retirees in the field, it is a critical issue as healthcare reform causes an upswing in the number of patients needing colonoscopies and other related procedures.

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