Washington University School of Medicine Digital Commons@Becker Washington University Record Washington University Publications 10-2-2008 Washington University Record, October 2, 2008 Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/record Recommended Citation "Washington University Record, October 2, 2008" (2008). Washington University Record. Book 1154. http://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/record/1154 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington University Publications at Digital Commons@Becker. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington University Record by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Becker. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Medical News: Atherosclerosis Music of Shakespeare: Ensemble Washington People: Block is a tackled with drugs, nanoparticles il Chaconne plays at Edison Oct. 6 nationally known expert on tax law MEDICAL SCHOOL L 2 COPIES PAUL ANDERSON BOX 8132 SCHOOL OF MEDICINE H ^)feshington University in St IDUIS Oct. 2, 2008 record.vvustl.edu We're ready! World's eyes focus today on debate, WUSTL BY JESSICA DAUES Mitchell at noon. "Hardball with Chris Matthews" will broadcast live from the The event the University community MSNBC stage outside Graham Chapel has spent the past year preparing for from 4-5 p.m., 6-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.- has finally arrived — along with news midnight. trucks, reporters, security officials, debate Also Oct. 2, the CNN Election Express personnel and, most importantly, the Yourself Tour Bus will be parked on cam- candidates. pus at the northeast courtyard of the The vice presidential debate between Danforth University Center, and C-SPAN's Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin begins Campaign 2008 Bus will be located outside at 8 p.m. tonight in the Field House in the the Mallinckrodt Student Center. Athletic Complex. On Oct. 2 and 3, news media outlets are Changes on campus broadcasting live from the Danforth Due to increased security, access to the Campus and want to attract as many people Danforth Campus Oct. 2 will be limited to as possible to the broadcast sites. students, faculty and staff with a University CBS' "The Early Show" with Harry ID card or to those individuals who are Smith and Maggie Rodriguez began broad- guests of the University. casting at 5:30 a.m. from Holmes Lounge in All persons should carry and be pre- Ridgley Hall and then moved outside of pared, upon request, to show a valid, cur- Holmes Lounge from 7-8 a.m. On Oct. 3, rent University ID card. "The Early Show" is planning to broadcast On Oct. 2, parking throughout the again live from Holmes Lounge at 5:30 a.m. Danforth Campus will be significantly and then move outside from 7-8 a.m. restricted, and vehicle access will be limited MSNBC is broadcasting live from out- to those with a University-issued or other Linda Poeppelmeier (left), a staff member in Public Affairs, and sophomore Colleen side Graham Chapel throughout the day authorized permit. Parking restrictions are Brady, an undeclared major in Arts & Sciences, helped prepare media kits last week for Oct. 2, starting with NBC News' Political subject to change based on requests from the approximately 3,000 media members who are descending on campus for the vice Director Chuck Todd at 11 a.m. and Chief the Commission on Presidential Debates or presidential debate. Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea See Debate, Page 2 Candidates running like it's 1952, Kastor says U.S. health-care system BY JESSICA MARTIN rather in the way these two candi- presidential nominees taking on dates have described themselves the office as shaped by Gore and headed for perfect storm For all the talk of change, the and in the way they tell their sto- Cheney. I'm not saying that it may candidates and campaigns of ries," he said. not be within their personalities or BY JESSICA MARTIN uninsured Americans and rising Kastor likewise said that even this election are similar to elec- that it may exceed their talents, but health-care costs. The number tions throughout the years, said the office of the vice president is rather that the institution of the fifi re are headed into a time of ever-rising uninsured is 47 Peter Kastor, Ph.D., history and likely to revert back to the institu- vice presidency is unlikely to have when a confluence of million or about 16 percent of American culture studies pro- tional role it played in the 1970s as much power in the new admin- W: changes are going to lead to a the U.S. population. National fessor. and '80s. The istration as it does now, no matter perfect storm, making us finally health expenditures exceed "These are unprecedented vice presidency who gets elected," he said. realize that our health-care $2 trillion, accounting for 16 candidates in an unusual election may shift away Political and institutional fac- system needs a major overhaul," percent of the U.S. economy year, but what's striking is how from the "chief tors account for this change, said Timothy D. McBride, — more than three times the these candidates are positioning operating Kastor said. Gore and Cheney Ph.D., leading health economist share health care took in 1960. themselves and describing them- officer"-style brought unprecedented power to and professor of social work. "While attention focuses on selves in ways very similar to role that Al the office of vice president but the "As the elderly population these two major trends, other previous presidential candidates, Gore and Dick criticism heaped on Cheney's doubles between now and about storm clouds are brewing," and in ways that are very typical of Cheney have expansive vision of the office could 2030, projections are that we will McBride said. "A long-term- their parties," Kastor said. exemplified. make it impossible for his succes- see at least a doubling of the costs care crisis looms, grows and "Barack Obama is trying to be "Going into sor to wield the same power. Kastor of the federal and state health receives little attention, despite what the Democrats have been this election, So, too, does the issue of expe- and retirement programs," he problems with the affordability, seeking for the last half century; both of the vice rience, which has played such an said. "That will likely be when quality and access to long-term essentially Adlai Stevenson with presidential nominees are assum- important role in this election. Joe the perfect storm hits. But if we care. These problems will only charisma. In some ways, McCain is ing roles that are very traditional," Biden cannot become too promi- miss it then, we will likely have become much worse as the speaking in the same way Eisen- Kastor said. "This is particularly nent in the policymaking process, missed all the storm clouds for aging population doubles by hower did," he said. important because right now Kastor said, for fear that it could the foreseeable future." 2030. Kastor said the 2008 election is people are focusing on how differ- validate claims that Barack Obama Familiar trends associated "Much attention also has a lot like the 1952 election. "Not so ent the candidates seem. is unprepared to be president. with the current health-care been paid to the problems of much in the issues facing the "It's difficult to imagine Meanwhile, Sarah Palin's limited crisis are the high rate of See Health care, Page 2 country day in and day out, but either of the two current vice- See Candidates, Page 6 Racial disparities decline for cancer incidence, death in Missouri BY GWEN ERICSON "A lot of effort has been made to reduce disparity in new cancer cases between overall cancer death rates remains. In 2005, cancer racial disparity in Missouri," said African-American and white Missourians the last year for which the data were ana- Cancer death rates in the United States are Schootman, also co-leader of the Prevention will have disappeared when 2006 data is lyzed, the cancer death rate was 28 percent highest among African-Americans, but a and Control Program at the Siteman Cancer analyzed, Schootman said. higher for Missouri's African-Americans new report shows that in Missouri, the Center. "But there is still work to On average, the overall Mis- than for whites. This was down from a 48 disparity in cancer incidence and death be done, especially in decreasing souri cancer incidence rate de- percent higher cancer death rate for between African-Americans and whites is cancer mortality. Ideally, cancer creased by 0.8 percent per year, African-Americans in 1990, but the slow declining. As a result, cancer incidence (the will become just another bump in possibly reflecting a drop in smok- pace of the decrease means that racial dis- rate of newly diagnosed cases) between the the road — an illness that people ing rates and other preventive parity in cancer deaths probably will con- races is equal, although the death rate will will be able to live with for many measures. The disparity in inci- tinue for several more decades unless more probably remain higher for African-Amer- decades and keep under control." dence between African-Americans aggressive interventions are used, Schoot- icans for some time. The report shows that in 1996, and whites might have arisen from man said. The report will be published in an up- the rate of new cancer cases was 18 such factors as differences in phys- Schootman also analyzed four major coming issue of Missouri Medicine. Mario percent higher for African-Amer- ical activity, weight, vitamin D cancers — colorectal, breast, prostate and Schootman, Ph.D., chief of the Division of ican Missourians but declined to Schootman deficiency, diabetes, diet and oc- lung — and found some trends contrary to Health Behavior Research and associate 6 percent higher by 2003, the last cupational exposure to pollutants, the overall cancer trends.