This year brought unprecedented media coverage of IC, starting with television and Internet coverage twice in one January week. On January 14th, CBS affiliate, CBS TWO, in the New York City area, featured a story about IC. Dr. Eric Margolis, a urologist at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey, was interviewed for the story. On January 17th ABC affiliate, WTVG 13, in Toledo, OH, aired a segment about IC featuring ICA Medical Advisory Board member, Robert Moldwin, MD, who was in Toledo to discuss IC with local doctors and to raise public awareness about the disease.
In February, the ICA and NIDDK officially announced their co-sponsorship of Research Insights into Interstitial Cystitis—A Basic and Clinical Science Symposium and the ICA announced its 20th Anniversary National Meeting to be held in the same location in the fall (Old Town Alexandria, Virginia).
The Fishbein Family Research Foundation and the ICA Pilot Research Program called for applications for research grants.
In March, the ICA joined a coalition of patients, researchers, and healthcare providers dedicated to finding ways to enhance research that will improve care of patients with urologic disease. The group, called the Coalition for Urologic Research and Education (CURE), supports the Training and Research in Urology Act (TRU), a bill introduced in Congress that would create a new division dedicated to this research within the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Major newspaper and newswire articles about the nationwide study of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and IC brought national attention to IC and IC research. The March 17th edition of the Los Angeles Times carried the article, "Bacterium may ease the Pain of Cystitis—Weakened form of Bug Used in TB Vaccine Appears to Relieve Symptoms of Chronic Bladder Inflammation," by staff writer Linda Marsa, who interviewed ICA Founder and President, Vicki Ratner, MD, to help her prepare the article. Quoted were Kenneth M. Peters, MD, of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, who is one of the principal investigators of the NIDDK IC Clinical Trials Group, and ICA Medical Advisory Board member Kristine E. Whitmore, MD, director of the Pelvic Floor Institute at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. On March 18th, Ivanhoe Newswire in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, ran the article, "Interstitial Cystitis Treatment," by Ivanhoe Health Correspondent Shanida Smith, describing the BCG trial.
On March 12th, the Jackson, MS, Clarion-Ledger, published a detailed article, "Group Offers Sufferers Support, Help," about the local IC support group, called Living Better. The article described IC and current treatments and quoted patients on how important support is to them.
The International Bladder Symposium, sponsored by the National Bladder Foundation was held March 6th through the 9th in Arlington, VA. The symposium updated urologic researchers and physicians state-of-the-art lectures research and practice. ICA Medical Advisory Board member Susan Keay, MD, PhD, lectured on her research on antiproliferative factor.
The European Association of Urology held its 18th International Congress March 12th through the 15th in Madrid, Spain. During EAU section meetings, Jean Jacques Wyndaele, MD, of Belgium presented "What’s New in Interstitial Cystitis?" to the European Society of Female Urology. Dr. Wyndaele also taught a course titled, "Chronic Pelvic Pain in the Female and IC." The European Society of Neurourology meeting included presentations on treatments that are used for neurologic problems, such as botulinum toxin and resiniferatoxin, both of which are being investigated as potential IC treatments. Two related symposia were also held during the congress, one on the sexual problems that can result from lower urinary tract syndrome and another on incontinence, with a session chaired by ICA Medical Advisory Board member, Christopher Payne, MD. Walter Artibani, MD, of Italy taught a course, "The Female Pelvic Floor," and overactive bladder received significant coverage.
IC researchers and clinicians from around the globe convened in Kyoto, Japan, March 28th through the 30th for the International Consultation on Interstitial Cystitis Japan hosted by the Society of Interstitial Cystitis Japan (SICJ) and the Japan Urological Association (JUA). Participants began the process of expanding the current criteria used to diagnose IC. The organizing committee included Tomohiro Ueda, MD; Naoki Yoshimura, MD and ICA Medical Advisory Board members Philip Hanno, MD, and Grannum Sant, MD, along with special consultants, Leroy Nyberg, MD, PhD; John Kusek, PhD, ICA Founder and President, Vicki Ratner, MD, and Jane Meijlink from the Netherlands IC Patient Organization and the International IC Patient Network (IICPN). After the meeting, Drs. Hanno, and Sant lectured on IC at the Japan Urological Association Annual Meeting.
Also, on April 29th and 30th, TOMONOKI, the Japanese IC Patient Organization, hosted the IC Global Patient Exchange and Conference in Kyoto. Japanese IC patients had the opportunity to discuss all aspects of IC with international patient representatives.
ICA National Patient Advocate Linda Salin, Fulfillment Director Carolyn Coogan, and volunteer Terry Salin, attended and staffed the ICA exhibit booth at the Society for Urologic Nurses and Associates (SUNA) annual conference in San Antonio, TX, March 26th through 30th. More than 600 urologic health care professionals were in attendance. On the first day of the conference, Nancy Huff, MD’s presentation on IC brought an immediate rush of interested nurses to our exhibit booth and a steady stream of nurses and nurse practitioners thereafter who sought information on how to help their patients with IC.
On March 24th, the Associated Press (AP) wire service released an article, "Help for Baffling Bladder Disorder" by Lauran Neergaard, which described IC, its effect on patients, and promising new research. The story was picked up by nearly thirty publications across the country, including many web-based news outlets. The ICA worked closely with AP as the article was being researched. Featured prominently in the article was the research of ICA Medical Advisory Board Member, Susan Keay, MD, PhD, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, on antiproliferative factor, a toxin unique to the urine of IC patients. The article also have a history of the ICA and described the role of Founder and President, Vicki Ratner, MD, in bringing IC to the attention of the medical community. Interviewed were Josephine Briggs, MD, Director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases at the NIH, and Monica Liebert, PhD, Director of the Office of Research at the American Urological Association. ICA National Patient Support Advocate and IC patient Kristina Hinchliff was also interviewed. The article mentioned several promising new experimental IC treatments, including bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), resiniferatoxin, and botulinum toxin.
The first-quarter issue of Family Urology, the official publication of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease (AFUD), featured the article, "Living Well with Interstitial Cystitis," by former ICA Volunteer Services Coordinator Carol Davis, who is a longtime IC sufferer. Carol’s in-depth article conveyed the difficulties a person with IC can face and discussed symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and related conditions, such as fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome.
On April 6th HealthScout News released a newswire article about IC, "The Diagnosis Your Gynecologist Might Miss," by Healthscout news reporter Colette Bouchez. Quoted were Victor Nitti, MD, vice chairman of the Department of Urology at the New York University School of Medicine, Philip Hanno, MD, co-chairman of the ICA’s Medical Advisory Board and medical director of Clinical Effectiveness and Quality, University of Pennsylvania Health System, and Michael P. O'Leary, MD, associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. The article explained the symptoms of IC and noted its confusion with urinary tract infections and the difficulty patients can have in getting a correct diagnosis. The article provided readers with a link to the ICA’s website. The HealthScout Network hosts health sections for over 200 affiliates, including Yahoo, iWon, USAToday.com, InfoSpace, and NBCi.
Two IC-related articles were published in the April edition of Urologic Nursing, the official journal of Society for Urologic Nurses and Associates. "Me and My Bladder, My Bladder and Me," was written by longtime ICA patient advocate, Mary Ellen Altieri, LPN, of Bay Shore, NY. Mary Ellen, who suffers from IC, is a urology procedure nurse and biofeedback technician at Suffolk Urology Associates in Bay Shore. She also serves as the treasurer for the American Association of Office Nurses. Her article gave a detailed account of her experience with IC and put a face on the disease in the urologic nursing community. The article "Interstitial Cystitis: An Updated Overview," by ICA Founder and President, Vicki Ratner, MD and ICA Director of Medical Communications, Lucretia (Creda) Perilli provided nurses with all of the basics of IC and updated them on the latest in IC treatments and research. The article offered continuing education credit for urologic nurses.
ICA Medical Advisory Board member, Robert Moldwin, MD, led the workshop "Interstitial Cystitis: A Common But Often Overlooked Source of Female Pelvic Pain" at Women’s Health 2003: Clinical Insights for the Practitioner. The conference, held April 11th through the 13th in Williamsburg, VA, updated physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals women’s health topics.
Thanks to the ICA’s work with DOD over the past two years, the US Department of Defense (DOD) made funding available for IC Research through its Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).
IC received unprecedented focus at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting held April 26th though May 1 in Chicago, IL. For the first time, IC was the subject of a plenary session and panel discussion. Moderated by Anthony Schaeffer, MD, the session on IC and chronic prostatitis included a presentation by Medical Advisory Board member, Robert Moldwin, MD, who is the Director of the Interstitial Cystitis Center at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and an internationally known IC clinician and researcher. Dr. Moldwin was also the director of a course at the meeting, "The Urological Management of Pelvic Pain," where Dr. Ratner gave the introductory remarks. In addition, there was a moderated poster session on IC, where more than 20 IC-related studies were presented. The Coalition for Urologic Research and Education (CURE), of which ICA is a member, held a "Rally for Research" press conference. There, patients and doctors, including ICA Founder and President, Vicki Ratner, MD, and ICA National Patient Support Advocate and IC patient Kristina Hinchliff spoke out about the need more federal research funding. Monica Liebert, PhD, the AUA’s Director of Research and longtime consultant to the ICA, was instrumental in making this event part of the meeting agenda. ICA Fulfillment Director Carolyn Coogan and National Patient Advocates Linda Salin and Iliana Brockman staffed the ICA’s exhibit booth. They reported that activity at our booth increased this year, with more and more urologists interested in learning more about IC and treating it.
The National Association for Continence (NAFC) named longtime ICA Medical Advisory Board member Kristene Whitmore, MD, as the Continence Care Champion of the Society for Women in Urology at the society’s meeting during the AUA meeting in Chicago. The award was accompanied by a $2,500 unrestricted grant for her efforts in research, clinical practice, and education. Dr. Whitmore is a tireless advocate for bladder health awareness and patient access to advanced medical technology.
Important mass media exposure came in May when two large-circulation consumer magazines, Good Housekeeping and Family Circle ran articles with information about IC. The May issue of Good Housekeeping carried its "Pain Relief Special!" a five-part series. The lead article featured longtime ICA volunteer and legislative advocate Allison Gollin who discussed her ongoing struggle with IC. Also quoted in the article were ICA national Medical Advisory Board members Daniel Carr, MD, and David Kaufman, MD. who are both quoted in the article. The Family Circle article, "Oops! The Condition Women Don’t Want to Talk About," which focused on overactive bladder and incontinence, carried a sidebar about IC that described the symptoms and told readers where to turn for help with diagnosis, treatment, and support.
The ICA Pilot Research Program awarded grant funding for four exciting IC research projects: Interstitial Cystitis in Children, by George Schuster, MD, Joliet, IL; Susan Keay, MD, PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore; The Effect of Female Sex Hormones on the Symptoms of IC, by Amy Neuder, SMS II, Christopher Payne, MD, and Kathryn Azevedo, PhD at Stanford University; IC Epidemiologic Survey by the ICA working in conjunction with the National Organization for Research (NORC) at the University of Chicago; and American Foundation of Urological Diseases (AFUD) Research Scholar Program, ATP and Bladder Urothelia in the Pathogenesis of IC, by Yan Sun, PhD and Tobi Chai, MD (preceptor), University of Maryland, Baltimore.
The Fishbein Family Foundation for Interstitial Cystitis Research awarded grants for three research projects: The Role of DREAM in Chronic Bladder Pain: A Potential Drug Target For Interstitial Cystitis, by Ronald Wood, PhD, Edward Schwarz, PhD, and Edward Messing, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, Orthopedics and Urology, Rochester, NY; Pre-Ind Studies for Use of Recombinant Human HB-EGF as a Treatment for Interstitial Cystitis by Susan Keay, MD, PhD and Natalie Eddington, PhD, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Safety and Efficacy of Hyperbaric Oxygen for Treatment of IC: A Pilot Study, by Arnt van Ophoven, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, University of Münster, Germany.
On Saturday, May 10th The ICA held a Regional Forum in Albuquerque, NM. Organized by ICA National Patient Support Volunteer Teresa McCoy, the forum featured ICA Medical Advisory Board member Robert Moldwin, MD, as the guest speaker. He conducted an afternoon program for patients as well as an evening physician education meeting. This was the second ICA Forum in four years in Albuquerque that Teresa has hosted.
In May, the ICA published the results of its online survey on pain management for IC. Overall, the results of the survey are encouraging. 677 people responded, 93.9 percent of whom had been officially diagnosed with IC. Most participants (86 percent) reported that their pain varied in intensity from day to day, and about a third (31.9 percent) said that they considered their IC pain to be severe; 38.4 percent had never been offered any type of opioid/narcotic analgesic to treat their IC-related pain. Encouragingly, most survey participants (70.3 percent) felt that their treating physician takes their IC pain seriously. Patients appear to be relying on their treating physician for pain relief, but are not often referred to pain clinics. Pain clinics are very much underutilized, with only 12 percent of respondents saying they have been referred to one.
The June issue of SELF magazine carried a detailed article devoted exclusively to IC, headlined "Not Just a Bladder Infection." ICA President and Founder, Vicki Ratner, MD, worked closely for many months with the article’s author, Barry Yeoman, to help convey the suffering that IC can cause. The article in this widely circulated consumer magazine was a godsend for many IC patients who have felt that some media outlets tended to gloss over the severity of the disease. The article began with the tragic story of IC patient Diane McLean, who committed suicide after battling IC for 24 years. The article quoted Diane’s husband, ICA Patient Advocate, Kristina Hinchliff, and LPGA golfer Terry-Jo Myers, who talked about the impact IC can have on sexual relations. Physicians quoted in the story included ICA Founder and President Vicki Ratner, MD, ICA Medical Advisory Board members Philip Hanno, MD, and Robert Moldwin, MD, and longtime IC physician, David Kaufman, MD, of New York City.
ICA’s media roll continued with a June 3rd story in the New York Times, headlined "Virtual Support for Real World Woes." The article by David Tuller described the array of information and support that patients with uncommon diseases can find on the Internet. The National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) website, http://www.rarediseases.org/, was highlighted in Tuller’s article as an outstanding nonprofit health website. The article also cited the ICA as an example of an organization whose website, http://www.ichelp.org/, is invaluable for support and information. On June 6th, this article was picked up and distributed worldwide in the International Herald Tribune.
On June 3rd, the ICA participated in a Capitol Hill Breakfast Briefing to urge Congress to pass the proposed Training and Research in Urology (TRU) Act. (The bill is known as HR 1002.) This briefing was organized by the Coalition for Urologic Research and Education (CURE), of which the ICA is a member. TRU calls for creation of a separate division within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that would be dedicated solely to urologic diseases.
Featured speakers for the event included Representative James Leach (R-IA), ICA Patient Advocate Rhonda Garrett, and CURE Spokesperson Monica Liebert, PhD, who is the Director of Research at the American Urological Association (AUA). Rhonda gave a moving account of her struggle with IC.
Advocates from 10 states raised congressional consciousness about IC at the ICA’s Third Annual Capitol Hill Walk on June 23. They asked for their legislators’ help to support funding for IC-specific research to increase awareness about IC within the medical community. Congressional support is crucial in sending the message to the National Institutes of Health that ongoing IC-specific research is a high priority. This annual event was made possible by a generous grant from the Medtronic Foundation.
ICA Director of Communications Ann Chesnut attended the conference Stigma in Healthcare: Understanding the Psychology of the Stigma of Incontinence on June 25th through the 27th in Chicago, IL. Sponsored by the Simon Foundation for Continence, the conference helped bring incontinence and other stigmatized conditions out into the light of day and to get people talking about them openly as an important and necessary first step toward understanding them. The Simon Foundation, founded by Cheryle Gartley, provides continence awareness, support, education and research advocacy. The Simon Foundation and the ICA work together on joint projects and are part of the Coalition for Urologic Research and Education.
Karen Hixson, PhD, a resident of North Carolina and a participant in the 2003 ICA Capitol Hill Walk, took the story of her Washington, DC experience to her local newspaper, the Kernersville News. Her story, entitled "Woman Takes Medical Case to Washington," written by news reporter Brad Chiasson, was published in the July 10th edition of the newspaper. In the article, which features a photo of Karen with Representative Richard Burr, she explains the importance of her visit to Washington and the impact of IC on her life as well as the lives of many others suffering from the condition.
In its June/July edition, AUA News published the article "Management Strategies for the Patient with Chronic Pelvic Pain" by ICA Medical Advisory Board member Robert Moldwin, MD. AUA News is the official newsmagazine of the American Urological Association. Fiercely dedicated to educating both the patient and medical communities about IC and related pelvic pain disorders, Dr. Moldwin encouraged urologists not to hesitate taking on patients with IC and related pelvic pain disorders.
The Female Patient, a medical journal that publishes practical information for physicians providing primary healthcare to women, featured IC in two of their special editions that provided continuing medical education credit for physicians. Their June special edition, Bladder Conditions in Women, featured articles by ICA Medical Advisory Board members Robert Moldwin, MD, and Kristine Whitmore, MD, and their July special edition was Diagnostic Evaluation of Chronic Pelvic Pain of Bladder Origin, by Robert Greene, MD, and Lee P. Shulman, MD, discussed IC as one of the most common conditions associated with chronic pelvic pain.
The July issue of Redbook magazine carried the article "Bathroom Secret," which described Catherine Simone’s agonizing IC symptoms and her desperate search for answers, which led her to various alternative strategies and the creation of three books that describe her ongoing journey.
In July, the Discovery Health Channel aired an episode of the Berman and Berman Show aptly titled "It’s Not All in Your Head" that looked at conditions that have been misdiagnosed or ignored for years, including IC and vulvodynia. Jennifer Berman, MD, a urologist, and her sister Laura Berman, PhD, a psychologist and sex therapist, are the popular hosts of this show, which is dedicated to women’s health.
In August, Café ICA, our monthly electronic source for the latest IC medical highlights, self-help and coping strategies, and ICA news, celebrated its second birthday. In the last two years, Café ICA has grown in many ways. The length of the newsletter has doubled and the coverage of various news items of importance to people with IC has increased significantly.
At the International Pelvic Pain Society 10th Scientific Meeting on Chronic Pelvic Pain, in Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada, on August 15th and 16th, the ICA distributed information and spoke to numerous healthcare professionals at our exhibit booth. More than 100 physicians, nurses, and physical therapists attended the meeting of this international group of medical professionals dedicated to pain management in women. ICA Patient Advocate Linda Salin and her husband Terry staffed the booth and attended sessions. Linda reported that the physicians, nurses and physical therapists attending the conference were all aware of the importance that IC has in the realm of chronic pelvic pain syndromes, and they were eager to stop by our booth and pick up the latest information on IC.
The August edition of Harvard Women’s HealthWatch newsletter carried a three-page article devoted to IC. The in-depth article covered topics such as difficulties in receiving a diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment options, possible causes, potential new treatments, and research on the horizon. It also included the ICA’s contact information so that readers experiencing symptoms could seek help.
This summer, to make IC more visible, ICA National Patient Support Advocate and IC patient Kristina Hinchliff took a project that began in her local support group to the wider ICA community in the August edition of Café ICA and the Sept./Oct. issue of the ICA Update. The IC Tapestry is a growing collection of fabric squares that tell the personal stories of IC patients in art, similar to the AIDS quilt. Rather than being quilted, the IC Tapestry is built of linen squares worked with embroidery, appliqué, and the written word.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) reported on the results of the first of a series of planned treatment studies by the Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Trials Group (ICCTG). An eighteen-month pilot study of pentosan polysulfate sodium (Elmiron) and hydroxyzine hydrochloride (Atarax) in 121 patients with IC revealed that these two medications provided limited benefits for relief of IC symptoms. The results were reported in the September issue of the Journal of Urology.
Bioniche Life Sciences released preliminary results of its North American clinical trial of Cystistat (sodium hyaluronate), a sterile hyaluronic acid solution formulated for bladder instillations. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated 138 IC patients at 17 clinical sites in Canada and the United States. The primary end point of response, defined by patient global satisfaction and pain reduction at week eight, was satisfactory (>50 percent) in the sodium hyaluronate cohort; however, the sodium hyaluronate response rate was not statistically different from that of placebo. This may be because subgroups of patients who might respond well cannot be classified at this time.
Recruitment for the NIDDK Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Research Network (ICCRN) study of bacille Calmette-Guérin was completed and results are expected in 2004. More ICCRN clinical trials, which will test a variety of potential IC treatments, are scheduled to begin in 2004. The ICCRN (formerly ICCTG) was started by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to identify useful therapies for IC.
The ICA’s website added three important new features that made the website even more valuable and easier to use. The addition of a Google search engine made the site easily searchable. A new international section expands the foreign language information with key documents professionally translated into Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The section also includes an extensive international physician registry. A pain issue section was also added, which offers a selection of some of the best IC and pain information available.
September has been declared Pain Awareness Month by Partners for Understanding Pain (PUP), a consortium of more than 65 professional and consumer organizations, including the ICA, that have an interest in pain. PUP declared September as Pain Awareness Month and held a Perspectives on Pain Symposium in Chicago, IL, on September 19th and 20th. ICA Medical Advisory Board member Daniel Carr, MD, was the keynote speaker of the event. Ann Chesnut, ICA Director of Communications, presented a workshop there on IC. Also, Marty Allen, program manager of the Medtronic Foundation’s Patient Link Program, which has been a strong supporter of the ICA’s outreach efforts, participated in the symposium.
The ICA celebrated two decades of achievement for IC at its highly successful Twentieth Anniversary National Meeting on October 31st and November 1st at the Radisson Hotel in Old Town, Alexandria, VA. Patients heard about the latest research findings and treatments and learned about the future directions of that research. IC experts also helped attendees learn what they could do now to get the best care and cope with IC’s challenges in their lives. Moderated by President and Founder, Vicki Ratner, MD, the informative sessions included a review of IC Research at the NIH by Leroy Nyberg, MD, PhD, an explanation of the mission of the Coalition for Urology Research and Education and the details of the TRU Act by Monica Liebert, PhD, a description of current treatments for IC and related diseases by Robert Moldwin, MD, information on effective pain treatments by Alan Kwon, MD, suggestions for self-help strategies by Gaye and Andrew Sandler, PhD, a review of the possible causes of IC by Deborah Erickson, MD, a lecture on the potential urinary markers for IC by Susan Keay, MD, PhD, perspective on the relationship between chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and IC by Toby Chai, MD, a discussion of the psychological aspects of IC by Ronald Rozensky, PhD, a description of multidisciplinary approaches to treating IC by Kristene Whitmore, MD, a rundown of the new treatments that are being researched, and an up-to-the-minute report on the research presented at the research symposium sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the ICA that took place concurrently at the same hotel.
Research Insights into Interstitial Cystitis: A Basic and Clinical Science Symposium was the international scientific meeting sponsored by the NIDDK and the ICA on October 30th through November 1st in the same location as our Twentieth Anniversary National Meeting. Never before has there been so much enthusiasm on the part of the research community and such substantive and groundbreaking research on IC presented. More than two dozen potential treatments actively being researched were discussed as were potential markers to diagnose IC and new research that may ultimately reveal IC’s causes.
Dr. Phil’s very popular television show tackled tough sexual issues that affect IC patients in a show that aired October 7th. It let the American public see that IC is a very serious and real disease but also showed what serious consequences IC may have for patients’ relationships as well.
The Boston-MetroWest IC Support Group sponsored a Fall Educational Forum in Natick, MA, on October 27th. Cochairs Molly Glidden and Joan Shure organized the forum that included presentations by Gaye Grissom Sandler and her husband Andrew Sandler, PhD, who are the authors of the popular book Patient to Patient: Managing IC and Overlapping Conditions and by Emanuel Friedman, MD, a Boston-area urologist. Ann Chesnut, the ICA’s Director of Communications, also spoke and moderated the forum.
The New York Times recognized IC and the ICA for a second time in 2003 in its November 17th edition. IC was discussed and ICA President and Founder, Vicki Ratner, MD, was quoted in the article "On Rare Diseases, Parents Take Hope Into Their Own Hands," by science writer David Tuller, which ran in this special edition in the section, Giving.
The syndicated column Harvard Medical School Advisor featured a question-and-answer section on IC in an article headlined, "Steps Taken to Lessen Pain of Interstitial Cystitis." The article appeared in various newspapers, including the November 10th edition of the Post and Courier of Charleston, SC.