October

Thomas Edison—who is said to have invented one or two things—said a long time ago, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed up in overalls and looks like work.” I’m not sure if he was referring to something specific, but I know that an analogy can be made to the opportunities lost by physicians who pass up the chance to volunteer on one of the BCMA’s many committees.

We appreciate Dr Laycock’s letter about our Clinic. We have just a few comments:

•    The risk assessment tools and modifiable risk factors we focus on are based on the most widely accepted guidelines based on the best current scientific evidence. We agree with Dr Laycock that obesity reduction is important for reducing breast cancer risk.

References

The enthusiasm, earnestness, and aims of the professionals behind the Breast Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment Clinic project (British Columbia Medical Journal[1]) have to be recognized, and none of the following comments are meant to take away from any endeavor to reduce the incidence of breast cancer.

However, when it comes to the pos­sibility of efficacy in reducing either the incidence or the mortality of breast cancer, and this in a setting of hoped-for cost-effectiveness, the project is in need of some common sense and ex­periential appraisal.

References

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1928–2011
Roger was a remarkable, wonderful, likable person. He was a mentor and role model for me when I started practising medicine. An early proponent of preventive medicine—it seems odd now, but back then it was revolutionary to be interested in health rather than disease—Roger helped co-found Integrated Health (now InspireHealth). 

The SGP billing update in the July/August issue of the BCMJ contained an incorrect contact e-mail address for the Divisions of Family Practice. The correct contact e-mail address for physicians wishing to bill 14071 for providing full-service family practice locum services is AGPforME@bcma.bc.ca. Any physician who wishes to participate in the community-level attachment initiative as a locum must first e-mail Divisions of Family Practice at that e-mail address to provide his or her contact information.