A small grant funding program to promote innovation at an academic research hospital.

Innovation is important for the improvement of health care. A small grant innovation funding program was implemented by the Hospital for Sick Children(SickKids) for the Perioperative Services group, awarding relatively small funds (approximately $10 000) in order to stimulate innovation. Of 48 applications,26 (54.2%) different innovation projects were funded for a total allocation of $227 870. This program demonstrated the ability of small grants to stimulate many applications with novel ideas, a wide range of innovations and reasonable academic productivity.

Risks for noncutaneous second primary malignancy in cutaneous malignant melanoma survivors: an analysis of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.

BACKGROUND: It is known that malignant melanoma (MM) survivors are at increased risk of future primary MM. However, the risk for noncutaneous second primary malignancies (SPMs) is not as well-understood. METHODS: An observational study utilizing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was performed, assessing data from patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous MM to measure overall, as well as specific, tumor type and risk of SPM. RESULTS: Of the 132,438 patients recruited in the study population (mean age 55.5 years; 54% male), 23,794 SPMs were observed (O) (18% of patients at a mean age of 68.8 years), while 17,923 SPMs were expected (E) to occur (O : E 1.33, 95% CI 1.31-1.34). Excluding cutaneous MM occurring as a new primary malignancy, there was a significantly increased risk for SPMs among cutaneous MM survivors for each of the following tumor types: eye and orbit melanoma, tracheal, thyroid, salivary gland, retroperitoneum, small intestine, kidney, lymphoid and hematopoietic system, lymphoma overall, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lymphocytic leukemia overall, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, male genital system (including prostate), and breast. Certain gender-specific trends for SPMs were also detected. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with primary cutaneous MM are at increased risk for primary noncutaneous MM as well as noncutaneous SPMs that include numerous tumor types. Enhanced oncologic surveillance for a variety of tumor types in melanoma survivors is warranted.

Skin cancer associated with commonly prescribed drugs: tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (TNF-αIs), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) and statins -weighing the evidence.

INTRODUCTION: Skin cancers, including both malignant melanoma (MM) and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), are the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the US. The incidence of both MM and NMSC continues to rise. AREAS COVERED: Current evidence for an association between four of the most commonly prescribed classes of drugs in the U.S. and risk for MM and NMSC is reported. Medline was searched (January 2000 to May 2017) for each drug in the classes and for 'basal cell carcinoma', 'squamous cell carcinoma', 'non-melanoma skin cancer', 'skin cancer' and 'melanoma'. Skin cancer risk information was reported for: tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (TNF-αIs), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA)-reductase inhibitors (statins). EXPERT OPINION: Since skin cancer risk is associated with all four classes of these commonly prescribed drugs that represent nearly 20% of the Top 100 drugs in the U.S., these important findings warrant enhanced education, especially for prescribers and those patients at high risk for skin cancer.