ANNUAL REPORT

Annual Report



Annual Report

Department of Dermatology

The mission of the Department is to be a world leader in the care of skin and patients with skin diseases through outstanding clinical service, education and training, and research.

Dermatology, half of a person's total lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18 years. Although childhood skin cancers are rare, rates are rising yearly. Unlike for adults, melanoma is considered the most common skin cancer in children. It is also the most dangerous of the skin cancers. In 2002, the National Cancer Institute determined that about seven in every million children are diagnosed with melanoma. Further, they also stated that about 1 percent of the new cases of melanoma that are diagnosed annually in the United States are in children and adolescents.

The primary risk factor for developing melanoma is the age at which one first experiences sun exposure. Blistering sunburn may double the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Children who burn easily in the sun are at the highest risk. These are usually people with light-colored or blond and red hair, blue or green eyes, and fair skin, and those who freckle easily, but it can happen in those of darker complexions also. Although there may be a heightened risk for skin cancer when there is a family history, many children with melanoma do not have a family history of the disease and could possibly lack other risk factors such as moles present since birth.

Department of Oncology

Oncology is a major avenue of therapy for cancer patients. Not all radiation oncology centers are in large university hospitals; many are at freestanding physicians' offices. The economic and public policy concerns of these freestanding centers are unique from those of the larger university centers. Thus, in 1987 the Association of Freestanding Radiation Oncology Centers (AFROC) was formed, to support these practices.

The association is made up of physicians, physicists, administrators, and healthcare professionals in the field of radiation oncology. Members support private-practice, nonhospital-based cancer centers, focusing on cost-effective treatments and advocacy. One major focus is ensuring fair and adequate Medicare coverage for radiation oncology patients. Furthermore, AFROC maintains that equal healthcare reimbursements and policies among private practices and hospitals ensure a competition for the best care available (Raymond, 2000).

Department of Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the structure, function, and diseases of the digestive system. The gastrointestinal tract breaks down food as it is digested to provide energy for the human body to function. During the digestive process, food and liquids travel from the mouth to the anus where elimination takes place. The digestive function is a complex process involving the esophagus, the stomach, the small and large intestines, the liver, the pancreas, and the gallbladder. If any part of this digestive process fails, it can lead to a host of gastric conditions that range from minor discomfort to potentially fatal malignancies (Rubin, 2001).

The first signs of gastric problems may be discoloration or ulcers in the cheeks, hard and soft ...