Description

This two-hour educational program, presented by the Massachusetts General Hospital Digestive Healthcare Center, allows gastroenterologists and primary care physicians to rapidly acquire knowledge of recent advances in screening and treatment for Barrett’s Esophagus and other precursors to esophageal cancer.

The program focuses on:

• Effective screening and diagnosis for GERD, Barrett’s Esophagus, and other conditions
• Innovative therapies, surgical options, and minimally-invasive interventions

The incidence of gastroesophageal cancer is rising at an astonishing rate – according to the American Cancer Society, more than 16,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. And in 2008, the American College of Gastroenterology issued new guidelines for the diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of Barrett’s esophagus in adults, spurred by advances over the past several years.

This program helps you incorporate the best standard of care into your practice and presents the latest screening and treatment options.

Agenda

	The New Epidemic of Esophageal Cancer David P. Ryan, MD Recognize the reasons for the current epidemic of esophageal cancer Employ the general principles of staging and treatment of esophageal cancer
	Who needs Screening and Who needs Treatment Myles D. Keroack, M Explain the management of a patient with GERD and barrett’s esophagus Implement the guidelines on Barrett’s surveillance Utilize independent path review if indeterminate dysplasia is identified
	Endoscopic Therapy for Barrett’s Ablation David G, Forcione, MD Discuss the published results of ablative therapies for patients with Barrett’s esophagus and high grade dysplasia Evaluate existing technologies such as cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), and radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s mucosa
	Optimal Control of Gastroesophageal Reflux David W. Rattner, MD State the role of acid and non-acid reflux in symptom generation Evaluate indications for medical, endoscopic and surgical interventions to control GERD Evaluate patients with atypical symptoms of GERD
	Minimally Invasive Treatment of Esophageal Cancer Christopher R. Morse, MD Apply the evaluation and staging work up for patients who are candidates for surgical therapy Explain the basic techniques of minimally invasive esophageal resections Discuss the expected surgical and oncological outcomes

Faculty

Course Director -- David W. Rattner, MD
Chief of General Surgery
Co-Director of the Digestive Healthcare Center
Massachusetts General Hospital

David Rattner received his MD degree from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1978. He trained as an intern and resident in surgery at The Massachusetts General Hospital from 1978-1985. He was then appointed to the staff of the hospital’s Department of Surgery. In 1999, he became the Chief of the Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery. He was made Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School in 2003.

Dr. Rattner has been active in numerous national surgical organizations. He has served as a trustee of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, President of the Boston Surgical Society, Governor of The American College of Surgeons, and President of The Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons. He is president elect of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. He is also an active member of The American Surgical Association, The Society of Surgical Oncology, and The Halsted Society.

Dr. Rattner has authored more than 150 original publications and 80 book chapters. He was one of the founding members of The Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and  served on this organization’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Rattner was a founding member of CIMIT (The Center for Innovative Minimally Invasive Therapies). He is CoChair of the SAGES-ASGE joint committee on Natural Orifice Trans-lumenal Endoscopic Surgery and is a founding member of NOSCAR (Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment of Research). His areas of research include trans-lumenal gastrointestinal surgery, minimally invasive therapies and The Operating Room of the Future.

 

David G. Forcione, MD
Digestive Healthcare Center
Massachusetts General Hospital 

Dr. Forcione received his medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine and completed his residency and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.  He is also an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

 

Myles D. Keroack, MD
Digestive Healthcare Center
Massachusetts General Hospital 

Dr. Keroack did his undergraduate studies at Amherst College, and then went to Tufts University Medical School.  His medical training was at The University of Massachusetts Medical Center and then did Gastroenterology at The Lahey Clinic.

He is currently a staff physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructer in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  His clinical interests are in esophageal disorders, gastrointestinal bleeding, small bowel disorders, and colon cancer screening.

 

Christopher R. Morse, MD
Division of Thoracic Surgery
Massachusetts General Hospital 

Dr. Morse received his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his internship and residency in general surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital.  He finished his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital and received advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive foregut and esophageal surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.  He is an Instructor in Surgery (Thoracic Surgery) at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Morse specializes in minimally invasive approaches to gastroesophageal reflux disease (including complex laparoscopic re-operative antireflux surgery), achalasia, and paraesophageal hernia.  He has a particular interest in minimally invasive approaches to esophageal cancer, with laparoscopic and thoracoscopic techniques.

Dr. Morse is a member of several professional societies, including those specializing in diseases of the esophagus.  He has ongoing clinical research projects in minimally invasive esophageal surgery and has presented, published and written several chapters on esophageal and thoracic surgery.

 

David P. Ryan, MD
Clinical Director
Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers
Massachusetts General Hospital

David P Ryan MD, is Clinical Director, Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Assistant in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. He graduated in medicine from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, in 1992 where he remained for his internship and medical residency. Dr Ryan undertook his hematology and oncology training at Dana Faber Cancer Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. In 1998, he was appointed Clinical Assistant in Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, then Assistant in Medicine, before assuming his present position in 2004.

The principal focus of Dr. Ryan’s clinical research is the design and implementation of Phases I and II trials in gastrointestinal malignancies.  Since 1998 he has been a member of both the Experimental Therapeutics Group and the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center where he has been the Director since 2003. Dr. Ryan’s clinical practice focuses exclusively on gastrointestinal oncology.

He is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the New England Cancer Society. Dr Ryan sits on the editorial board of Clinical Cancer Research and is a reviewer for Journal of Clinical Oncology and New England Journal of Medicine.  He has published over 50 articles in peer review journals, reviews, book chapters and editorials and authored numerous abstracts.

Accreditation

Target Audience
Gastroenterologists, Primary Care and Family Practice Physicians, and Nurses.

Program Goal
This program educates physicians about patient risk factors to consider when screening for Barrett’s Esophagus; effective management of patients who are diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus; and innovative surgical options for patients with high-grade dysplasia, complications of GERD and esophageal cancer.

Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Contemporary Forums, Massachusetts General Hospital and Reed Medical Education. Contemporary Forums is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians.

Credit Designation
Physicians: Contemporary Forums designates this continuing medical education activity for 2 hours of Category 1 of the Physician’s Recognition Award of the American Medical Association. Contemporary Forums is a division of Reed Medical Education.

Nurses: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) through co-providership with Contemporary Forums.  CF designates this continuing nursing education for 2 ANCC contact hours.

Contemporary Forums is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Faculty Disclosure Policy
All faculty participating in supported programs are expected to disclose to the audience any real or apparent conflict-of-interest related to the content of their presentation, any discussion of unlabeled or investigational use of any commercial product or device not yet approved in the United States.