The National Geriatrics Interest Group (NGIG) is a newly formed student branch of the Canadian Geriatrics Society (CGS), which aims to provide support, opportunities and funding for medical students across Canada who are intereted in geriatrics and care of the elderly. In the past, geriatrics as a specialization has not received as much coverage in medical school curricula and neither has there been extensive student initiatives or interest in the field. However, with the changing demographics of our population and the shifting of views on the delivery of health care, right now is an opportune moment for medical students across Canada to form a forum for sharing ideas and knowledge about geriatrics. For more information and to become involved in this new iniative, please contact Katrin Dolganova at edolganova@qmed.ca.

Glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive adult brain malignancy, is characterized by the presence of morphologically diverse neural cell types that differ in their ability to form and maintain tumours. The marked resistance of this cancer to conventional treatments has sparked attempts to identify therapeutically targetable cellular populations. Defined pools of tumour initiating cells have already been identified in other malignancies, i.e., leukemia. Like normal stem cells, these “cancer stem cells” (CSCs) have extensive self renewal capacity and multipotency; however, the origin of the CSC remains elusive. Recently, a small percentage of quiescent, undifferentiated, multipotent cells termed neural stem cells (NSCs) were found in the hippocampus, sub‐ventricular zone (SVZ), and olfactory bulb of the adult human brain. Since their discovery, it has been hypothesized that NSCs may act as a depot of tissue‐specific stem cells in the brain that may be transformed into CSCs. The purpose of this essay is to critically review the literature to demonstrate that oncogenic mutations in NSCs allow them to become CSCs in glioblastomas, in light of the advantages and flaws of existing experimental models. Insights into the mechanism of CSC formation in the brain may allow for the optimization of current therapeutic approaches, as pathways in NSC-->CSC formation will provide opportunities to specifically target this notoriously treatment‐resistant malignancy.

Dr. Robert N. Gryfe is a colorectal surgical oncologist at Mount Sinai and Princess Margaret Hospitals and researcher at Mount Sinai’s Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute. Dr. Gryfe's clinical practice specializes in the management of patients with colon and rectal cancer and hereditary cancer syndromes. His research laboratory investigates the genetic determinants of colorectal cancer risk, prognosis and response to chemotherapy.

Calcification occasionally occurs in Hodgkin’s lymphoma after therapy due to tissue necrosis. Rarely, calcification may be detected prior to treatment. This likely represents a dystrophic process when bulky tumours outgrow their blood supply. Due to this rare presentation, pre treatment calcified Hodgkin’s lymphoma is often mistaken for germ cell tumours on imaging. It is thus important to include Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the differential of this presentation. We present such a case of pre-treatment calcification of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a young male and discuss the incidence, pathophysiology and imaging findings.

Gifted Hands by Dr. Seymour I. Schwartz takes the reader on a 300 year history of America's most significant contributions to the field of surgery. Covering fields as diverse as gynaecology to cardiothoracic surgery, Gifted Hands is a concisely written and accessible history that appeals to both medical professionals and lay readers alike.