Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Testing Reveals Germline Mutations Among Patients Undergoing Surgery For Colorectal Carcinoma In A Community Hospital Setting, Alex R. Jones, Dana Greer Rn, Bsn, Ocn, Karin L. Cole Md

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Defined germline mutations contribute to 5% to 10% of cases of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). While protocols for universal tumor screening have been adopted to detect mismatch repair (MMR) protein deficiency, widespread multigene panel testing has not been achieved. Barriers to implementing testing protocols may occur in community settings.

Methods: A total of 160 patients presenting for surgical management of CRC between 2011 and 2020 were considered for retrospective analysis in a single-surgeon, single-institution, community-based cohort. The rate of multigene panel testing and prevalence of germline mutations were calculated, and patient characteristics were assessed.

Results: A total of 32/160 (20%) …

Perceptions Of Maine Health Care Providers On Youth Tobacco Use And Prevention Efforts, Titilola Balogun, Toho Soma, Liam O'Brien

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Tobacco use causes preventable morbidity and mortality, and leads to high medical costs annually. In Maine, both cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among high school students are higher than the national average. To what extent Maine health care providers are familiar with tobacco use prevention is unknown. We aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Maine health care providers regarding youth tobacco use. We also determined what preventive services they provide, and measured their self-efficacy regarding screening and counseling for tobacco use.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, health care providers were surveyed about their knowledge, attitudes, …