CLINICAL NEWS
Risky Business
More than two-fifths of cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. may be preventable, according to research
from the American Cancer Society.
Researchers reviewed the incidence of 26 cancer types in adults ≥30 years old in 2014, and determined
how many were due to major, potentially modifiable lifestyle factors.
Of more than 1.57 million cancers, they estimated
42 % were attributable to modifiable risk factors.
The biggest culprits:
excess body weight:
7.8 % of cases
alcohol intake:
5.6 % of cases
cigarette smoking:
19 % of cases
Source: Islami F, Sauer AG, Miller KD, et al. Proportion and number of cancer cases and deaths attributable to potentially modifi-
able risk factors in the United States. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68:31-54.
The Case of the Vanishing Pediatric Researchers
Pediatric physician-scientists are receiving fewer NIH grants, according to a
JAMA Pediatrics study.
In a review of individual pediatric R01 grants awarded to 907 physician-
scientists between 2012 and 2017, the authors found rates of NIH awards to
pediatric departments declined from 23.8% to 16.8% in the past decade.
Pediatric physician-scientists specializing in hematology/oncology received
the most R01 grants, and most recipients were men and held leadership
roles at their organizations.
“We hope that this study sheds light on the pediat-
ric physician-scientist work force and continues
to reinforce the need to provide programs
and additional support for early-stage
investigators,” the authors noted.
Source: Gitterman DP, Langford WS, Hay WW Jr.
Name and characteristics of National Institutes
of Health R01-funded pediatric physician-
scientists. JAMA Pediatr. 2018 January 16. [Epub
ahead of print]
23.8 %
16.8 %
Healing the Economy
The national economy gets a bigger boost from doctors
than from other professionals, according to a report from
the American Medical Association (AMA).
The study tracked direct and indirect contributions in 2015
and found that physicians supported 12.6 million jobs in
the U.S. (averaging 17.1 jobs each) and contributed $2.3
trillion to the economy (in the form of wages and tax rev-
enue), far surpassing contributions by legal services ($724.8
billion) and higher education ($415.1 billion).
Physicians are “strong economic drivers,” the AMA said in a
press release, and warned that “the physician shortage will
absolutely reduce access to care, but it will also blunt eco-
nomic development in communities nationwide.”
Source: American Medical Association, “The National Economic Impact of
Physicians,” January 2018.
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