Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer Position statement on multigene panel testing for patients with colorectal cancer and/or polyposis

Familial Cancer - Multigene panel tests for hereditary cancer syndromes are increasingly utilized in the care of colorectal cancer (CRC) and polyposis patients. However, widespread availability of...     

Do gender disparities persist in gastroenterology after 10 years of practice?

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional studies confirm gender disparity in many aspects of the practice of medicine and surgery. Some data suggest the disparities diminish after 10 yr of practice. This study aims to examine gender discrepancies in income, social, and professional status of gastroenterologists after 10 yr of practice.
METHODS: Prospective, observational, cohort study of gastroenterologists incepted upon graduation from a U.S. GI fellowship program in 1993 and 1995. A 36-item questionnaire was sent to the cohort at 3, 5, and 10 yr after graduation from GI fellowship training. The following are the results of the final, 10th year survey.
RESULTS: A total of 168 men and 25 women (mean age 45.5 yr) responded. Men and women were equally likely to be board certified and married, however, women had fewer children. Men earned a mean annual gross income of $375,000 versus $245,000 for women ( P = 0.001). After adjusting for practice setting, work hours, practice-ownership, free endoscopy center practice, and vacation time, female gastroenterologists earned $82,000 (22%) less per year than their male colleagues (95% CI $34,000–130,000, P = 0.001). Women were more frequently in academic practice (38% vs 17%), but were less likely to hold the most advanced academic positions.
CONCLUSIONS: After 10 yr of practice, significant economic, professional, and social disparities persist between male and female gastroenterologists in this cohort. Women were more likely to practice in a setting with flexible work hours, a family leave provision, and in a practice with other women. Initiatives to equalize pay and ensure opportunities for professional advancement for women may diminish the significant practice disparities incurred by women in gastroenterology.     

The Estimated Annual Cost of ADHD to the US Education System

The purpose of this study was to examine and monetize the educational outcomes of students with ADHD. Data were examined from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study, a follow-up study of children diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and recontacted for follow-up in adolescence and young adulthood. A comprehensive educational history was obtained for all participants from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Annual economic impact was derived from costs incurred through special education placement, grade retention, and disciplinary incidents. Results indicated that, as compared to students without ADHD, students with ADHD incurred a higher annual cost to the US Education system. Specifically, a student with ADHD incurred an average annual incremental cost to society of 5,007, as compared with5,007, as compared with 318 for students in the comparison group. These results suggest that prevention and intervention strategies are greatly needed to offset the large financial impact of educating youth with ADHD.     

Morphometric and Histological Study of Breast Lesions with Special Reference to Proliferative Activity and Invasiveness

Breast carcinoma is the most common cause of carcinoma death in women. Sometimes, difficulty arises to differentiate between premalignant lesions and carcinoma by routine histopathology. Our study was done to establish the role of morphometry and immunohistochemistry to solve this problem. In this study, total 60 cases of different breast lesions were included and 10 controls were also included to compare the results with the normal findings. They were studied by hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections for morphometry and routine histological study; as well as by proliferative markers such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen and p53. Invasiveness was studied using immunohistochemical staining with 34 βE12 monoclonal antibody. Statistically significant differences were found in morphometric parameters and in expression of proliferative markers between most of them. Morphometry and immunohistochemistry help in the proper diagnosis of different breast lesions that lie in the gray zone on routine histopathology.     

Can the UK guidelines for stroke be effective? Attitudes to the symptoms of a transient ischaemic attack among the general public and doctors

This questionnaire-based study assessed the attitudes of the general public to the symptoms of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and determined the current level of knowledge about the management of TIA among doctors. The public chose to wait for symptom recurrence before seeking medical advice for amaurosis (41%) and upper limb (UL) monoparesis (51%), sensory loss (68%), or paraesthesia (95%). However, medical advice would be sought most often for slurred speech alone (89%) or combined with UL monoparesis (99%). Most physicians confirmed that these symptoms could represent a 'carotid TIA' but many considered diverse symptoms as relevant. While most general practitioners would prescribe anti-platelet therapy, 22-40% would not refer first-time TIA patients, depending upon the presenting symptom. In conclusion, the general public does not recognise the importance of TIA symptoms and the need for rapid assessment. This is compounded by deficiencies in the medical management of TIA. Stroke guidelines will remain ineffective without public awareness campaigns and physician education.     

Benign metastasising leiomyoma after hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

Benign metastasising leiomyomatosis is a rare condition affecting women in the reproductive age-group with a history of uterine fibroids, who have undergone treatment by myomectomy or hysterectomy. It is characterised by development of multiple, indolent, smooth muscle tumours outside the uterus, most commonly in the lungs, and manifests several years after the uterine surgery. We describe the case of a young woman, who had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for multiple fibroids and a right ovarian cyst. After 5 years of being on oestrogen replacement therapy, she was detected to have benign metastasising leiomyoma, for which an additional laparotomy was performed. At laparotomy, removal of the pelvic mass was associated with several complications. The metastatic lesions in the lung responded well to progestogens (megestrol acetate) alone as evidenced by regression of the lesions detected at follow-up after 6 months and 1 year.     

Effect of Selected Family Variables on Social Preference, Academic Achievement and Self-Concept of Elementary School Children

This paper aims at studying the relative contribution of selected family variables on social preference, academic achievement and self-concept of elementary school children. An open-ended questionnaire based on family background information and two standardized tools: Peers Nomination Scale and Self-Concept Inventory were used to know the social preference and self-concept of children. The examination mark was taken to measure the pupil's academic achievement. No significant association was obtained between the selected family variables and children's social preference, academic achievement and self-concept in the present study.

However, the present study shows some positive indication towards the peers and the friends in developing the self-concept and its influence on the academic achievement of the elementary school children.     

Psycho-social profile of abused children in India

Child abuse in one form or other, has manifested in almost all societies. But the recognition of child abuse as a social problem is a recent phenomenon in Inaia and therefore, research is still in its infancy. Present paper reviews the child abuses in India under the areas of different forms of child abuse, marital issues involved, parent child interactions, social and psychological characteristics trends associated with the abused children and its remedial measures. The paper concludes with an emphasis on the need for empirical data on the extent and nature of child abuse in Indian families. The effects of various forms of child abuse for developing appropriate interaction strategies for its managements and prevention have been discussed.