Joseph Kirsner, digestive system disorders physician, dies at age 102

A physician's stethoscope is shown in this file photo.

CHICAGO - Dr. Joseph Kirsner, a pioneer in the field of digestive system disorders, has died from kidney failure at his home in Chicago. He was 102 years old.

University of Chicago Medical Center spokesman John Easton says Kirsner died Saturday. The well-known physician was the Louis Block distinguished service professor of medicine at the university.

Kirsner was among the first to show the increased risk of colon cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. He broke new ground in the understanding and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

He helped found the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation gave him their lifetime achievement award twice, in 1991 and 2002.

A memorial service is being planned.