Fighting prostate cancer; gun safety, children and pediatricians; paging Dr. de la Torre, please report to the Senate – Morning Medical Update

National Prostate Cancer Roundtable

Prostate cancer diagnoses are going in the wrong direction. While a 3% increase may not sound like much, that adds up to an estimated 299,010 new diagnoses this year, and an estimated 35,250 deaths. The American Cancer Society has launched a new National Prostate Cancer Roundtable to address the increase, raise awareness and improve outcomes.

Firearm safety and young people

The U.S. Surgeon General has declared gun violence a public health crisis. Gun-related injuries are a leading cause of death for youths across the nation. So why don’t more pediatricians talk to patients’ parents and caregivers about safe handling and storage practices? Researchers hope a “nudge” in electronic health records will help, according to a new study on the issue. “We know we can save lives and this study offers insights on how to scale this approach nationally,” one investigator said in a news release.

No-show, or just a little later?

The Steward Health Care bankruptcy has made national news as patients, physicians, other clinicians and lawmakers ponder the effects of closing hospitals. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) subpoenaed Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, for a hearing scheduled Sept. 12. De la Torre’s lawyers this week said he won’t be there until the bankruptcy proceedings are over. HELP Committee Chair Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) was not happy. “It is time for Dr. de la Torre to get off of his $40 million yacht and explain to the American people how much he has gained financially while bankrupting the hospitals he manages,” Sanders said in a statement.