Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Colon: Evaluation of Treatment Modalities and Survival.

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma of the colon (CSCC) is a rare subtype of colon cancer. This study aimed to evaluate treatment strategies and overall survival. METHODS: Utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) database from 2008-2019, patients 18 years of age with CSCC colon where identified. Treatment strategies and overall survival was summarized using Kaplan Meier analysis and the log-rank test. Adjusted cox proportion hazard ratios were calculated to evaluate the effect of confounding variables. RESULTS: After exclusions, 153 patients met inclusion criteria. The most common treatment modalities included surgery alone (52.1%), surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (12.9%), and no treatment (26.4%). Kaplan Meier analysis revealed patients undergoing surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy had significant improvements in overall survival (log-rank p=0.002). Cox regression analysis revealed tumor grade (HR: 2.12 95% CI: 1.17-3.86) and receipt of chemotherapy (HR: 2.66 95% CI: 1.23-5.76) as the only factors associated with improvements in OS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing surgery in combination with chemotherapy had the best overall survival when compared to those that underwent surgery alone. Tumor grade and receipt of chemotherapy were independent associated with overall survival.

A Novel Approach to Analyze Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening and Mortality.

INTRODUCTION: Reducing disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates and mortality remains a priority. Mitigation strategies to reduce these disparities have largely been unsuccessful. The primary aim is to determine variables in models of healthcare utilization and their association with CRC screening and mortality in North Carolina. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of publicly available data across North Carolina using variable reduction techniques with clustering to evaluate association of CRC screening rates and mortality was performed. RESULTS: Three million sixty-five thousand five hundred thirty-seven residents (32.1%) were aged 50 y or more. More than two-thirds (68.8%) were White, while 20.5% were Black. Approximately 61% aged 50 y or more underwent CRC screening (range: 44.0%-80.5%) and had a CRC mortality of 44.8 per 100,000 (range 22.8 to 76.6 per 100,000). Cluster analysis identified two factors, designated social economic education index (factor 1) and rural provider index (factor 2) for inclusion in the multivariate analysis. CRC screening rates were associated with factor 1, consisting of socioeconomic and education variables, and factor 2, comprised of the number of providers per 10,000 individuals aged 50 y or more and rurality. An increase in both factors 1 and 2 by one point would result in an increase in CRC screening rated by 6.8%. CRC mortality was associated with factor 2. An increase in one point in factor 1 results in a decrease in mortality risk by 10.9%. CONCLUSIONS: In North Carolina, using variable reduction with clustering, CRC screening rates were associated with the inter-relationship of the number of providers and rurality, while CRC mortality was associated with the inter-relationship of social, economic, and education variables.

Disparities in Access to Bariatric Surgery in North Carolina.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to identify factors that contribute to disparities in access to bariatric surgery in North Carolina (NC). METHODS: Using the rate of bariatric surgery in the county with the best health outcome as the reference, we calculated the Surgical Equity Index (SEI) in the remaining counties in NC. RESULTS: Approximately 2.95 million individuals (29%) were obese in NC. There were 992 (.5%) bariatric procedures performed on a population of 194 209 individuals with obesity in the Reference County (RC). The mean SEI for bariatric surgery in NC was .47 (SD .17, range .15-.95). A statistically significant difference was observed in 89 counties. Univariable analyses identified the following variables to be significantly associated with the SEI: percent of population living in rural areas (% rural) (relative rate change in SEI [RR] = .994, 95% CI .92-.997; <.0001), median household income (RR = 1.0, 95% CI = 1.0-1.0; P = .0002), prevalence of diabetes (RR = .947, 95% CI .917-.977; .0006), the primary care physician ratio (RR = .995, 95% CI .991-.998; P = .006), and percent uninsured adults (RR = .955, 95% CI .927-.985; P = .003). By multivariable hierarchical regression analysis, only the % rural remained statistically associated with a low SEI (RR = .995 per 1% increase in % rural, 95% CI = .992, .998; P = .0002). DISCUSSION: The percent rural is the most significant predictor of disparities in access to bariatric surgery. For every 1% increase in % rural, the rate of surgery decreased by .5%. Understanding the characteristics of rurality that are barriers to access is crucial to mitigate disparities in bariatric surgical access in NC.

Early outcomes associated with de novo once-daily extended-release versus twice-daily immediate-release tacrolimus in a predominantly African American kidney transplant population: A single-center observational study.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to compare early outcomes of de novo LCPT (once-daily extended-release tacrolimus) to IR TAC (twice-daily immediate-release tacrolimus) in a predominantly African American (AA) adult kidney transplant population. METHODS: This is a single center, retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two cohorts: IR TAC (administered between January 1, 2017, and January 31, 2019) and LCPT (administered between February 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020). Primary endpoints were changes in tacrolimus trough levels (ng/mL) and estimated glomerular filtration rate up to 12 months post-transplantation. Clinical endpoints included graft survival, delayed graft function, biopsy-proven rejection, CMV viremia, and BK. A propensity score weighted generalized linear mixed effects model was used for analysis. RESULTS: The rate of change in tacrolimus levels was significantly higher in the LCPT cohort compared to the IR TAC cohort at 14 days post-discharge (.2455 ng/mL per day vs. .1073 ng/mL, respectively; p < .001). Subsequently, the LCPT cohort had a slightly higher rate of decline (-.015 ng/mL per day vs. -.010 ng/mL with IR TAC; p = .0894) up to 12 months post-discharge. Although eGFR was similar between the two cohorts at 12 months post-transplant, the rate of increase was slower in the LCPT cohort (.1371 mL/min per day vs. .1852 mL/min per day, p = .0314). No significant differences were found in graft survival, DGF, BPAR, CMV, or BK infection. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that despite higher early trough levels with immediate post-transplant LCPT use, clinical outcomes are comparable to IR TAC at one-year post-transplant. Notably, LCPT use does not increase the incidence of DGF and that this formulation of CNI can be used as first line therapy post-transplant.

Comparative analysis of hospitalization risk for incident heart failure in non-Hispanic Black versus non-Hispanic White individuals with type 2 diabetes on empagliflozin (Empa-AA): Insights from real-world data.

AIM: There are limited data to evaluate hospitalization for heart failure (hHF) in non-Hispanic Black (hereafter Black) or non-Hispanic White (hereafter White) individuals without previous hHF. Our goal was to evaluate the risk of hHF among Black versus White patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) who were initially prescribed empagliflozin using real-world data. METHODS: This multicentre retrospective cohort study included participants aged ≥18 years who had T2DM, were either Black or White, had no previous hHF, and were prescribed empagliflozin between August 2014 and December 2019. Our primary outcome was time to first hHF after the initial prescription of empagliflozin. A propensity-score (PS)-weighted analysis was performed to balance characteristics by race. The inverse probability treatment weighting method based on PS was used to make treatment comparisons. To compare Black with White, a PS-weighted Cox's cause-specific hazards model was used. RESULTS: In total, 8789 participants were eligible for inclusion (Black = 3216 vs. White = 5573). The Black cohort was significantly younger, had a higher proportion of females, and had a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease, hypertension and diabetic retinopathy, while the White cohort had a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease. After adjustment for confounding factors such as age, gender, coronary artery disease, hypertension and diabetic retinopathy, the hazard ratio for first-time hHF was not significantly different between the two racial groups [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.09 (0.84-1.42), p = .52]. CONCLUSION: This study showed no significant difference in incident hHF among Black versus White individuals with T2DM following a prescription for empagliflozin.

Racial Differences in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Molecular Profiling and Mutation Rates.

INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, racial disparities persist. The primary aims of the study were to: evaluate differences in molecular testing rates over time by race; and measure the incidence of tumor mutations by race in patients with metastatic CRC. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed of all adult patients with stage IV CRC (2008-2018) identified within the cancer registry of a large regional health system. Demographic/clinical characteristics were collected through primary data abstraction of the electronic health record. Molecular profiling results were obtained directly from Caris Molecular Intelligence and electronic health record. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-three patients were included: 40.5% (n = 155) were Black and 59.5% (n = 228) were White. Significant increases were observed in microsatellite instability (MSI), KRAS, and BRAF testing rates during the study period (P < 0.0001). The odds of testing over time increased more significantly in Black compared to White patients for MSI testing (White: odds ratio [OR] 1.26 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.41], Black: OR 1.69 [95% CI 1.41-2.02], P = 0.005) and BRAF testing (White: OR 1.42 [95% CI 1.26-1.62], Black: OR 1.89 [95% CI 1.51-2.36], P = 0.027). An increase in KRAS testing over time was observed for both cohorts and was independent of race (P = 0.58). Mutation rates did not differ by race: KRAS (Black 55.8% versus White 45.6%, P = 0.13) and BRAF (Black 4.8% versus White 10.0%, P = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: Within a large regional health system, molecular testing rates in patients with metastatic CRC increased significantly following National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline changes for both Black and White patients. Black and White patients who underwent molecular testing had similar rates of MSI, KRAS, and BRAF mutations.

Impact of timing of urgent coronary artery bypass grafting following coronary angiography on acute kidney injury.

OBJECTIVES: Prior studies have examined the association between timing of cardiac surgery after coronary angiography with risk of acute kidney injury, but this remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between interval from coronary angiography to urgent coronary artery bypass grafting with acute kidney injury, and to examine this possible effect in patients with preexisting kidney disease. METHODS: Patients from a single institution undergoing urgent, isolated coronary artery bypass grafting within 7 days of coronary angiography were included. Patients were subdivided by chronic kidney disease stage and angiography-to-surgery interval. Locally estimated scatterplot smoothing was used to evaluate the functional relationship of the probability of acute kidney injury and time interval. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated for each time interval group compared against the Day 0 to 1 interval group, controlling for multiple covariates. Analyses were repeated for each chronic kidney disease subgroup. RESULTS: A total of 2249 patients were included in this study. There were 271 (12.0%) patients with postoperative acute kidney injury. Plots demonstrated a decreasing risk of kidney injury from Day 0 to 1 to Day 3 following coronary angiography. Adjusted odds ratios also showed a significant decrease in risk of kidney injury on Day 3 compared with Day 0 to 1. Analyses repeated for each chronic kidney disease stage showed similar trends. CONCLUSIONS: For patients undergoing urgent coronary artery bypass grafting, there is a decreased risk of kidney injury in those having surgery on day 3 after coronary angiography compared with those having surgery on Day 0 to 1, regardless of preexisting kidney disease.

A Statewide Analysis of Predictors of Trauma Center Transfer: The Burden of Non-Clinical Factors.

OBJECTIVES: There is a perception, with mixed literary support, that patients are transferred from community hospitals to tertiary medical centers for non-clinical reasons (ie, payor, race, and admission time). Over-triage risks unequally burdening the tertiary medical centers within a trauma system. This study aims to identify potential non-clinical factors associated with the transfer of injured patients. METHODS: Using the 2018 North Carolina State Inpatient Database, patients with a primary diagnosis of spine, rib or extremity fractures, or TBI were identified using ICD-10-CM code and admission type of "Urgent," "Emergency," or "Trauma." Patients were divided into cohorts of "retained" (at community hospital) or "transferred" (Level-1 or 2 trauma centers). RESULTS: 11,095 patients met inclusion criteria; 2432 (21.9%) patients made up the transfer cohort. The mean ISS for all retained patients was 2.2 (±.9) and 2.9 (±1.4) for all transferred patients. The transfer cohort was younger (mean age 66 v 75.8), underinsured, and more likely to be admitted after 1700 (P < .001). Similar differences were seen regardless of injury pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Patients transferred to trauma centers were more likely to be underinsured and be admitted outside of normal business hours. These transferred patients had longer lengths of stay and higher mortality rates. Across all cohorts, similar ISS suggests that a portion of the transfers could be managed at a community hospital. After hours transfers suggest a need for more robust community hospital coverage. Intentional triage of the injured patient encourages appropriate utilization of resources and is crucial to maintaining high-functioning trauma centers and systems.

Patterns of Platelet Mapping Thromboelastography Abnormalities in Trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Platelet mapping thromboelastography (TEG-PM) to evaluate trauma induced coagulopathy has become more prevalent. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between TEG-PM and outcomes in trauma patients, including patients with TBI. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Database. Chart review was conducted to obtain specific TEG-PM parameters. Patients were excluded if they were on anti-platelets, anticoagulation, or received blood products prior to arrival. TEG-PM values and their associations with outcomes were evaluated using generalized linear model and Cox cause-specific hazards model. Outcomes included in-hospital death, hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS). Relative risk (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are provided. RESULTS: A total of 1066 patients were included, with 151 (14%) diagnosed with isolated TBI. ADP inhibition was associated with significant increase rate of hospital LOS and ICU LOS (RR per % increase = 1.002 and RR = 1.006 per % increase, respectively) while increased MA(AA) and MA(ADP) were significantly associated with decrease rate of hospital LOS and ICU LOS (RR = .993 per mm increase and RR = .989 per mm increase, respectively, and RR = .986 per mm increase and RR = .989 per mm increase). R (per minute increase) and LY30 (per % increase) were associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (HR = 1.567 and HR = 1.057, respectively). No TEG-PM values significantly correlated with ISS. CONCLUSION: Specific TEG-PM abnormalities are associated with worse outcomes in trauma patients, including TBI patients. These results require further investigation to understand associations between traumatic injury and coagulopathy.

Association of Rural Residence and Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Care for Locoregional Colon Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Incidence and mortality rates of colon cancer (CC) are higher in rural populations. This study aimed to determine whether rural residence is associated with differences in guideline-concordant care for patients with locoregional CC. METHODS: Patients with stages I-III CC from 2006 to 2016 were identified in the National Cancer Database. Guideline-concordant care (GCC) was defined as resection with negative margins, adequate nodal harvest, and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with high-risk stage II or III disease. Multivariable logistic regression (MVR) was performed to evaluate the association between rural residence and the odds of receiving GCC. Effect modification was evaluated using a two-way interaction for rurality by insurance status. RESULTS: Of 320,719 identified patients, 6191 (2%) were rural. The rural patients had lower income and lower educational status than the urban patients and were more often Medicare-insured (p < 0.001). The rural patients traveled farther (44.5 vs. 7.5 miles; p < 0.001), although time to surgery was similar (8 vs. 9 days). The two cohorts had similar resection rates (98.8% vs. 98.0%), margin positivity (5.4% vs. 4.8%), adequate lymphadenectomy (80.9% vs. 83.0%), adjuvant chemotherapy (stage III: 69.2% vs. 68.7%), and receipt of GCC (66.5% vs. 68.3%). In the MVR, the odds of receiving GCC did not differ between the rural and urban patients (odds ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.05%). Insurance status did not differentially influence the receipt of GCC by the rural versus the urban patients (interaction: p = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Rural and urban patients with locoregional CC are equally likely to receive GCC, suggesting that differences in cancer care delivery may not explain rural-urban disparities.

Association of distance traveled on receipt of surgery in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Studies have shown patients residing in rural settings have worse cancer-related outcomes than those in urban settings. Specifically, rural patients with colorectal cancer have lower rates of screening and longer time to treatment. However, physical distance traveled has not been as well studied. This study sought to determine disparities in receipt of surgery in patients by distance traveled for care. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients with AJCC stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma was identified within the National Cancer Database (2004-2017). Primary outcome was correlation of distance traveled to receipt of surgery. Multi-variable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding factors. RESULTS: 65,234 patients were included in the analysis. 94.6% resided in urban-metro areas while 2.2% resided in rural areas. Patients were predominantly non-Hispanic White (NHW) (75.2%) with an overall median age at diagnosis of 61 (IQR 52-71). Overall, 82.6% of patients received surgery. NHW patients were more likely to receive surgery than non-Hispanic Black patients (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.61-0.73, p < 0.001), as were patients who were privately insured (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.67-2.15, p < 0.001) or had Medicare (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.47-1.92, p < 0.001) compared to uninsured patients. Patients traveling distances in the 4th quartile (median 47.9 miles) were more likely to receive surgery than those traveling the shortest distances (1st quartile: median 2.5 miles) (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.24-1.50, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients traveling farther distances were more likely to receive surgery than those traveling shorter distances. Shorter distance traveled does not appear to be associated with higher rates of surgical resection in patients with stage II/III rectal cancer.

The Resource Costs of Maintaining Learner Utilization of a Simulation Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on surgical simulation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the costs and resources required to maintain simulation training in the pandemic and to evaluate how it affected exposure of medical students to simulation during their surgical clerkship. METHODS: The number of learners, contact hours, staff hours, and costs were collected from a multi-departmental simulation center of a single academic institution in a retrospective fashion. Utilization and expenditure metrics were compared between the first quarter of academic years 2018-2020. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate potential differences between overall resource utilization before and during the pandemic, and subgroup analysis was performed for the resources required for the training of the third-year medical students. RESULTS: The overall number of learners and contact hours decreased during the first quarter of the academic year 2020 in comparison with 2019 and 2018. However, the staff hours increased. In addition, the costs for PPE increased for the same periods of time. In the subgroup analysis of the third-year medical students, there was an increase in the number of learners, as well as in the staff hours and in the space required to perform the simulation training. DISCUSSION: Despite an increase in costs and resources spent on surgical simulation during the pandemic, the utilization by academic entities has remained unaffected. Further studies are required to identify potential solutions to lower simulation resources without a negative impact on the quality of surgical simulation.

Body mass index and risk of mortality in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Prior literature has demonstrated that bariatric surgery is a safe approach for patients with morbid obesity. However, the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and risk of mortality in these patients has not been fully elucidated. Primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between BMI and risk of mortality using data obtained from a national database, with a special focus on patients with BMI ≥ 70.0 kg/m2. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) undergoing first-time bariatric surgery between 2015 and 2018 was performed using data from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. Primary outcome was intra-operative death or death within 30 days post-operatively. Patients were categorized into quartiles according to BMI. Multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate the association of BMI with risk of mortality. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) are provided as measures of strength of association and precision, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 463, 436 patients were included with a 30-day mortality rate of 0.11%. Mean BMI (SD) was 48.2 (7.3) kg/m2; 1.5% of patients had BMI ≥ 70.0 kg/m2. On multivariable analysis, highest quartile patients had a significantly higher risk of mortality than lowest quartile patients. For patients with BMI ≥ 70.0 kg/m2, the risk of mortality was more pronounced with an eightfold increase compared to the lowest quartile. In patients with BMI ≥ 70.0 kg/m2, although sleeve gastrectomy (SG) was the most common procedure, the risk of mortality was significantly higher in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). CONCLUSIONS: BMI is associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality. The effect of BMI is more pronounced in patients with BMI ≥ 70.0 kg/m2. In these patients, RYGB is associated with increased risk of mortality compared to SG.

A population health assessment of screening mammography on breast cancer mortality in North Carolina.

PURPOSE: To identify predictors of screening mammography use and the effect of screening mammography on breast cancer mortality in North Carolina. METHODS: This cross-sectional study integrated publicly available data from government and private data repositories to model predictors of screening mammography and breast cancer mortality in North Carolina. RESULTS: In North Carolina during 2008-2010, on average, 68.1% of women aged 40-74 years underwent a screening mammogram in the previous two years (range: 38.7%-82.1). The ordinary least squares (OLS) regression demonstrated counties experiencing persistent poverty have mammography screening rates that are 4.3% less, on average, than counties without persistent poverty (estimate (SE) = - 4.283 (2.105), p = 0.045). As the percentage of women with a college education increases, the mammography screening rates increase by approximately 0.3% (estimate (SE) = 0.319 (0.078), P < .001) and as the health literacy score increases, the mammography screening rate decreases by 0.3% (estimate (SE) = - 0.318 (0.104), p = 0.003). These variables explain 7.0% of the variability in mammographic screening rates. The OLS regression analysis demonstrated that age-adjusted breast cancer incidence (Estimate (SE) = 0.074 (0.024), p = 0.003) and health literacy score (estimate (SE) = - 0.175 (0.083), p = 0.039) are significantly related to breast cancer mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental variables explain only a small percentage of the variability in the rates of screening mammography and breast cancer mortality in North Carolina. Advances in the available treatments are likely the major contributor to improving breast cancer mortality.

Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity among Healthy Young Adults over Seven Months.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a longitudinal study to estimate immunity produced in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among university students over seven months. METHODS: All participants were attending a public university and resided in Pitt County, North Carolina. University students enrolled weekly for 10 weeks between 26 August 2020 and 28 October 2020, resulting in 136 young adults completing at least one study visit by 17 November 2020. Enrolled students completed an online survey and nasal swab collection at two-week intervals and monthly blood collection between 26 August 2020 and 31 March 2021. RESULTS: Amongst 695 serum samples tested during follow-up, the prevalence of a positive result for anti-nucleocapsid antibodies (N-IgG) was 9.78%. In 22 students with more than one positive N-IgG serum sample, 68.1% of the group lost persistence of N-IgG below the positive threshold over 140 days. Anti-spike IgG antibodies were significantly higher among 11 vaccinated compared to 10 unvaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy young adults, N-IgG wanes below the detectable threshold within five months. S-IgG titer remained consistently elevated months after infection, and significantly increased after vaccination.

Disparate Access to Surgery for Operable Carcinoma of the Lung in North Carolina.

PURPOSE: Disparities in access to surgical care are associated with poorer outcomes in patients with cancer. We sought to determine whether vulnerable populations undergo an expected rate of surgery for Stage I-IIIA lung cancer in North Carolina (NC). METHODS: We calculated the proportional surgical ratio (PSR) to identify a potential disparity in surgery rates for early stage (I-IIIA) lung cancer, first in the five counties with the worst health outcomes (LRC) and subsequently the entire state. The reference was the five healthiest counties (HRC), initially, and then the single county with the best health outcomes. RESULTS: In 2016, 3,452 individuals with Stage I-IIIA lung cancer were diagnosed in NC of which 246,854 resided in LRC, whereas 1,865,588 resided in HRC. A total of 453 operable lung cancers were diagnosed in the HRC and 107 in the LRC. The observed lobectomy rate in HRC was 40.1% (range 20.2-58.3%) of early-stage lung cancer and 19% (range 12-36%) for LRC. The PSR was 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.35, 0.90). For all 99 counties across NC, the PSR ranged from 0.33 to 0.96 (mean = 0.49, standard deviation [SD] = 0.10). In a multivariable model, only other primary care provider ratio (relative rate per 100 increase = 0.997; 95% CI = 0.994, 0.999) was significantly associated with PSR. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals residing in LRC in NC are 42% less likely to undergo surgery for operable lung cancer than patients living in HRC. Understanding how factors impact access is key to designing informed interventions.