[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48265-48266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23294]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


State-of-the-Science Conference on Endoscopic Retrograde; 
Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for Diagnosis and Therapy

    Notice is hereby given of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
State-of-the-Science Conference on ``Endoscopic Retrograde 
Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for Diagnosis and Therapy,'' which will 
be held January 14-16, 2002, in the NIH's Natcher Conference Center, 45 
Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. The conference begins at 8:30 
am on January 14 and 15, at 9 am on January 16, and is open to the 
public.
    ERCP is a procedure physicians use to diagnose and treat problems 
in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. It combines the 
use of X-rays and an endoscope, a long, flexible, lighted tube. ERCP 
first came into use about 30 years ago and has been applied to the 
diagnosis and management of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. 
However, the value of ERCP relative to other means for diagnosing and 
treating these diseases has not been firmly established.
    The purpose of the conference is to examine the current state of 
knowledge regarding the use of ERCP for diagnosis and therapy so that 
health care providers and the general public can make informed 
decisions about this important public health issue.
    During the first day-and-a-half of the conference, experts will 
present the latest ERCP research findings to an independent non-Federal 
panel. After weighing all of the scientific evidence, the panel will 
draft a statement that will address the following key questions:
     What is the role of ERCP in gallstone disease?
     What is the role of ERCP in pancreatic and biliary 
malignancy?
     What is the role of ERCP in pancreatitis?
     What is the role of ERCP in abdominal pain of possible 
pancreatic or biliary origin?
     What are the factors determining adverse events or 
success?
     What future research directions are needed?
    On the final day of the conference, the panel's draft statement 
will be read in public, at which time members of the public are invited 
to offer comments on the draft.
    The primary sponsors of this meeting are the National Institute of 
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the NIH Office 
of Medical

[[Page 48266]]

Applications of Research (OMAR). Cosponsors include the National Cancer 
Institute (NCI) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
    Advance information about the conference and conference 
registration materials may be obtained from Prospect Associates of 
Silver Spring, Maryland, by calling (301) 592-3320 or by e-mail 
[email protected]. Prospect Associates' address is 10720 Columbia 
Pike, Suite 500, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901-4437. A conference 
agenda and registration information are also available on the NIH 
Consensus Program Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov.

    Dated: September 12, 2001.
Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Acting Director, NIH.
[FR Doc. 01-23294 Filed 9-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M