Factors Associated With Upstaging of Melanoma Thickness on Final Excision.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence and risk factors associated with upstaging from initial biopsy to definitive excision in cutaneous melanoma have not been established. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of tumor stage upstaging and associated risk factors using the National Cancer Database. METHODS: A retrospective study of the National Cancer Database between 2012 and 2016 was performed. The cohort of patients undergoing excision of melanoma with available data comprised 133,592 patients. Differences in characteristics for upstaging were determined using Wilcox rank-sum, chi-square, or Fisher's exact tests. Multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression to determine factors associated with upstaging. RESULTS: Incidence of upstaging was 5.2%. Upstaged patients were older, male, of non-White race, and of lower education level (P < 0.001). Lesions of the head/neck and lower extremity had increased incidence of upstaging compared to the trunk (P < 0.001). Nodular and acral lentiginous melanoma was associated with higher incidence of upstaging compared to superficial spreading melanoma (P < 0.001). Patients with lymphovascular invasion had increased risk of upstaging (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Upstaging of melanoma is infrequent but is significantly more prevalent in non-White patients and those with lower educational status. Provider and patient education should include the higher risk of upstaging in these groups and the possible need for further surgical intervention, such as re-excision of margins and sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Expression of PD-L1 in Patients With Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Frequency of PD-L1 expression and the role of immunotherapy in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) have not been well characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine PD-L1 expression in patients with MPM and perform an exploratory analysis for associations between PD-L1 and its biological behavior in MPM. METHODS: Tumor samples were collected from patients undergoing surgical interventions between January 2018 and June 2020. Specimens were stained with anti-PD-L1 antibodies (Dako 22c3) and positivity was determined by tumor proportion score (TPS) or combined positive score (CPS) being ≥1%. RESULTS: Twenty one samples were obtained from 21 patients. Sixteen of 21 (76%) samples were CPS positive and 9 of 21 (43%) were TPS positive. Three samples had more aggressive biphasic/sarcomatoid histology and a high CPS and TPS (CPS: 3, 75, 95%; TPS: 2, 60, 90%). On an exploratory analysis, as the CPS or TPS threshold increased, there was a trend towards worse survival. CONCLUSIONS: MPM has a high frequency of PD-L1 expression, which may be associated with more aggressive tumor biology. These data provide the foundation for continued evaluation of checkpoint inhibition in patients with MPM.

Evaluation of a Gene Expression Profiling Assay in Primary Cutaneous Melanoma.

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of deaths from cutaneous melanoma occur among patients with an initial diagnosis of stage 1 or 2 disease. The Decision-Dx Melanoma (DDM) 31-gene assay attempts to stratify these patients by risk of recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate this assay in a large single-institution series. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent surgery for melanoma at a large academic cancer center with DDM results was performed. Patient demographics, tumor pathologic characteristics, sentinel node status, gene expression profile (GEP) class, and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were reviewed. The primary outcomes were recurrence of melanoma and distant metastatic recurrence. RESULTS: Data from 361 patients were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 15 months. Sentinel node biopsy was performed for 75.9% (n = 274) of the patients, 53 (19.4%) of whom tested positive. Overall, 13.6% (n = 49) of the patients had recurrence, and 8% (n = 29) had distant metastatic recurrence. The 3- and 5-year RFS rates were respectively 85% and 75% for the class 1A group, 74% and 47% for the class 1B/class 2A group, and 54% and 45% for the class 2B group. Increased Breslow thickness, ulceration, mitoses, sentinel node biopsy positivity, and GEP class 2B status were significantly associated with RFS and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in the univariate analysis (all p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, only Breslow thickness and ulceration were associated with RFS (p < 0.003), and only Breslow thickness was associated with DMFS (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Genetic profiling of cutaneous melanoma can assist in predicting recurrence and help determine the need for close surveillance. However, traditional pathologic factors remain the strongest independent predictors of recurrence risk.

Assessing the immediate impact of COVID-19 on surgical oncology practice: Experience from an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Northeastern United States.

BACKGROUND: The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on surgical oncology practice are not yet quantified. The aim of this study was to measure the immediate impact of COVID-19 on surgical oncology practice volume. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients treated at an NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Center was performed. "Pre-COVID" era was defined as January-February 2020 and "COVID" as March-April 2020. Primary outcomes were clinic visits and operative volume by surgical oncology subspecialty. RESULTS: Abouyt 907 new patient visits, 3897 follow-up visits, and 644 operations occurred during the study period. All subspecialties experienced significant decreases in new patient visits during COVID, though soft tissue oncology (Mel/Sarc), gynecologic oncology (Gyn/Onc), and endocrine were disproportionately affected. Telehealth visits increased to 11.4% of all visits by April. Mel/Sarc, Gyn/Onc, and Breast experienced significant operative volume decreases during COVID (25.8%, p = 0.012, 43.6% p < 0.001, and 41.9%, p < 0.001, respectively), while endocrine had no change and gastrointestinal oncology had a slight increase (p = 0.823) in the number of cases performed. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are wide-ranging within surgical oncology subspecialties. The addition of telehealth is a viable avenue for cancer patient care and should be considered in surgical oncology practice.

Outcomes of Barotrauma in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients With Severe Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax are complications which may be associated with barotrauma in mechanically ventilated patients. The current literature demonstrates unclear outcomes regarding barotrauma in critically ill patients with severe COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of barotrauma in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and its influence on survival. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed from March 18, 2020 to May 5, 2020, with follow-up through June 18, 2020, encompassing critically ill intubated patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia at an academic tertiary care hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Critically ill patients with pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, or both (n = 75) were compared to those without evidence of barotrauma (n = 206). Clinical characteristics and short-term patient outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Barotrauma occurred in 75/281 (26.7%) of included patients. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with increased 30-day mortality were elevated age (HR 1.015 [95% CI 1.004-1.027], P = 0.006), barotrauma (1.417 [1.040-1.931], P = 0.027), and renal dysfunction (1.602 [1.055-2.432], P = 0.027). Protective factors were administration of remdesivir (0.479 [0.321-0.714], P < 0.001) and receipt of steroids (0.488 [0.370-0.643], P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Barotrauma occurred at high rates in intubated critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and was found to be an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality.

Does Neoadjuvant Radiation Therapy Contribute to the Incidence of Pulmonary Complications Following Esophagectomy for Malignant Neoplasm?

BACKGROUND: Post-operative pulmonary complications (POPC) are common in patients undergoing esophagectomy and neoadjuvant radiotherapy may exacerbate POPC. This study assessed whether neoadjuvant radiation increases the incidence of POPC in patients undergoing esophagectomy for malignancy. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database files from 2016 to 2018 were queried for patients undergoing esophagectomy for malignancy. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to create balanced cohorts in which the control group received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) and the treatment cohort received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). A subset analysis was performed on patients with pre-existing pulmonary disease (PEPD). Primary outcomes were POPC and 30-day mortality. RESULTS: The all-patient analysis did not demonstrate a consistent association between neoadjuvant radiation and POPC. However, in patients with PEPD, POPC occurred more often in the nCRT cohort. Comparing nCRT to nCT and after IPTW adjustment for confounders, there was higher odds of pneumonia (aOR = 3.0, P = .002), unplanned intubation (aOR = 2.0, P = .03), and extended mechanical ventilation (aOR = 3.6, P = .002). DISCUSSION: In esophageal cancer patients with PEPD that undergo nCRT vs nCT prior to esophagectomy, the greater risk of POPCs must be weighed against the potential for improved oncologic outcomes.

Pancreatoduodenectomy: the Metabolic Syndrome is Associated with Preventable Morbidity and Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) may have increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the association of MS with mortality, serious morbidity, and pancreatectomy-specific outcomes in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: Patients with MS who underwent PD were selected from the 2014-2018 ACS-NSQIP pancreatectomy-specific database. MS was defined as obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), diabetes, and hypertension. Demographics and outcomes were compared by χ2 and Mann-Whitney tests, and adjusted odds ratios from multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between MS and primary outcomes. RESULTS: Of 19,054 patients who underwent PD, 7.3% (n = 1388) had MS. On univariable analysis, patients with MS had significantly worse outcomes (p < 0.05): 30-day mortality (3% vs 1.8%), serious morbidity (26% vs 23%), re-intubation (4.9% vs 3.5%), pulmonary embolism (2.0% vs 1.1%), acute renal failure (1.5% vs 0.9%), cardiac arrest (1.9% vs 1.0%), and delayed gastric emptying (18% vs 16.5%). On multivariable analysis, 30-day mortality was significantly increased in patients with MS (aOR: 1.53, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. The association with mortality is a novel observation. Perioperative strategies aimed at reduction and/or mitigation of cardiac, pulmonary, thrombotic, and renal complications should be employed in this population given their increased risk.

The Attending Meritocracy: Implementation of a Novel Team-Based Approach to Provide Effective Resident Feedback.

OBJECTIVE: Providing timely quality feedback is an essential responsibility of teaching faculty and is critical for resident assessment and development throughout training. Numerous evaluation platforms have been created to provide immediate and big picture end-of-rotation feedback. Faculty suffer burnout from electronic documentation demands and workload and as a result, evaluation activity is relegated to a lower priority leading to poor compliance. We implemented a novel team-based Attending Meritocracy (AM)1 program that encompasses monetary, automated reminder, and punitive components, while adding a competition element to further engage faculty. The aim of this study is to determine effectiveness of AM in increasing compliance with resident feedback. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Surgical faculty (n = 36) were divided into 5 teams according to service and subspecialty. Points could be earned by completing surgical (Firefly, MiniCEX) or rotation (New Innovations) evaluations, leaving comments, and other educational tasks. A prize for the highest scoring team was identified as a dinner financed by the non-winning teams. Data from evaluation platforms was extracted. Continuous variables were compared using Mann-Whitney-U test, and categorical variables using chi-squared test. RESULTS: When comparing July 2019 to February 2020 (control period) with July 2020 to February 2021(initial implementation period), we found a 237% increase in submitted NI evaluations (n = 111-374) and a 42.5% decrease in median time to completion from 60.4 (33.2-106.9) days to 34.7 (24.0-64.5) days, (p = 0.001).2 We observed an increase in operative evaluations completed (Mini CEX n = 4-97, Firefly n = 150-1284). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a team-based attending meritocracy program is an effective budget neutral method to increase completion of resident evaluations. Further investigation is needed to assess improvement in quality of feedback as well as to explore it's impact on progression of resident autonomy.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Pneumomediastinum in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Introduction: Pneumomediastinum (PM) is characterized by the presence of air within the mediastinum. The association between PM and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has not been well established in the current literature. We sought to summarize the limited body of literature regarding PM in patients with COVID-19 and characterize the presentation and clinical outcomes of PM in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-COV-2 pneumonia at our institution to better define the incidence, prognosis, and available treatment for this condition. Materials and Methods: All patients with a proven diagnosis of COVID-19 and PM between March 18, 2020 and May 5, 2020 were identified through hospital records. Retrospective analysis of radiology records and chart review were conducted. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were collected and descriptive statistics was analyzed. Results: Thirty-six patients met inclusion criteria. Out of the 346 intubated COVID-19 patients, 34 (10%) had PM. The incidence of PM increased for the first 4 weeks of the pandemic, and then began to decrease by week 5. At the endpoint of the study, 12 (33.33%) patients were alive and 24 patients (66.67%) had died. Conclusion: PM, although a rare phenomenon, was more prevalent in COVID-19 patients compared with historical patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome. The etiology of this condition may be attributed to higher susceptibility of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 to a combination of barotrauma and airway injury.

Rapid Adoption of an Interdisciplinary Care Team Model for Surgical Residents Managing Coronavirus Disease-19.

Introduction: Patients infected with SARS-Cov-2, the causative virus behind the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, have been increasing rapidly in New York City. New York City has the highest incidence in the United States and fully 45% of all deaths from COVID-19. Our medical center is located within a high-density region of cases in south Brooklyn and, in fact, three of our neighborhood zip codes are in the top seven in New York in incidence. As a result, our center has experienced a dramatic increase in hospitalizations, particularly respiratory distress secondary to COVID-19, which rapidly exceeded the capacity of our internal medicine service. This necessitated the formation of new COVID-19 units throughout the hospital, replacing all former service lines. These units employed management teams composed of residents from many medical and surgical disciplines, including general surgery residents. Methods: Our general surgery residency program established a surgical COVID-19 (SCOVID) management team. Initially, 4 surgical residents (2 senior and 2 junior), 1 attending surgeon, and 1 attending internal medicine physician were allocated to the initial SCOVID team. On day 3 of implementation, to achieve more rapid competence in the complex management of these patients, a senior medicine resident with direct experience in the care of COVID-19 patients was added in an advisory capacity. Results: The addition of an experienced senior medical resident and attending allowed for the quick adoption of uniform management protocols by surgical residents and attendings. Discussion: We describe a protocol for the establishment of COVID-19 management teams staffed with general surgical residents, as well as a strategy for the achievement of rapid increases in competency. The addition of a senior internal medicine resident and attending to our SCOVID team allowed for rapid achievement of competency in the care of COVID-19 patients in our large institution at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Larvae of Musca domestica (common house fly) found intraoperatively in a male breast abscess.

A 62-year-old male with type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to our nationally accredited breast center with bilateral breast masses present for 7 years and new-onset pink nipple discharge for several months. Mammography and ultrasound demonstrated a left 2.7 retroareolar cystic lesion and a right 2.1 cm retroareolar solid lesion. Given the suspicious nature of the bilateral breast discharge, core needle biopsies were performed to rule out underlying malignancy. The biopsies revealed benign results, but the discordance between the biopsy, imaging, and suspicious discharge led to the decision to perform bilateral excisional biopsies. Intraoperatively, a small organism resembling a larva was encountered. The abnormal tissue was sent for histopathological examination, along with the organism, which was identified as the larvae of Musca domestica, or common house fly.

Safe extubation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Extubation of patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a high risk procedure for both patients and staff. Shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE) and the high volume of contact staff have with COVID-19 patients has generated an interest in ways to reduce exposure that might be feasible especially during pandemic times and in resource limited healthcare settings. The development of portable barrier hood devices (or intubation/extubation boxes) is an area of interest for many clinicians due to the theoretical reduction in aerosolization of SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus for COVID-19. We present a review of the current literature along with recommendations concerning safe extubation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a focused summary on the use of portable barrier hood devices, during the recent surge of COVID-19 is highlighted.

Gastrointestinal perforation in a critically ill patient with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Gastrointestinal complications in critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic pose a diagnostic and treatment dilemma. We present a case of a 74-year-old male who was brought to our emergency department with worsening shortness of breath, fever, and dry cough and was found to have COVID-19 pneumonia. Early in his hospital course, he was admitted to the intensive care unit, and was found to have significant abdominal distension with large amounts of simple fluid on bedside ultrasound. Bedside paracentesis returned succus and enteric feeds, and a methylene blue test confirmed a likely gastrointestinal perforation. The patients' family refused surgical intervention and the patient underwent bedside drainage. This case represents several critical dilemmas clinicians faced during the recent surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disparities in utilization of services for racial and ethnic minorities with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C affects racial minorities disproportionately and is greatest among the black population. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma has increased with the largest increase observed in black and Hispanic populations, but limited data remain on whether hepatitis C hepatocellular carcinoma in racial-ethnic minorities have the same utilization of services compared with the white population. METHODS: We used the database of the National Inpatient Sample to identify hepatitis C-hepatocellular carcinoma patients (N = 200,163) who underwent liver transplantation (n = 11,491), liver resection (n = 4,896), or ablation of liver lesions (n = 6,933) from 2005 to 2015. We estimated utilization over time and assessed differences in utilization and inpatient mortality across patient characteristics. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, factors associated with utilization of services included treatment year, sex, race, insurance status, hospital type, and comorbidity burden, with black and Hispanic patients having statistically significantly decreased utilization. Factors associated with inpatient mortality included treatment year, sex, race, insurance status, hospital type, hospital region, and comorbidity burden, with black patients having a statistically significantly greater risk of inpatient mortality. CONCLUSION: We identified racial and socioeconomic factors which were associated with utilization of services and inpatient mortality for patients with hepatitis C hepatocellular carcinoma. Blacks were especially disadvantaged in the receipt of care. Further work to abrogate these findings is imperative to ensure equitable provision of surgical therapies.

A Case of Chronic Calcific Nonalcoholic Pancreatitis.

Tropical Calcific Pancreatitis (TCP) is a type of chronic calcific nonalcoholic pancreatitis. Similar to nonalcoholic chronic pancreatitis, it presents in the second and third decades of life; however this type is reported mostly in the developing tropical and subtropical countries. It is associated with the formation of pancreatic calculi and a high probability of developing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Epidemiologic studies have shown that these patients have an increased risk of developing pancreatic carcinoma. The etiology of TCP remains uncertain, with the current consensus suggesting genetics as well as possible toxicity from consuming large amounts of cassava, a tuber. Definite diagnosis of TCP requires younger age of onset, history of malnutrition, and presence of diabetes mellitus along with extensive pancreatic calcification and ductal calculi. When patients meet most but not all of these conditions the term Idiopathic Chronic Pancreatitis (ICP) is used. This is a case of a 44-year-old man who presented with most features seen in TCP, and however, was diagnosed with ICP.