The Future of Endocrinology

Com-206
Final Project
09/12/2020

Jacob Harrison
 Good afternoon, doctors, nurses, professionals, professors, grad students, and enthusiasts

alike. As some of you may know, my name is Lauren Elston and I am the head chair of a

company that I hope many of you are familiar with. This company of course being

Endocrinology Research Laboratory, or ERL for short. Over my 35 years of experience, rarely

does news come out that I immediately become excited to share with my peers. However,

through the evolution of science and medicine comes a myriad of constant surprises that leaves

veterans such as myself and many of you giddy and excited to be practicing in our field. News

that gives us such wonderment in all of our walks of life. When I was asked to be the head chair

for tERL back in 2014, I was both enthralled and nervous. Being the head chair I thought would

keep me away from the discoveries and the hands-on work that I enjoyed so very much as a

budding young medical student. How would I be able to keep up to date with all of the new

information, news, treatments, and procedures that come with being a practicing physician?

Turns out, juggling in such a way became a set of muscles that I simply hadn’t worked out yet;

and leading this exceptional team of world class physicians, scientists, and doctors has given me

so much more than I could ever dream possible. I would now like to share with you some of the

latest discoveries made by the Endocrinology Research Laboratory over the last few years. I am

proud and excited for all of the hard work brought forth by my team and sincerely hope that you

find use for all of our studies in your own practices. Together, London and all partners, we can

create a stronger and healthier world for all.

Endocrinology, the study of the endocrine system, or rather, hormones, and glands, has

presented diagnostic challenges for over a century now. Since the founding of the field in 1916,

we have traveled leaps and bounds, especially over the last three years alone. Disorders related to

the endocrine system have been difficult to monitor given the levels of hormones created in each
specific piece of the system. One modernization that we are incredibly proud to announce is a

new process involving endocrine stimulation. This specialized test allows us to diagnose

endocrine disorders associated with growth hormone deficiency, puberty, adrenal disorders, and

pre-diabetes in our youth. According to renowned medical professionals at SLC Health, leading

endocrinologists in Colorado, recent discoveries find that Growth Hormone deficiencies in

children can mostly be explained by damage to the pituitary gland prior to birth. GH deficiency

having genetic ties is actually found to be far less common than originally thought. This study

has also found no link between proper GH levels and a child’s intelligence, confirming that the

brain will continue to develop at a standard rate. (SLC Health) Other causes of GH deficiency

include brain injury, brain tumor, or radiation treatment to the head. Although most GH

deficiencies primarily come from pre-birth complications, children can be susceptible to GH

deficiency through injuries to the brain. Being able to test for GH deficiency under these

circumstances allows us to prescribe hormones long before the child faces any true damage in

relation to GH deficiency. Recognizing and testing for these symptoms early is paramount in

allowing the child to grow up with minimal complications. Although proud of our research, this

is simply the start

Another recent discovery that we are proud of pertains to hyperthyroidism. As most of

you know, hyperthyroidism is one of the main focuses of endocrinology and pertains to the

thyroid producing high amounts of hormones, causing low energy, irritability, and in rare cases,

thyroid cancer. In a study published in early 2020 that I am so incredibly excited to share with

you, a team of doctors led by Kathleen Doheny of Endocrine Web, accompanied by Dr. Bryan

Haugen, MD, FACP and Dr. Naomi Gronich, MD, has discovered that radioiodine therapy for

hyperthyroidism presents no long term cancer risks. For upwards of 60 years, Radioiodine
Therapy has been used to treat hyperthyroidism, but little has been known about the longer

lasting effects of this type of treatment. The treatment, given orally, prevents the thyroid from

overproducing hormones by attacking the thyroid cells directly. Nearly 70% of adults treated for

hyperthyroidism have used RAI at some point during their treatments. This research team

followed more than 16,000 patients over a 7 to 15 years period of time and found effectively zero

correlation with this controversial treatment and a higher risk of developing cancer of any kind;

including thyroid cancer. (Doheny) Given these findings, I predict that using Radioiodine

Therapy for hyperthyroidism will continue to be the main form of treatment for those diagnosed

with hyperthyroidism. This treatment may even be expanded upon. The more we understand

these diseases and treatments, the more we can look to diagnose early and allow our beautiful

patients the right to an active and healthy lifestyle.

With continuous advances in modern medicine, we see glimmers of hope; glimmers of

life; glimmers of the future. The speed with which we produce new, better, different treatments

continues to astound and impress every single day. To all of you doctors, nurses, students;

tenured or new, young or old, I envy the types of discoveries that most of you will bear witness

to once you have compiled over three decades of experience. When I look around this room, I

see bright eyes, I see eagerness, and I see the future. I applaud you all for finding a passion in

endocrinology; for finding a reason to help those that need it most in our field of study. With

advances in GH Deficiency and Thyroid studies, we can and will continue to be a bright spot for

the future of medicine in our field. I do not know how much longer I have before I retire, but I

do know that there is still so much work to be done and I cannot wait to sail towards new

discoveries and treatments with you all: my peers. To the association, thank you so very much

for having me; it is an honor to be able to address the future of our field. To our doctors, nurses,
and students eagerly seeking answers to century old questions; continue on your current path.

You do not know how many countless lives your discoveries will save one day.

Thank you.

SLC Health Team. 2019. Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children. Retrieved from

https://www.sclhealth.org/health-library/content/?

contentTypeID=90&contentID=P01952

Doheny, K, Haugen, B, MD, FACP, and Gronich, N, MD. 2020. Radioiodine Therapy for

Hyperthyroidism Presents No Longterm Cancer Risk. Retrieved from

https://www.endocrineweb.com/news/thyroid-diseases/62700-radioiodine-therapy-

hyperthyroidism-presents-no-longterm-cancer-risk