Way to Go! Great Neck student published for cancer research

A Great Neck student’s research on colon cancer was recently selected for publication in a scientific journal.

Tyler Chang, a senior at Great Neck North High School, had his research on improving the success rate of colon cancer detections published this spring in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 

Chang's research examined the adenoma detection rates of endoscopists who used a newer full-spectrum endoscopy technology for three years and then reverted back to traditional forward-viewing endoscopes at a local ambulatory surgical center. 

Traditional forward-viewing endoscopes have one camera and provide an angle of view of between 140 and 170 degrees, while full-spectrum endoscopes — which are no longer commercially available — provide a 330-degree view through the addition of two side cameras, Chang said. He concluded there were no statistical differences between the adenoma detection rates for the full-spectrum endoscopes compared to the traditional forward-viewing endoscopes.

"Completing this project and having the paper published was one of the most challenging but rewarding experiences for me," Chang said. "What I have found most inspiring through this process is that there are still so many questions in science that are unanswered. Through scientific research, the answer to many of these questions can be discovered and published, which adds to the collective knowledge of the world."

— MICHAEL R. EBERT

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.