Minimally-Invasive Treatment for Barrett's Esophagus Now Available in the Quad-Cities

Shown Effective in Treating Pre-Cancerous Condition

QUAD-CITIES - March 15, 2011 - Quad-City area patients affected by a common pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus now have access to an effective new minimally-invasive treatment that could prevent them from developing cancer of the esophagus.  HALO Radio Frequency Ablation is among a class of treatments recently cited by a leading medical group as the 'gold standard' for treating Barrett's esophagus.   Gastroenterology Consultants (GI Consultants) was the first Quad Cities clinic to use the BÂRRX Halo RF Ablation System to treat Barrett's esophagus.  GI Consultants has treated nearly 100 patients successfully as of this month, since its first treatment in September.  Barrett's is a pre-cancerous condition that can result from years of chronic gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD.

"We have had very positive results so far in the Halo treatments we have administered so far." Said Rao Movva, MD gastroenterologist and founder of GI Consultants. GI Consultants is the first Quad-Cities clinic to offer the full range of BÂRRX treatments using radio frequency ablation.  Dr. Movva added, "Cancer of the esophagus is one of the only forms of cancer still on the rise.  By destroying precancerous tissue before it turns to cancer, Halo can do for esophageal cancer what colonoscopy is doing for colon cancer, preventing cancer before it occurs."

Just last week the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) issued guidelines recommending the removal of precancerous cells in patients with confirmed high-grade Barrett's esophagus utilizing endoscopic eradication therapy.  Such position papers set the 'gold standard' for treatment, because they are the result of extensive reviews of peer-reviewed literature, and input from not just GI physicians, but health plan representatives and consumer/patient advocates.  HALO uses an endoscope to administer RF waves directly to the pre-cancerous tissue.  The alternatives to RFA treatment include waiting and watching for further changes and followed by surgical removal of part of the esophagus if further signs are identified that cancer may be developing.

BÂRRX Medical President and CEO, Greg Barrett said, "We are extremely pleased the AGA Medical Position Statement confirms the usefulness of radiofrequency ablation for Barrett's patients with dysphasia. "  The AGA also says that high-risk Barrett's patients without dysphasia should also be considered for treatment.   Barrett added, "These guidelines validate what has been demonstrated in over 75,000 RFA procedures and 55 peer-reviewed published papers: pre-cancerous Barrett's tissue can be safely eliminated without surgery.  The AGA Medical Position Statement is a rigorously constructed publication that will assist BÂRRX and treating physicians in addressing payer policies so that RFA procedures are uniformly recognized as medically necessary services."

The AGA's new opinion follows similar clinical practice guidelines published in 2010 by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) addressing the management of patients with gastro esophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition of the lining of the esophagus caused by gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Left untreated, backward flow of stomach contents such as acid and bile into the esophagus can lead to injury and chronic inflammation of the esophagus lining. A proportion of GERD patients are thus at risk of developing Barrett's esophagus, which can lead to esophageal adenocarcinoma, a lethal cancer with a five-year survival rate of approximately 15%.

Gastroenterology Consultants is affiliated with Heartland Clinic, a collaborative between Valley Laboratories, Valley View Anesthesia, Midwest Clinical Research and Regional Surgicenter. This family of healing partners is committed to providing the highest quality testing and care available in the Quad-City region.  Learn more at www.gastroconsultantsqc.com.  GI Consultants is one of the founding participants of Colon Cancer Free QCA (CCFQCA), a consortium of competing gastroenterology practices committed to increasing the awareness of colon cancer and its risks.   Learn more about the initiative at www.coloncancerfreeQCA.com.

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS is pleased to offer a $500 Broadcast Scholarship to students pursuing a career in broadcasting.

"For the last four years WQPT has been awarding a scholarship to a student majoring in broadcasting," said WQPT General Manager, Rick Best.   The annual award can be used for tuition, books and fees in any broadcast curriculum. WQPT will forward the scholarship funds to the student's educational institution.

Interested students may log on to wqpt.org for an application or by calling (309) 764-2400.  The criteria for the scholarship is:

Overall 2.5 GPA

Broadcast Classes 3.0 GPA (not applicable to incoming college freshmen)

Preference given to full-time students although part-timers are encouraged to apply.                                                    

Applications will be accepted through May 15, 2011for this scholarship.  New and continuing students in any broadcast curriculum may apply.  WQPT will select the recipient prior to the fall semester.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University Quad Cities located in Moline, Illinois.

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Talk on Rendering Volcanoes in Art and Literature

The Figge Art Museum presents the third talk in the series Artists and Writers at 7 pm Thursday, March 24. Dr. Beatrice Jacobson, who teaches early American literature and creative nonfiction as well as courses in women's studies at St. Ambrose University, will present the lecture "Rendering Volcanoes." Professor Jacobson's focus on Emily Dickinson and her ongoing research in Ecuador have led to her interest in volcanoes and she will connect her research to the Figge painting The Bay of Naples by William Stanley Haseltine, which is on display in the American Gallery. The Artists and Writers series explores how writers and artists inspire each other as well as how writers and artists treat similar themes, and is part of the Figge's weekly Thursdays at the Figge programming. The final talk in the series is scheduled for March 31.

Admission to the museum and lecture is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and Institutional members. The Figge Arts Café and Bar will be open before and after the lecture.

Special events honor 150th anniversary April 12, 15-17

GALENA, Ill. - Today children climb upon it and peer down its empty tube, but 150 years ago the Blakely Rifle was a fearsome weapon used with deadly accuracy in the Confederate assault upon the federal troops at Fort Sumter. The bombardment heralded the start of a four-year battle to preserve the Union. How it came to be in Grant Park will be one of many stories told at the Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society's Grant Birthday Weekend and Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration April 12, 15-17, 2011 at various locations in Galena.

On Tuesday, April 12, the actual anniversary date of the Fort Sumter attack, period-attired interpreters will enlighten the public and Galena Junior High students at 1 p.m. in Galena's Grant Park on Park Avenue. In addition to the Blakely saga, three other stories will be told: Generals Grant and Lee; Dr. Mary Walker and the role of women during the war; and the fate of the common soldier. The program, which will be repeated at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 16, is free and will last about 90 minutes. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs.

General and Mrs. Grant will welcome guests into their home, now known as the Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 15. The Spirits of the Museum will host the lamplight tour at 500 Bouthillier St., Galena; donations will be accepted at the site now managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Programming on Saturday will debut new technology enhancements to the Galena History Museum exhibits, including a hologram of Ulysses and Julia Grant, a touch screen interpretation of the iconic Peace in Union painting, and new videos about lead mining in the Driftless area and mid-19th century Galena commerce.

A new temporary exhibit will open to the public Saturday, April 16, entitled Images of U.S. Grant: Soldier. Included among the fifty artifacts, on loan by Grant collector Bill Margeson of West Dundee, Illinois, are images of Grant during both the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. Margeson has been collecting Grant images for more than forty years. He is donating some of his items to the Historical Society, which will sell them at a live auction on the evening of Saturday, April 16 at the DeSoto House Hotel. Reservations are required for the 6 p.m. event, "Dinner with the General and his Collector," featuring General and Mrs. Grant, President and Mrs. Grant, President and Mrs. Lincoln, plus Mr. and Mrs. Margeson. A choice of three mouthwatering entrees is available for $50 per person. Auction items may be viewed on the museum's website (www.galenahistorymuseum.org) or at the gift shop of the Galena History Museum. Absentee bids will be accepted. Proceeds from the dinner and auction will benefit educational museum programming.

Both the Blue and the Gray will be represented during the weekend, with the 3rd Iowa Artillery on display on the Museum grounds, and the 2nd Kentucky Calvary on patrol from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. A homemade pie auction on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Washington Park on Main Street will feature guest auctioneers Ulysses and Julia Grant, Abe and Mary Lincoln, and other period dignitaries.

First-person portrayals at the museum on Saturday include Clarissa Gear Hobbs, an early Galenian, Loreta Velazquez, a female soldier, and a vivandiere, a woman who worked closely with soldiers. President and Mrs. Lincoln will present A Few Appropriate Remarks: the Genesis of the Gettysburg Address; President and Mrs. Grant will discuss From Hardscrabble to the White House; General Grant will discuss Chattanooga and Appomattox, two of the most important events of the Civil War.

Sunday's presentations include an interview with Northern and Southern women; Rose Greenhow, a female confederate spy; Adele Gratiot Washburne, wife of the powerful Congressman; and Jennie Hodges, a female soldier. A detailed schedule of events is available online at www.galenahistorymuseum.org.

While living in Galena, the Grants attended the Methodist Church and had a dedicated pew for their lively family of six. A 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning church service harkening back to the Bible-thumping days of 1860 will take place at 125 S. Bench St. in Galena, followed by a delicious pot luck luncheon.

All events are open to the public and free of charge. The Galena History Museum at 211 S. Bench St., Galena is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily year-round; admission fees will be waived the Saturday and Sunday of Grant Birthday weekend. The event is sponsored by the Historical Society and the Community Development Fund of Galena. For more event information or to purchase dinner tickets, contact the Museum at 815-777-9129 or visit www.galenahistorymuseum.org. For information about room availability, shopping, dining, attractions, events and more, go to www.galena.org, the Web site of the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, or call 877-464-2536 toll-free.

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