AACC announces two audioconferences being held in December 2008

'PSA Update: Implementing New Screening Guidelines, Meeting Analytical Challenges' to be held on December 3 and 'Hemoglobin A1c: New Uses for Today and Possibilities for Tomorrow' to be held on December 9 are the titles of the two audioconferences announced by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). Both audioconferences start at 2:00 pm EST and are expected to last approximately 90 minutes.

During the PSA Update audioconference, the expert panel will discuss current PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening guidelines, including the controversial recommendations recently made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) against using PSA to screen men over the age of 75. Standardization bias, and what labs can do to mitigate the impact of the disconnect between standardization and interpretive criteria for PSA assays, will also be addressed during the program. The faculty for this audioconference is Bernard Cook, PhD, DABCC, FACB, Group Manager of Scientific Professional Relations for the Immunoassay Business Group, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Chaska, MN; Michael LeFevre, MD, Professor, Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; and Herbert A. Fritsche, PhD, Professor and Chief of Clinical Chemistry, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

AACC’s December 9 audioconference, Hemoglobin A1c: New Uses for Today and Possibilities for Tomorrow, will address several controversial issues related to the use of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) tests. While many believe that the traditional units used to report HbA1c results work well, a recent study – the International A1C-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) study – prompted the American Diabetes Association to recommend that an equation be used to translate HbA1c results into “average glucose,” which is reported in the same units that are used in patients’ self-monitoring of glucose concentrations. In addition, others are now recommending that the assay be used to screen for the disease. The audioconference features three expert speakers:

Dr. Randie R. Little, PhD, Associate Research Professor and Co-Director of the Diabetes Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, will discuss developments in the standardization of HbA1C;

Dr. David M. Nathan, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard University Medical School, Director, General Clinical Research Center; and Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, is the lead author of the ADAG study and will share the study’s results and talk about what is involved in reporting average glucose;

Dr. David B. Sacks, MD, MB, CHB, Medical Director of Clinical Chemistry, Director, Clinical Pathology Residency Program, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA, is a member of an expert panel that is now recommending using HbA1c as part of a screening strategy for diabetes and will discuss why the panel believes this is a good idea.

William E. Winter, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine; Pediatrics; and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, will moderate the program.

For journalists planning an article about either prostate cancer or diabetes diagnosis, these audioconferences present a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest developments in both fields. AACC is pleased to offer complimentary registrations to members of the press interested in attending. To register, complete and submit the Press Registration Form.

Visit the AACC website for more information about the PSA Update and Hemoglobin A1c audioconferences or contact Peter Patterson on the above telephone numbers or via the company article webpage.