Winter

I just heard on the news last week that it is the first day of winter. I find that pretty depressing since we have already had about a foot of snow on the ground and the east coast was pounded with a huge blizzard. So, to warm our cold, cold hearts, I bring to you some good (no, great) news. The NIH has released its annual cancer incidence predictions and things are looking like they are trending in the right direction, both for cancer incidence and mortality.

Most exciting to me as a gastrointestinal oncologist is the modeling that the NCI did to predict cancer mortality rates in the future, which predict that "there could be an overall colorectal cancer mortality reduction of 50% by 2020."

From Kevin, MD, a year end and decade end list about the 12 most important medical advances of the past decade. Having been working hard the past year to get a state wide smoking ban in place in my state, I have to agree that smoking bans both in large and small cities and even state-wide in some places was important. We are already seeing reductions in cardiovascular disease. In a few years we should see a cancer benefit as well. (Also interesting and on this list - The Womens Health Initiative and subsequent decrease in hormone replacement therapy, the HPV vaccine, elimination of the Guinea Worm in Africa, and the development of drug-eluting stents). What do you think? Did they miss any? Any over-rated?