For Immediate ReleaseOctober 11, 2000
Contact: Christopher Smalley[email protected] (617) 638-8491
MEDIA ADVISORY
Leading Experts to Gather for Second International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy
BOSTON, MA -- Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) is sponsoring the Second International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy, beginning October 16, 2000. The principle purpose of the symposium is to provide an interdisciplinary and international forum for the assessment of virtual colonoscopy to screen for colon cancers. Technical developments, interpretive insights, clinical utility, and policy implications of this new method for detecting colon polyps and cancer will be explored. General Thomas Stafford, U.S. Air Force, and retired NASA Apollo astronaut, will be a guest speaker. Stafford, an advisor to software developers for virtual reality and imaging, will discuss some of the technologic foundations of the virtual colonoscopy.
Virtual colonoscopy uses a 3D CT scan of one's colon to detect colorectal polyps and carcinomas. It has the advantage over standard colonoscopy of being faster, safer, and less expensive in finding polyps, although, a traditional colonoscopy is required if large size polyps are found. Colorectal carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and it can be prevented if precancerous polyps are discovered and removed early.
The symposium will be held in Boston at the Marriott Copley Place on October 16 and 17. The media is invited.
Participating symposium faculty include: Joseph T. Ferrucci, MD, chairman, Department of Radiology, Boston University Medical Center and chair of the symposium; Matthew A. Barish, MD, Boston Medical Center; Bernard Levin, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; John Bond, MD, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; to name a few.
The symposium includes presentations on Principles of Virtual Imaging, Clinical Experience-Polyp Detection, Colorectal Screening and Virtual Colonoscopy, and Research Directions. Continuing medical education (CME) credits are offered for physicians.
Established in 1873, Boston University School of Medicine is a leading academic and research institution, with an enrollment of more than 600 students and more than 1,000 full- and part-time faculty members. It is known for its programs in arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, human genetics, pulmonary diseases and dermatology, among others. The School is affiliated with Boston Medical Center, its principal teaching hospital, and Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center. Along with Boston Medical Center and 14 community health care providers, the School of Medicine is a partner in Boston HealthNet, a consumer-driven urban health network.
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