Transcript
Elizabeth McMahon
A look at diagnostics for tick-borne diseases after a record-setting summer. Plus, speaking with confidence. It doesn't come naturally. The Engaged Leadership Academy will give you the skills. This is Path News Network Daily Edition from the College of American Pathologists. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. It's Thursday, September 17th. Tick-borne diseases have made headlines this summer, along with the highest number of ER visits for bites in more than a decade. In the latest issue of CAP Today, CAP member Dr. Bobbi Pritt says that as tick species expand into new regions, she's cautiously optimistic about improved diagnostics for the diseases they carry. There are prospects for more rapid and sensitive tests, including serological tests for Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens. Dr. Pritt, Chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, also says some of the rarer and more serious tick-borne diseases she's seen this summer can be fatal. With tick-borne diseases on the rise, the prospect of infection by the Babesia parasite also increases, making it important that diagnostic strategies consider coinfection as a new frontier. Does leading a presentation make you nervous? Would you know how to prepare if the local TV station called you for an interview? The CAP's Engaged Leadership Academy on December 5th and 6th is the place to gain confidence when you communicate publicly. Dr. Carey August is a longtime leader of the ELA. She says the sessions have evolved along with the changing landscape.
Dr. Carey August
We are extremely diligent about enhancing our ELA sessions based on the feedback we get. It started as this basic communication, one-on-one, or maybe speaking in front of a group. It's expanded tremendously. And now, obviously, we have social media to think about. We have virtual presentations to think about.
Elizabeth McMahon
ELA is one of the CAP's most popular offerings because it has such practical takeaways, she says.
Dr. Carey August
Very early on in ELA, I had to do a live radio interview with a guy who was sort of a shock jock, and he kept trying to get me to either get very upset or say something that I really had no business talking about. And I remember how drawing on my ELA training, I felt comfortable handling his badgering of me successfully. So there are tools that come up that you use every day at work, at home, in the community, and that's what we're providing.
Elizabeth McMahon
A new study from Mayo Clinic finds that identifying patterns in routine pathology slides may help clinicians pinpoint which patients with pancreatic cancer have a higher risk of recurrence after treatment and surgery. The team studied more than 200 patients with pancreatic cancer who received treatment but showed limited response. The researchers used AI-enabled spatial analysis to identify cancer and stromal regions on standard pathology slides and measured how those regions formed patches, boundaries, and mixed areas to evaluate patterns tied to a higher risk of recurrence. Two spatial signatures predicted disease-free survival even after accounting for cancer stage, lymph node status, and other risk factors. The study is in this month's Clinical Cancer Research Journal. And finally, this Hispanic Heritage Month, the CAP is exploring perspectives from this diverse community on September 22nd. Dr. Cristina Magallanes Hoyos says the online event is an opportunity for Hispanic pathologists and all CAP members to have an open conversation and build a sense of community.
Dr. Cristina Magallanes-Hoyos
In order for someone to feel that they belong, they have to be included. And in addition, sometimes you want to see yourself reflect in other people. For Hispanic people, like if you see that they're Latinos and Latinas or Latin ex involved in certain activities or organizations, you will think, oh, if there is a place for them, there is a place for me.
Elizabeth McMahon
Registration is not required for the webinar. That's all for today's Daily Edition. Be sure to check the show notes for more information on today's stories, including the Hispanic Heritage Month webinar. Got a story you'd like us to cover in the Daily Edition? Write to us at stories at Cap.org. We're back at 5 a.m. Eastern for another episode of the Daily Edition. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. Have a great day.