Minnesota - August 2014 Archives

Stool-based DNA (sDNA) screening test for colorectal cancer to be available by prescription to patients News Conference Advisory: An audio news conference was held this morning with representatives from Exact Sciences Corp. and Mayo Clinic. Click here to listen or right click to download. Click here for a transcript of the news conference. MADISON, Wis., and ROCHESTER, Minn., — Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS) today announced that Mayo Clinic will be the first health system to offer Cologuard®, the first and only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, noninvasive stool DNA screening test for colorectal cancer. Cologuard will be available to patients through their primary care physicians at Mayo Clinic. Available by prescription only, Cologuard offers people 50 years and older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer an easy to use screening test which they can do in the privacy of their own home. It is the first noninvasive screening test for colorectal cancer that analyzes both stool-based DNA and blood biomarkers to detect cancer and precancer. The Cologuard technology platform was co-developed by Exact Sciences Corp. and Mayo Clinic as part of a broad, exclusive collaboration. “Cologuard represents a significant advancement in identifying colorectal cancer at its most treatable stage. We believe offering this new tool will promote patient and community public health and may move more patients to get screened earlier—a critical step in beating this prevalent and preventable cancer,” says Vijay Shah, M.D., chair of Mayo Clinic gastroenterology and hepatology. MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Kilen, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Video is available in the downloads.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation (CFI) will hold Transform 2014, its seventh collaborative symposium focused on redesigning the way health care is experienced and delivered, Sept. 7–9 in Rochester. The symposium draws attendees from around the world looking to connect with colleagues inside and outside the health care industry. Dozens of thought leaders from a wide array of backgrounds will share ideas and lessons on how to fast-track transformation amidst a rapidly changing environment. Topics include new models of care delivery that have a potential to disrupt the current health care system, the future of virtual health, the shift of the financial burden to the consumers and how to scale programs to large populations. “We are delighted to welcome back some of the most creative and motivated people in the country to help us transform the way people experience health,” says Douglas Wood, M.D., Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation and the Transform symposium. “I hope that Transform 2014 will arrive to practical solutions to the challenges that health care is facing today, and will reframe the health care conversation with a positive vision. I look forward to the exchange of the ideas.” MEDIA CONTACT: Duska Anastasijevic, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalist and commentator John Hockenberry will moderate the symposium discussions that include the following speakers:

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded Jan Buckner, M.D., a five-year, $47.5 million grant to lead the NCI’s National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) research base for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Dr. Buckner is deputy director for cancer practice at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, where the Alliance research base will be located. NCORP is a national network of cancer investigators, cancer care providers, academic institutions and other organizations that provide care to diverse populations in community-based health care practices across the United States. NCORP will design and conduct trials to improve cancer prevention, cancer control, screening and post-treatment management. The Alliance research base at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Minnesota will be one of seven research bases across the country that will design and conduct multicenter cancer clinical trials and cancer care delivery research. NCORP hubs will also provide overall administration, data management, scientific leadership and regulatory compliance for the NCORP program. MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center will provide a Saturday morning injury clinic for middle school, high school and college athletes injured during Friday night or Saturday morning sports activities. The clinic will be open each Saturday from Aug. 23 to Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to noon. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 507-266-9100, starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Walk-ins also are welcome but must arrive by 11 a.m. Appointments will receive priority. The Saturday morning injury clinic is in the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center location. The clinic will be staffed by a physician, physical therapist and athletic trainer. Care options may include X-rays, splinting, bracing, crutch instruction, concussion evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation exercises. In addition to the injury clinic, Saturday sports medicine offerings include programs for hockey, running, golf, throwers, and any athlete wanting to improve athletic performance. For more information, contact Chad Eickhoff, athletic training services coordinator, at 507-266-3461 or eickhoff.chad@mayo.edu. MEDIA CONTACT: Bryan Anderson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSU9SROVeZY&feature=youtu.be&hd=1 A Mayo Clinic task force challenges some recommendations in the updated guideline for cholesterol treatment unveiled by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) in 2013. The task force concludes, based on current evidence, that not all patients encouraged to take cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, may benefit from them and that the guideline missed some important conditions that might benefit from medication. Furthermore, the task force believes an emphasis needs to be placed on an individualized treatment approach with each patient and exercising shared decision-making. Recommendations of the task force, made up of Mayo Clinic experts in cardiology, endocrinology and preventive medicine, with no conflicts of interest or links to the drug industry, will be published Aug. 14 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. An editorial will accompany the paper. Mayo Clinic physicians are adopting the task force’s guideline. “The ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline was last updated in 2001, so it needed to be updated. We agree with many points of the guideline, but there are some key areas where we do not completely agree or we wanted to expand and provide more guidance,” says Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., task force chairman and director of preventive cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Kullo and Dr. Lopez-Jimenez are available in the downloads, as well as animations of statins' effects in the bloodstream and carotid artery plaque formation. 

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Needle-guided tumor destruction procedures offer near equivalent lengths of local cancer control compared to surgery for patients with small kidney cancer tumors, according to the results of a large study published in the journal European Urology. “If validated, these data suggest that an update to clinical guidelines would be warranted,” says the study’s lead author, R. Houston Thompson, M.D., a Mayo Clinic urologist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5C2wnXllMY Dr. Thompson says radical nephrectomy – surgical removal of the entire kidney – has historically been the standard of care for management of kidney cancer; however, partial nephrectomy – surgical removal of tumors from a kidney while sparing healthy tissue –has become increasingly more common because of its nephron-sparing benefits and similar cancer control. The nephron is the part of the kidney that filters out toxins from the blood. “We undertook this study because direct comparisons of outcomes among patients with kidney cancer who have received partial nephrectomy (PN), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) – tumor destruction using intense heat and cryoablation – tumor destruction using extreme cold – are lacking, especially from institutions that routinely perform all three of these procedures,” Dr. Thompson says. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Thompson are available in the downloads. MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu.

ROCHESTER, Minn. – To honor a century and a half of serving humanity, Mayo Clinic has compiled a list of 150 medical contributions. The list includes innovations such as developing the concept of an integrated, multispecialty, not-for-profit group practice of medicine, establishing the first hospital-based blood bank in the United States, developing the ketogenic diet to help control epilepsy, and performing the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved hip replacement in the United States. “The accomplishments on this list reflect the collective knowledge of colleagues throughout Mayo Clinic,” says Kerry Olsen, M.D., chair of the Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial Committee. “Millions of people have received care as patients of Mayo Clinic, and millions of others have benefited from Mayo’s discoveries, advancing the standard of care throughout the United States and around the world.” To create the list, a committee of Mayo Clinic’s senior leaders in clinical care, research and education called upon their colleagues to submit important discoveries from their respective specialty fields. Once all the submissions had been received, the committee was faced with the challenging task of processing and narrowing down hundreds of entries to a list of 150. MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu “This list is not meant to be the ‘most’ important, nor are the accomplishments presented in any chronological order or priority,” says Dr. Olsen. “Rather, they were selected for their impact and enduring significance. Looking ahead, we anticipate many more advances to join the list.” Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Olsen are in the downloads.

Study: younger, older people likelier to visit ER repeatedly with gallstone pain before surgery ROCHESTER, Minn. — Gallstone pain is one of the most common reasons patients visit emergency rooms. Figuring out who needs emergency gallbladder removal and who can go home and schedule surgery at their convenience is sometimes a tricky question, and it isn’t always answered correctly. A new Mayo Clinic study found that 1 in 5 patients who went to the emergency room with gallbladder pain and were sent home to schedule surgery returned to the ER within 30 days needing emergency gallbladder removal. The surgical complication rate rises with the time lag before surgery, the researchers say. “It makes a big difference if you get the right treatment at the right time,” says co-lead author Juliane Bingener-Casey, M.D., a gastroenterologic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The study is published in the Journal of Surgical Research. Often it’s obvious who needs emergency gallbladder removal, a procedure known as cholecystectomy, who can delay it and who doesn’t need surgery at all. But sometimes patients fall into a gray area. Mayo researchers are working to develop a reliable tool to help determine the best course of action in those cases, and the newly published study is a first step, Dr. Bingener-Casey says.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees recognized four new named professorships, the highest academic distinction for faculty members at Mayo Clinic, during its quarterly meeting today.   Michael Brodsky, M.D., a physician with joint appointments in the Department of Neurology and Department of Ophthalmology, is recognized as the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. Professor in Ophthalmology Research. The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, incorporated in 1956, is a charity sponsored by the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar. The organization’s mission is to improve vision through research and education and by supporting access to care. As a researcher, Dr. Brodsky focuses on evolutionary mechanisms of infantile strabismus (a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with one another); congenital optic disc anomalies; ocular motor physiology; nystagmus (a condition of involuntary eye movement acquired in infancy or later in life, that may result in reduced or limited vision); and other ocular motility disturbances. He has authored or co-authored several textbooks, including the definitive Pediatric Neuro-Ophthalmology. He has also established a video-oculography laboratory at Mayo Clinic to study the role of binocular luminance disparity in infantile strabismus. Douglas Husmann, M.D., Department of Urology, is recognized as the Anson L. Clark Professor in Urology. This professorship was established in 1974 by The Clark Foundation of Dallas, Texas, in memory of Anson L. Clark, M.D. Dr. Clark was a member of the Mayo Clinic staff in the section of special urology and an instructor in urology from 1931 to 1934. As a urologist, Dr. Husmann’s clinical and research focus includes pediatric and reconstructive urology, and he has extensive experience in urologic reconstructive surgical procedures in both congenital abnormalities and traumatic injuries. He excels at translating basic science findings to the clinical arena. His work has resulted in numerous advances in the fields of androgen receptor physiology, the management of reproductive congenital abnormalities, traumatic genitourinary injuries and reconstructive urology.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A recent study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers recommends laparoscopic cholecystectomies (surgical removal of the gallbladder) for pediatric patients suffering from gallstones and other gallbladder diseases. This study was published in Surgical Laparoscopy Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Ishitani are available in the downloads. A cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove the gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ located below the liver on the upper right side of the abdomen. The gallbladder is responsible for collecting and storing bile, which is a fluid secreted by the liver. During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, four incisions are made in the abdomen. Then, a small video camera and other special tools are used to remove the gallbladder. “Cholelithiasis and other gallbladder diseases requiring cholecystectomies are less common in children compared to adults,” says Michael B. Ishitani, M.D., lead author of the study. “Recently, however, rising rates of obesity in the pediatric population have led to an increase of gallstones found in children. Therefore, it was important for us to review the current clinical practices to ensure that pediatric patients are being treated properly.” Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Ishitani are available in the downloads.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Wellness coaching has become an increasingly prevalent strategy to help individuals improve their health and well-being. Recently, wellness coaching was found to improve quality of life, mood and perceived stress, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Matthew Clark, Ph.D., L.P., lead author of the study and resiliency expert at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, answers some common questions about wellness coaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN_p2X4KA40&feature=youtu.be&hd=1 Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Clark are available in the downloads. What is a wellness coach? Wellness coaches are trained and certified by professional organizations to help individuals identify their personal values and desires for change. The coaches provide practical recommendations to help individuals transform their goals into action, in order to sustain the changes over time and improve their quality of life. “Mayo Clinic wellness coaches assist patients, through a strength-based approach, in identifying goals and potential barriers to success, and then create strategies to help them improve on a week-by-week basis,” explains Dr. Clark. “A strength-based approach recognizes that patients bring experience, knowledge and skills which will help them make positive lifestyle changes.” What are popular areas of improvement? “Wellness coaching focuses on the specific problems someone wants to address, such as weight loss, stress management or goals focusing on work-life balance. We offer wellness coaching to help people have a better life, and improve their overall quality of life, whether it’s socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically or mentally,” says Dr. Clark. How are these improvements maintained over time? Wellness coaching teaches individuals appropriate goal-setting techniques, strategies for enhancing social and emotional support and other skills to sustain progress over a substantial period of time.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — If a research survey of African American professional women is any indication, attitudes may be changing towards participation in medical research. Mayo Clinic and The Links, Incorporated researchers teamed up to survey members of the international women’s organization, and found that a majority of African American women surveyed are willing to or have taken part in medical research. The results appear in the Journal of Women’s Health. “Our findings are highly encouraging,” says Sharonne Hayes, M.D., Mayo Clinic cardiologist, co-author of the study, and director of Mayo’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “The more African Americans, both women and men, who participate in medical research, the better informed their physicians will be in treating a wide range of conditions. Instead of extrapolating findings from other populations, we’ll have more confidence in diagnostic and treatment recommendations. The authors point to the long-standing distrust of scientists and research studies by many in the African American community, a reaction to unethical experiments in the last century. They say that, for decades, many African Americans did not take part in clinical studies, limiting the data on how diseases among Blacks could be better diagnosed and treated. The study team examined 381 self-administered surveys taken during a 2012 conference of The Links, Incorporated, an organization comprised of college-educated women, the majority involved in a profession. The median age was 59. Just more than half said they felt medical research in America was ethical.