United States-Based Colorectal Cancer Surgical Trials Lack Representation and Adequate Reporting of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Participants: Systematic Review and Regression Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the established National Institute of Health Revitalization Act, which aims to include ethnic and racial minority representation in surgical trials, racial and ethnic enrollment disparities persist. OBJECTIVE: To assess the proportion of patients from minority races and ethnicities that are included in colorectal cancer surgical trials and reporting characteristics. DATA SOURCES: Search was performed using MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria included 1) trials performed in the United States between January 1, 2000, and May 30, 2022; 2) patients with colorectal cancer diagnosis; and 3) surgical intervention, technique, or postoperative outcome. Trials evaluating chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or other nonsurgical interventions were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Pooled proportion and regression analysis was performed to identify the proportion of patients by race and ethnicity included in surgical trials and the association of year of publication and funding source. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of trials reporting race and ethnicity and proportion of participants by race and ethnicity included in surgical trials. RESULTS: We screened 10,673 unique publications, of which 80 were examined in full text. Fifteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Ten (66.7%) trials did not report race, 3 reported races as a proportion of White participants only, and 3 reported 3 or more races. There was no description of ethnicity in 11 (73.3%) trials, with 2 describing "non-Caucasian" as ethnicity and 2 describing only Hispanic ethnicity. Pooled proportion of White participants was 81.3%, of Black participants was 6.2%, of Asian participants was 3.6%, and of Hispanic participants was 3.5%. LIMITATIONS: A small number of studies was identified that reported racial or ethnic characteristics of their participants. CONCLUSIONS: Both race and ethnicity are severely underreported in colorectal cancer surgical trials. To improve outcomes and ensure the inclusion of vulnerable populations in innovative technologies and novel treatments, reporting must be closely monitored.

Role of Age as a Predictor of Major Complications After Elective Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) in the elderly population is increasing. The aim of this study was to assess the degree to which age and other factors increase the risk of developing major complications in patients undergoing elective surgery for UC. METHODS: Using the ACS-NSQIP database from 2016 to 2020, patients undergoing elective surgery for UC were divided into four categories: younger than 30, 30-49, 50-69, and 70 or older. A composite outcome was created including major complications and multivariable analysis was performed to identify factors associated with composite major complications. RESULTS: 5946 patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis who underwent elective surgery were included in the analysis. 14.1% of all patients developed a major complication. For patients with UC, factors associated with the development of a major complication were age 50-69 (OR 1.31, P = .034), male sex (OR 1.38, P < .001), Black race (OR 1.47, P = .049), dependent status (OR 2.06, P = .028), hypoalbuminemia (OR 1.92, P < .001), preoperative steroid treatment (OR 1.27, P = .038), preoperative transfusion (OR 1.91, P < .001), open surgical approach (OR 1.44, P = .002), and partial colectomy (OR 1.51, P = .007). Specifically in patients aged 70 or older, hypoalbuminemia (OR 3.20, P < .001) and preoperative transfusion (OR 2.78, P = .019) were associated with a major complication. CONCLUSION: Age is a risk factor for the development of a major complication in UC patients undergoing elective surgery. However, it is not the only risk factor nor is it the one that increases the risk the most.

Outcomes Following Recent and Distant Neoadjuvant Radiation in Rectal Cancer: An Institutional Retrospective Review and Analysis of NSQIP.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is the standard of care in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, radiation therapy is thought to increase operative difficulty due to induction of fibrosis. Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) protocols increase the time between completion of radiation and surgical resection which may lead to increased operative difficulty and complications. METHODS: A single institution retrospective review of patients ≥18 years with LARC undergoing nCRT from 2015 to 2022. Patients were dichotomized in 2 cohorts: <90 days from radiation to surgery (recent radiation), and ≥90 days from radiation to surgery (distant radiation). Institutional data was compared to National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) rectal cancer data from 2016 to 2020. Outcomes included intraoperative complications, 30-day morbidity, and oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: One hundred forty-six institutional patients included, 120 had recent radiation, 26 had distant radiation. Thirty-day morbidity and intraoperative complications did not differ. There was greater radial margin positivity (7% vs. 24%), fewer lymph nodes harvested (17 ± 5 vs. 15 ± 6), and a lower rate of complete mesorectal dissection (88% vs. 65%,) in distant radiation patients 3059 patients were included in NSQIP analysis, 2029 completed radiation <90 days before surgery and 1030 without radiation 90 days before surgery. Patients without radiation 90 days preoperatively had more radial margin positivity (9.2% vs. 4.6%), organ space infection (8.6% vs. 6.4%), and pneumonia (2.2% vs. 0.9%). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that increased time between radiation and surgery results in more challenging dissection with less complete mesorectal dissection and increased radial margin positivity without increasing technical complications.

Impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced colon cancer on postoperative complications.

PURPOSE: Although not considered standard therapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is an encouraging alternative for selected patients with locally advanced colon cancer (LAC). The aim of this study was to compare 30-day postoperative outcomes between patients undergoing upfront surgery and those undergoing NAC for LAC. METHODS: Using the ACS-NSQIP data from 2016 to 2020, 11,498 patients with LAC were divided into those who underwent upfront colectomy (96.2%) and those who received NAC (3.8%). The primary outcome was a composite outcome encompassing 30-day major postoperative complications. Propensity score matched (PSM) analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: After PSM analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in the development of a major complication. NAC was not significantly associated with the primary outcome. Risk factors for postoperative complications were T4 stage, older age, male sex, black race, smoking, dependent status, severe COPD, hypoalbuminemia, and preoperative transfusion. Laparoscopic and robotic surgery was protective. CONCLUSION: NAC did not increase the odds of developing a major complication.

The Impact of Limited Language Proficiency in Screening for Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of a culturally diverse population in the United States continues to grow. Nevertheless, the national impact of limited English proficiency (LEP) in breast cancer screening is still unknown. METHODS: A retrospective review of the 2015 sample of the National Health Interview Survey database was performed. The cohort included women with and without LEP between 40 and 75 years. We evaluated differences in screening rates, baseline, socioeconomic, access to healthcare, and breast cancer risk factors with univariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of LEP was 5.7% (N = 1825, weighted counts 3936,081). LEP women showed a statistically significant lower rate of overall screening mammograms (78% vs. 90%), fewer benign lumps removed (6.4% vs. 17%) and lower rates of access to healthcare variables. They showed a higher rate of nonprivate insurance and living below the poverty line, a lower rate of hormone replacement therapy (1.8% vs. 5.6%), older menarche (12.97 vs. 12.75) and a higher rate of current menstruation (36% vs. 24). LEP women were associated with a lower probability of having a screening mammogram in multivariate analysis (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51-0.87). When LEP was subdivided into Spanish and "other" languages, Spanish speakers were associated with a lower probability of a screening mammogram (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.90) while controlling for the same covariates. CONCLUSION: The results from our study showed that LEP women are associated with a lower probability of having a screening mammogram. Particularly, the Spanish speakers were found as a vulnerable subgroup.

Perioperative use of NSAIDs and the risk of short-term endoscopic recurrence in Crohn's disease patients: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: More evidence is needed on the use of NSAID based postoperative pain regimens for Crohn's disease (CD) and its association with recurrence. Our goal is to assess the impact of perioperative use of NSAIDs on endoscopic disease recurrence in patients with CD. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The primary outcome measured was endoscopic disease recurrence within 24 months of surgery, defined as a Rutgeerts score ≥ i2. RESULTS: We identified 107 patients with CD that underwent index ileocolectomy with primary anastomosis between January 2009 and July 2019. Endoscopic disease recurrence was identified in 28 (26.2%) and clinical recurrence in 18 (16.8%) patients. Exposure to NSAIDs did not increase 24-month endoscopic recurrence risk (22.2% vs. 38.5% patients, p = 0.12). CONCLUSION: In patients with CD undergoing elective ileocolic resection and primary ileocolic anastomosis, NSAID use in the perioperative period did not impact endoscopic or clinical disease recurrence rate.

Comparative early histologic healing quality of magnetic versus stapled small bowel anastomosis.

BACKGROUND: Successful anastomotic healing is critical to preventing complications after intestinal surgery. We aimed to compare the early healing of end-to-end small bowel anastomosis by self-forming magnets with surgical stapling in a porcine model. METHOD: Six Yorkshire pigs underwent 2 simultaneous small bowel anastomoses using a circular stapler and self-forming magnet technique. The primary outcome was healing quality, measured by 4 histologic features: inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen formation, grade of inflammation, and bacterial infiltration at the anastomosis. The samples were evaluated at days 1, 3, and 7. Gross evaluation of anastomotic integrity was a secondary outcome. RESULTS: The self-forming magnet group displayed significant differences at each time point. On day 1, the stapled group displayed dense inflammatory cell infiltration and extensively ulcerated intestinal layers with significant edema. The self-forming magnet group showed less inflammatory infiltrate, and all intestinal layers remained compressed in direct apposition. By day 3, the self-forming magnet group already exhibited neovascularization with scant bacterial colonies. By contrast, stapled anastomoses had large areas of inflammation separating collagen fibers with prevalent bacterial infiltrations. On day 7, self-forming magnet anastomoses were characterized by robust neovascularization, maturing granulation tissue, and mucosal re-epithelization without significant inflammation. Meanwhile, stapled samples had persisting dense inflammation, tissue cavities with hemorrhage, and immature fibrous tissue. Grossly, the self-forming magnet created a patent lumen without defect, whereas stapled anastomoses demonstrated focal areas of serosal separation. CONCLUSION: Bowel anastomosis by self-forming magnets is associated with superior early histologic healing metrics, including early seal generation through mechanical compression, decreased inflammation, early neovascularization, lower bacterial infiltration, and faster re-epithelization.

Are IBD Patients Underscored when Determining Postoperative VTE Risk?

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following colorectal surgery and there is currently no consensus on post-surgical VTE prevention or specific VTE risk assessment tools. We sought to evaluate VTE risk after colorectal surgery and determine if known risk factors used in risk assessment tools adequate correlate with VTE risk in IBD patients. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) Participant User File from 2010 to 2018. RESULTS: A total of 27,679 patients were included; 19,015 (68.7%) had Crohn's disease (CD) and 8664 (31.3%) ulcerative colitis (UC). Of these, 16,749 (60.5%) underwent abdominopelvic procedures, 10,178 (36.8%) complex pelvic procedures, and 752 (2.7%) small bowel operations. The overall VTE rate was 2.3%. The VTE rate in patients with CD and UC was 1.8% and 3.6% (p < 0.001) respectively. Overall median time to VTE was 9 days after surgery. VTE rate was highest in patients who underwent complex pelvic procedures (3.6%; 361/10,178). A risk score was calculated using 16/40 available variables from the Caprini VTE Risk Assessment tool; risk score ranged from 3 to 12 points. Most patients that developed a VTE had a score between 3 and 5 points (75.6%), and only 24.5% had a score of 6 or higher. Patients with higher risk scores did not have a higher VTE incidence. CONCLUSION: Post-surgical VTE rates are high in IBD patients. Over half of the events occurred following discharge and in patients with an apparent low-risk score. Additional studies are warranted to define a recommended postoperative VTE prophylaxis regimen for patients with IBD.

Trends in the Management of Non-emergent Surgery for Diverticular Disease and the Impact of Practice Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Due to the rise in diverticular disease, the ASCRS developed practice parameters to ensure high-quality patient care. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of the 2014 practice parameters on the treatment of non-emergent left-sided diverticular disease. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using the ACS-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP). Elective sigmoid resections performed by year were evaluated and compared before and after practice parameters were published. RESULTS: Overall, 46,950 patients met inclusion criteria. There was a significant decrease in the number of non-emergent operations when evaluating before and after guideline implementation (P < .001). There was a significant decrease in the number of patients younger than 50 years of age operated electively for diverticular disease (25.8% vs. 23.9%, P = .005). Adoption of minimally invasive surgery continued to increase significantly throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Publication of the 2014 ASCRS practice parameters is associated with a change in management of diverticular disease in the non-emergent setting.

General Surgery Trainee Cases Over Time: Postgraduate Year Matters.

BACKGROUND: Trainees and attending surgeons alike have concerns about resident and fellow operative volume/breadth, competency, and overall readiness for practice. This is an important topic within surgical graduate medical education. Our goal was to analyze the change in general surgery trainee operative experience over time by postgraduate year. METHODS: Institutional operative records from two corresponding three-month time periods in 2009 and 2018 at the residency program's main hospital site were reviewed. Cases assisted on by general, vascular, or thoracic surgery trainees were included. The number of cases per level, combination of trainees in each case, and categories of cases were compared over time. RESULTS: There were 1940 cases in 2009 and 1967 cases in 2018 over the respective time periods. The distribution of trainees was different (P < .001), with a similar number of PGY-1 and fellow cases, a decrease in PGY-2 and PGY-5 cases, and an increase in PGY-3 and PGY-4 cases. The number of cases with two trainees, double scrubbed cases, increased from 19.6% to 26.8% (P < .001). In addition, there were differences in the resident years that double scrubbed cases together, an increase in robotic and endovascular surgery, and a decrease in open cases. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of cases shows that resident operative volume over approximately a decade has been largely preserved, with some change in the distribution of cases based on trainee level, an increase in cases with more than one trainee, and a rise of minimally invasive surgery with a corresponding decrease in open cases.

Immunohistochemical analysis of Tn antigen expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma and precursor lesions.

BACKGROUND: The Tn antigen (CD175) is an O-glycan expressed in various types of human adenocarcinomas, including colorectal cancer (CRC), though prior studies have relied heavily upon poorly characterized in-house generated antibodies and lectins. In this study, we explored Tn expression in CRC using ReBaGs6, a well-characterized recombinant murine antibody with high specificity for clustered Tn antigen. METHODS: Using well-defined monoclonal antibodies, expression patterns of Tn and sialylated Tn (STn) antigens were characterized by immunostaining in CRC, in matched peritumoral [transitional margin (TM)] mucosa, and in normal colonic mucosa distant from the tumor, as well as in adenomas. Vicia villosa agglutinin lectin was used to detect terminal GalNAc expression. Histo-scoring (H scoring) of staining was carried out, and pairwise comparisons of staining levels between tissue types were performed using paired samples Wilcoxon rank sum tests, with statistical significance set at 0.05. RESULTS: While minimal intracellular Tn staining was seen in normal mucosa, significantly higher expression was observed in both TM mucosa (p < 0.001) and adenocarcinoma (p < 0.001). This pattern was reflected to a lesser degree by STn expression in these tissue types. Interestingly, TM mucosa demonstrates a Tn expression level even higher than that of the adenocarcinoma itself (p = 0.019). Colorectal adenomas demonstrated greater Tn and STn expression relative to normal mucosa (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, CRC is characterized by alterations in Tn/STn antigen expression in neoplastic epithelium as well as peritumoral benign mucosa. Tn/STn antigens are seldom expressed in normal mucosa. This suggests that TM mucosa, in addition to CRC itself, represents a source of glycoproteins rich in Tn that may offer future biomarker targets.

Evaluation of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Surgical Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are multifactorial and occur at all stages of treatment, including surgical management. We aim to evaluate postoperative morbidity after abdominopelvic surgery among different racial/ethnic groups after surgical management of CD and UC and account for preoperative characteristics that may impact outcomes. METHODS: Patients were identified using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) file and merged with the targeted proctectomy (2016-2019) and colectomy file (2012-2019). All patients undergoing elective surgical management for ICD9/10 codes for CD and UC were included. The primary outcome was composite postoperative morbidity (CPM), a metric that identifies postoperative morbidity with available variables. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to test the association between race/ethnicity and other risk factors with CPM. Postoperative outcomes were evaluated using propensity score modeling with 1:1 matching without replacement as a secondary analysis. RESULTS: In both CD and UC, CPM was highest for Black patients with 27.5% (326) and 26.1% (81), respectively. Followed by Hispanic patients with a CPM of 21.1% (73) after surgery for CD (p < 0.001) and 21.2% (31) for Asian patients after resection for UC (p = 0.005). After regression modeling, we found increased odds of CPM for Black patients after surgery for UC (OR 1.48, p = 0.013) and CD (OR 1.17, p < 0.001). Following propensity score matching (PSM), stoma creation rates were higher in Asian (10.4%, p = 0.010) and Hispanic patients (11.9%, p = 0.030) undergoing surgery for CD. CONCLUSIONS: Black patients are at increased risk of morbidity after surgery for both UC and CD. Increased morbidity in an already vulnerable population warrants targeted interventions, specifically focusing on faster access to specialized care, preoperative optimization, and culturally competent discussions on the benefits of MIS approaches are warranted in order to improve postoperative outcomes.

Clash of the -itises: An Unexpected Case of Sigmoid Colon Vasculitis.

Vasculitis is an inflammatory process of the blood vessels, characterized by leukocyte infiltration in the vessel wall and reactive damage to the mural structures. They have a wide clinical spectrum and can present in a localized or systemic manner. Colonic involvement primarily manifests as abdominal pain and rectal bleeding. Less commonly, it can be associated with colonic perforation or anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery. We report a case of a 42-year-old man with a history of HIV and proctocolitis who presented with an unexpected vasculitis of the sigmoid colon.

Treatment burden of robotic gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC): a single western experience.

BACKGROUND: This study compares standard of care (SOC) open and robotic D2-gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) in the Western context of low disease prevalence, reduced surgical volume, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We hypothesized that robotic gastrectomy (RG) after NAC reduces treatment burden for LAGC across multiple outcome domains vs. SOC. METHODS: Single institution, interrupted time series comparing SOC (2008-2013) for LAGC (T2-4Nany/TanyN+) vs. NAC + RG (2013-2018). Treatment burden was a composite metric of narcotic consumption, oncologic efficacy, cumulative morbidity, and 90-day resource utilization. Predictors were evaluated via multivariate modeling. Learning curve analysis was done using CUSUM. RESULTS: After exclusions, 87 subjects with equivalent baseline characteristics, aside from male sex, were treated via SOC (n=55) or NAC + RG (n=32). All four domains of treatment burden were significantly reduced in the NAC + RG cohort compared to SOC (P=0.003). The odds ratio for excess treatment burden in the NAC/RG was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.07-0.72, P=0.0117) vs. SOC upon multivariable modeling, whereas the extent of resection (total/subtotal), tumor size, T-stage, sex, and early learning curve had no effect. Differences in treatment burden persisted in subgroup analysis for NAC (n=51). CONCLUSIONS: NAC + RG was associated with decreased treatment burden relative to SOC for LAGC. Frequencies of unfavorable hospitalization, adverse oncological outcomes, major morbidity, and narcotic consumption all decreased in this interrupted time series.

Omission of or Poor Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy Impacts Radial Margin Positivity Rates in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In the setting of multidisciplinary standardized care of locally advanced rectal cancer, preoperative chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision have become the mainstay treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate whether the lack of preoperative chemoradiotherapy or poor response to it is associated with higher radial margin disease involvement in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study using a publicly available database. SETTING: Data were collected from the proctectomy-targeted National Surgical Quality Improvement Project file from 2016 to 2017. PATIENTS: A total of 1161 patients were analyzed. They were categorized into 3 groups: patients who did not receive any preoperative chemoradiotherapy (28.6%), patients who received and responded to preoperative chemoradiotherapy (41.2%), and patients who received but did not respond to preoperative chemoradiotherapy (30.2%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Response to treatment was determined by using the American Joint Committee on Cancer pretreatment and final pathological staging. Circumferential radial margin was extracted from the targeted proctectomy file. RESULTS: Disease-involved positive circumferential radial margin was found in 86 (7.4%) cases. Positive radial margin was noted in 11 of 479 patients (2.3%) who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy and responded to treatment, 30 of 350 patients (8.6%) who did not respond or had a poor response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy, and 45 of 332 patients (13.6%) who did not receive preoperative chemoradiotherapy (p < 0.001). Regression analysis demonstrated that patients who do not receive preoperative chemoradiotherapy or have poor response to it have 6.6 and 4 times higher chances of having a positive radial margin. LIMITATIONS: There is a risk of selection bias, unidentified confounders, and missing data despite the use of a nationwide cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Omission of indicated preoperative chemoradiotherapy or poor response to it is associated with increased risk of radial margin positivity. More efforts are needed for standardized rectal cancer care with the appropriate use of preoperative chemoradiotherapy. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B467. LA OMISIN O LA ESCASA RESPUESTA A QUIMIORADIOTERAPIA PREOPERATORIA, AFECTA LAS TASAS DE POSITIVIDAD DEL MARGEN RADIAL, EN EL CNCER RECTAL LOCALMENTE AVANZADO: ANTECEDENTES:En el contexto de la atención multidisciplinaria estandarizada del cáncer rectal localmente avanzado, la quimioradioterapia preoperatoria y la escisión mesorrectal total, se han convertido en el tratamiento principal.OBJETIVO:Evaluar si la omisión de quimioradioterapia preoperatoria o la escasa respuesta, se asocia con mayor enfermedad del margen radial, en pacientes con cáncer rectal localmente avanzado.DISEÑO:Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo utilizando una base de datos disponible públicamente.AJUSTE:Se recopilaron datos del archivo del Proyecto Nacional de Mejora de la Calidad Quirúrgica dirigido a la proctectomía de 2016-2017.PACIENTES:Se analizaron un total de 1161 pacientes. Clasificados en tres grupos: pacientes que no recibieron quimioradioterapia preoperatoria (28,6%), pacientes que recibieron y respondieron a quimioradioterapia preoperatoria (41,2%) y pacientes que recibieron pero no respondieron a la quimioradioterapia preoperatoria (30,2%).PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:La respuesta al tratamiento se determinó utilizando el pre tratamiento y la estatificación patológica final, del American Joint Committee on Cancer. El margen radial circunferencial se extrajo del archivo de proctectomía dirigida.RESULTADOS:Se encontró enfermedad que abarcaba el margen radial circunferencial +, en el 86 (7,4%) casos. Se observó el margen radial +, en 11 de 479 pacientes (2,3%) que se sometieron a quimioradioterapia preoperatoria y respondieron al tratamiento, 30 de 350 pacientes (8,6%) que no respondieron o tuvieron una mala respuesta con quimioradioterapia preoperatoria y en 45 de 332 pacientes (13,6%) que no recibieron quimioradioterapia preoperatoria (p <0,001). El análisis de regresión demostró que los pacientes que no reciben quimioradioterapia preoperatoria o que tienen escasa respuesta, presentan respectivamente, 6,6 y 4 veces más probabilidades de tener un margen radial +.LIMITACIONES:Existe el riesgo de sesgo de selección, factores de confusión no identificados y datos faltantes a pesar del uso de una cohorte nacional.CONCLUSIONES:La omisión de la quimioradioterapia preoperatoria indicada o la escasa respuesta, se asocian a un mayor riesgo de positividad del margen radial. Se necesitan mayores esfuerzos en la atención estandarizada del cáncer rectal, con el uso adecuado de quimioradioterapia preoperatoria. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B467.

Procedure-specific Training for Robot-assisted Distal Pancreatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To train practicing surgeons in robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy (RADP) and assess the impact on 5 domains of healthcare quality. BACKGROUND: RADP may reduce the treatment burden compared with open distal pancreatectomy (ODP), but studies on institutional training and implementation programs are scarce. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center, cohort study evaluating surgical performance during a procedure-specific training program for RADP (January 2006 to September 2017). Baseline and unadjusted outcomes were compared "before training" (ODP only; June 2012). Exclusion criteria were neoadjuvant therapy, vascular- and unrelated organ resection. Run charts evaluated index length of stay (LOS) and 90-day comprehensive complication index. Cumulative sum charts of operating time (OT) assessed institutional learning. Adjusted outcomes after RADP versus ODP were compared using a secondary propensity-score-matched (1:1) analysis to determine clinical efficacy. RESULTS: After screening, 237 patients were included in the before-training (133 ODP) and after-training (24 ODP, 80 RADP) groups. After initiation of training, mean perioperative blood loss decreased (-255 mL, P<0.001), OT increased (+65 min, P < 0.001), and median LOS decreased (-1 day, P < 0.001). All other outcomes remained similar (P>0.05). Over time, there were nonrandom (P < 0.05) downward shifts in LOS, while comprehensive complication index was unaffected. We observed 3 learning curve phases in OT: accumulation (<31 cases), optimization (case 31-65), and a steady-state (>65 cases). Propensity-score-matching confirmed reductions in index and 90-day LOS and blood loss with similar morbidity between RADP and ODP. CONCLUSION: Supervised procedure-specific training enabled successful implementation of RADP by practicing surgeons with immediate improvements in length of stay, without adverse effects on safety.

Recurrence and Survival of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Rectum: Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: In 2010, the World Health Organization proposed that rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) be considered malignant. We hypothesized that patients with small, low-grade, locally excised tumors have a low risk of recurrence and death. METHODS: Retrospective review of institutional database 2006-2017 including consecutive adults with newly diagnosed rectum NENs. Outcome measures included risk of recurrence and 5-year overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 122 patients were diagnosed with rectal NENs. Most patients were asymptomatic and diagnosed during screening colonoscopy (80, 66.1%), had small tumors (median 0.6 cm, IQR 0.5-1) with intact muscularis propria on EUS (62/65, 95.4%), and were low grade (2017 WHO grades 1-2, n = 116, 95.1%). Lymph node and distant metastasis were found in 4 (3.3%) and 4 (3.3%) of patients, respectively. Patients were treated with local excision in 93.4% of cases with polypectomy (52, 42.6%), endoscopic mucosal resection (48, 39.3%), and transanal excision (14, 11.5%). Three patients (2.5%) required abdominoperineal resection or low anterior resection, and five patients (4.1%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Of 87 patients surveilled, 4 (4.6%) recurred at a median time of 1 year (IQR 0.6-8). Death from neuroendocrine neoplasms occurred in 5 (4.1%) patients, all with lymph node (1/4) or metastatic disease (4/5) on presentation. Median time to death from NEN was 0.8 years (0.7-2.4). Overall 5-year survival for patients with localized disease was 98.2% (95% CI 93-99.5, Fig. 1). CONCLUSION: Patients with small, low grade rectal NENs treated with local excision have excellent oncologic outcomes.

Time to surgery in thoracic cancers and prioritization during COVID-19: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has overwhelmed hospital resources worldwide, requiring widespread cancellation of non-emergency operations, including lung and esophageal cancer operations. In the United States, while hospitals begin to increase surgical volume and tackle the backlog of cases, the specter of a "second wave," with a potential vaccine months to years away, highlights the ongoing need to triage cases based upon the risk of surgical delay. We synthesize the available literature on time to surgery and its impact on outcomes along with a critical appraisal of the released triage guidelines in the United States. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review using PubMed according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines evaluating relevant literature from the past 15 years. RESULTS: Out of 679 screened abstracts, 12 studies investigating time to surgery in lung cancer were included. In stage I-II lung cancer, delayed resection beyond 6 to 8 weeks is consistently associated with lower survival. No identified evidence justifies a 2 cm cutoff for immediate versus delayed surgery. For stage IIIa lung cancer, time to surgery greater than 6 weeks after neoadjuvant therapy is similarly associated with worse survival. For esophageal cancer, 254 abstracts were screened and 23 studies were included. Minimal literature addresses primary esophagectomy, but time to surgery over 8 weeks is associated with lower survival. In the neoadjuvant setting, longer time to surgery is associated with increased pathologic complete response, but also decreased survival. The optimal window for esophagectomy following neoadjuvant therapy is 6 to 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, timely resection of lung and esophageal cancer should be prioritized whenever possible based upon local resources and disease-burden.