If you have items of interest, please submit them to the Pancreas Club.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is excited to announce that they will begin accepting applications for their 2010 Research Grants Program on September 9, 2009. They have made several very exciting improvements to their grants program.. This year, they are offering four grant mechanisms to fund pancreatic cancer research, including a new Pathway to Leadership Grant . A total of nearly $2.3 million in research funding will be disbursed.
For more information, visit http://www.pancan.com/Research/grants2010.html. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network also funds one of the Pancreas Club's annual resident awards presented at the Club's annual meeting.
Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA,
President & CEO
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)
2141 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 7000 El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: 310-725-0025 Fax: 310-725-0029
www.pancan.org
Please read the Draft of the Atlanta Classification on Acute Pancreatitis and send any comments to Michael Saar.
On November 7, 2008, the symposium, organized by Bill Nealon, Pancreas Club Director, was entitled “Choice of Modalities & Principles in the Management of Pancreatic Pseudocysts”. Nealon and Dr. Michael Levy, Mayo Clinic presented the surgical and endoscopic perspectives. Drs. Warshaw, President-Elect of APA, and Nealon moderated this successful first joint symposium.
For your academic needs, the Pancreas Club offers a free online calculator of the new standardized definition for postoperative pancreatic “fistula” (POPF) or “leak.” Also included is the calculator for delayed gastric emptying (DGE). After clinical testing with actual data the calculator uses a slightly modified definition of the definition published from the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS). These definitions have been published by Bassi et al, Surgery 2005; 138:8-13 and Wente, et al., Surgery 2007; 142:761-8. For the first time we can use a consensus definition and also now it is facilitated by this calculator.
Read the 2008 newsletter for full details. The Pancreas Club was invited to present a panel at the November 2008 American Pancreatic Association meeting. Bill Nealon will develop a panel presentation on behalf of the Club. At the 2008 DDW, the Pancreas Club leadership was approached by individuals representing SSAT with concerns about possible conflicts with DDW policy regarding abstracts presented at the Pancreas Club. A formal communication from SSAT was received since the Summer retreat which confirmed that SSAT now considers the Pancreas Club as a national society and thus the rules of DDW for abstract submissions apply to the Pancreas Club. The Pancreas Club’s mission, however, remains “to maintain an informal club atmosphere” and we do not consider ourselves a national society. However, this year’s Pancreas Club “Call for Abstracts” reflects the SSAT position.
The Pancreas Club is pleased to announce two new awards beginning in 2009. The program committee will rate each oral presentation and the award recipients will be announced at the Sunday dinner event. In order to be eligible for two awards, the work must be authored primarily by a resident or fellow and the presentation must be made by the resident or fellow. Presentation of the work by an attending faculty will not be considered for awards. PanCan Research Award: $1,000 for the best oral presentation of clinical or basic science pancreatic cancer research by a resident or fellow. This award is funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Kenneth Warren Research Award: $1,000 for the best oral presentation of clinical or basic science pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer research by a resident or fellow. This award is funded by the Pancreas Club and the Kenneth Warren Foundation.
The Life and Times of Allen Oldfather Whipple: The Missionary and the Surgeon By John M. Howard, M.D. Read a review by Nicholas J. Zyromski, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Indiana University.
The Pancreas Club Directors and the Advisory Committee met in Santa Fe in July to review the evaluations of the 2008 meeting, make plans for the 2009 meeting, review the results of the Membership Survey, and discuss the future programs of the Club. Attending the meeting were: Bill Traverso, Bill Nealon, Gerry Aranha, Mike Farnell, Maria Petzel, Mark Talamonti, Charlie Frey, Bill Schiller and Beverlee Anderson. Conferencing in on Saturday were Doug Evans and David Adams.
Thanks were expressed to Mike Bouvet and the staff at UCSD for a fine meeting. Review of the evaluation comments indicated overwhelmingly that this meeting was a success and quality level of the presentations outstanding. The new professor rounds for abstracts were popular and will be expanded for 2009. For the first time CME was provided and this was welcomed by those in attendance. A summary of the presentations written by Bill Schiller was submitted for publication in JOGS.
Because the number and quality of the abstracts has increased significantly over the past several years, the Advisory Committee is exploring Saturday for expansion into this day even though a vast majority of those surveyed said they wanted to keep it on Sunday – as it has been since 1971. The group also approved seeking funding for two resident abstract awards (see article page 2) to recognize outstanding abstracts. Dinner and meeting honorees were also discussed.
Membership has steadily increased bringing the total number of active members to 304 including 16 honorary/retired and 45 residents. Dues for 2009 will remain the same.
The Pancreas Club was invited to present a panel at the November 2008 American Pancreatic Association meeting. Bill Nealon will develop a panel presentation on behalf of the Club. Communications with the SSAT leadership resulted in a confirmation that SSAT now considers the Pancreas Club as a national society and thus the rules of DDW for abstract submissions apply to the Pancreas Club.
The Pancreas Club Directors have engaged Beverlee Anderson, Principle of AZTEC Organizational Services, Santa Fe, NM, to provide management and meeting coordination services for the Club. Ms. Anderson has over 15 years of professional association management of medical professional societies and a long history of attending the Pancreas Club's activities as the wife of Dr. William Schiller. Her skills and knowledge of the Pancreas Club are a natural match with her new position as Executive Administrator. Please welcome her to this position. William Traverso, Director
The Directors met in August to make formal plans for the 2008 Pancreas Club Meeting to be held May 18 in San Diego. Mark Talamini and Mike Bouvet will be Local Arrangements Chairs. The 2008 Honoree will be Andy Warshaw. The membership survey had a 48% response rate and a report will be written and submitted for publication.