HJNO Mar/Apr 2020

64 MAR / APR 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Hospital Rounds 18 registries, representing 28 percent of the U.S. population, were used to conduct a cross-sec- tional study of colorectal cancer incidence rates from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2015, in one-year age increments (ages 30-60 years) stratified by U.S. region (South, West, Northeast, and Mid- west), sex, race, disease stage, and tumor location. The research team, led by Dr. Jordan Karlitz of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care Sys- tem and Tulane University, along with LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry staff, ana- lyzed a total of 170,434 cases of colorectal can- cer. They found steep increases in the incidence of colorectal cancers from 49 to 50 years of age. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recom- mends screening beginning at age 50. “As the diagnosis of many of these colorectal cancers was delayed to ages after 50, advanced stage was more likely present at diagnosis,” adds Wu. “This study provides useful evidence for improving colorectal cancer screening policy.” Tulane Earns Area’s Only ACCChest Pain with Primary PCI Accreditation Tulane Medical Center has been recognized by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. The hospital was recently awarded Chest Pain Center Accredita- tion with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Interven- tion (PCI) based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. Tulane Medical Center is the only hospital in the New Orleans area to achieve this level of accredi- tation from the ACC. “This is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Dr. Bob Lynch, Tulane Health System CEO. “Not because we’ve earned an accolade, but because this represents the culmination of months of work to build, organize and improve our pro- cesses to deliver the very best in patient care for those suffering from chest pain and heart attack symptoms.” Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other staff that support the efforts leading to better patient education and improved patient outcomes. n treatment, meaning a more comfortable session with greater accuracy. The inclusion of technology to track and account for the motion of breathing and specialized add- ons to enable stereotactic radiotherapy were also selected due to an ever-greater number of patients who need this kind of cancer treatment, said Dr. Kendra Harris, a Tulane Health System radiation oncologist. “This technology allows us to treat patients pre- cisely while maximally sparing normal tissues,” Harris said. “Specialized cones for framed and frameless stereotactic radiosurgery, gating tech- nology to detect and account for patient move- ment and the capacity of inter- and intra-fraction image-guidance are all now available to patients at Tulane.” Additionally, increased speed provides patients shorter treatment times leading to less interrup- tion of their daily lives. Most treatments take only minutes a day, Harris said, with some treatments that once took 10-30 minutes now being finished in less than five minutes. LSUHealth LATumor Registry, NCI Data ShowAdvanced Colorectal Cancers at Recommended Screening Age A study analyzing LSU Health’s Louisiana Tumor Registry and other NCI-designated tumor regis- try data found that by the time recommended screening for colorectal begins, cancers have already spread in a high percentage of people. Results report that the rate of colorectal cancer incidence increased by 46.1 percent from 49 to 50 years of age (the age recommended to start routine colorectal cancer screening) and that 92.9 percent of the cases of colorectal cancer diag- nosed at age 50 were invasive (localized, regional, or distant stage.) The study is published in JAMA Open Network. “The findings of this study indicate that the bur- den of early-onset of colorectal cancer incidence for 45-49-year olds has been underestimated because asymptomatic colorectal cancers were not detected due to lack of screening,” notes Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, professor and director of the Louisiana Tumor Registry at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. Data from the National Cancer Institute’s Sur- veillance, Epidemiology & End Results (SEER) ratings help individuals and their families begin their search for senior care and should be used in consultation with a medical professional and in- depth on-site visits.” Ochsner’s SNF provides short-term skilled services for patients requiring rehabilitation or complex medical care following hospitaliza- tion. Located within Ochsner’s five-story, 130,000 square-foot West Campus facility, the skilled nurs- ing unit has 30 private rooms with a large, sun- filled gym and activity room where patients can receive physical, occupational, and speech ther- apy services. Tulane Health SystemEnhances Radiation Oncology Technology Tulane Health System recently upgraded its radi- ation oncology technology, facilities, and capa- bilities with the addition of a new linear acceler- ator and CT simulator and a renovated patient care area. The $4.2 million capital investment will improve patient care by providing shorter treat- ment sessions in a more comfortable environ- ment, as well as help reduce treatment side effects by better targeting radiation to avoid more nor- mal tissues. The TrueBeam Linear Accelerator is an innova- tive system that uses image-guided, high-preci- sion radiotherapy to treat cancers anywhere in the body, with enhanced, focused treatment for the brain using specialized cones. The technology is paired with a new sound and light system in the renovated treatment area that provides a sooth- ing, comforting environment for patients during treatment sessions. “Tulane Health System and the physicians of the Tulane Cancer Center have built a strong, inter- national reputation for developing cutting-edge treatment options and leading groundbreaking cancer research initiatives,” said Laura Godel, Tulane Health System’s associate regional vice president of oncology services. “This enhanced technology ensures our tools match our expertise as we continue to provide personalized, compas- sionate care to all our patients.” The TrueBeam system generates three-dimen- sional images used to fine-tune tumor targeting and ensure the most precise patient position is achieved before and during the treatment pro- cess. And the system’s “six degrees of freedom” couch allows for greater patient movement during