Preoperative Evaluation of Thyroid Cancer: A Review of Current Best Practices.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of thyroid cancer has significantly increased in recent decades. Although most thyroid cancers are small and carry an excellent prognosis, a subset of patients present with advanced thyroid cancer, which is associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality. The management of thyroid cancer requires a thoughtful individualized approach to optimize oncologic outcomes and minimize morbidity associated with treatment. Because endocrinologists usually play a key role in the initial diagnosis and evaluation of thyroid cancers, a thorough understanding of the critical components of the preoperative evaluation facilitates the development of a timely and comprehensive management plan. The following review outlines considerations in the preoperative evaluation of patients with thyroid cancer. METHODS: A clinical review based on current literature was generated by a multidisciplinary author panel. RESULTS: A review of considerations in the preoperative evaluation of thyroid cancer is provided. The topic areas include initial clinical evaluation, imaging modalities, cytologic evaluation, and the evolving role of mutational testing. Special considerations in the management of advanced thyroid cancer are discussed. CONCLUSION: Thorough and thoughtful preoperative evaluation is critical for formulating an appropriate treatment strategy in the management of thyroid cancer.

Prophylactic Central Neck Dissection in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: All Risks, No Reward.

BACKGROUND: Central neck dissection (CND) remains a controversial intervention for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with clinically negative nodes (cN0) in the central compartment. Proponents state that CND in cN0 patients prevents locoregional recurrence, while opponents deem that the risks of complications outweigh any potential benefit. Thus, there remains conflicting results amongst studies assessing oncologic and surgical outcomes in cN0 PTC patients who undergo CND. To provide clarity to this controversy, we sought to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and oncologic impact of CND in cN0 PTC patients at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six hundred and ninety-five patients with PTC who underwent thyroidectomy at our institution between 1998 and 2018 were identified using an institutional cancer registry and supplemental electronic medical record queries. Patients were stratified by whether or not they underwent CND; identified as CND(+) or CND(-), respectively. Patients were also stratified by whether or not they received adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. Patient demographics, pathologic results, as well as surgical and oncologic outcomes were reviewed. Standard statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and/or t-test and chi-squared tests as appropriate. RESULTS: Among the 695 patients with PTC, 492 (70.8%) had clinically and radiographically node negative disease (cN0). The mean age was 50 ± 1 years old and 368 (74.8%) were female. Of those with cN0 PTC, 61 patients (12.4%) underwent CND. CND(+) patients were found to have higher preoperative thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) values, 2.8 ± 0.8 versus 1.5 ± 0.2 mU/L (P = 0.028) compared to CND(-) patients. CND did not significantly decrease disease recurrence, development of distant metastatic disease (P = 0.105) or persistence of disease (P = 0.069) at time of mean follow-up of 38 ± 3 months compared to CND(-) patients. However, surgical morbidity rates were significantly higher in CND(+) patients; including transient hypocalcemia (36.1% versus 14.4%; P < 0.001), transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury (19.7% vers us 7.0%; P < 0.001), and permanent RLN injury (3.3% versus 0.7%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients at our institution with cN0 PTC did not undergo CND. This data suggests that CND was not associated with improvements in oncologic outcomes during the short-term follow-up period and led to increased postoperative morbidity. Therefore, we conclude that CND should not be routinely performed for patients with cN0 PTC.

Utility of intraoperative frozen sections of thyroid tissue in the age of molecular testing.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to examine the correlation between preoperative ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration and intraoperative frozen section and examine the clinical benefit of frozen section in the context of the latest national guidelines on the management of differentiated thyroid cancer. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of thyroid frozen section from 2012 to2017 at one institution. SETTING: Tertiary care centre. PARTICIPANTS/MAIN OUTCOME: Patient demographics, fine-needle aspiration results, molecular testing results, frozen section diagnosis (classified as benign, indeterminate, or malignant), final pathologic diagnosis, initial planned surgery, actual surgery performed, need for additional surgery and complications were recorded. Complications included hematoma formation, hypocalcaemia (requiring readmission, symptomatic, or >24-hour stay post op) and recurrent or superior laryngeal nerve damage. RESULTS: 728 total patients had an intraoperative frozen section performed. A Thy 4/Bethesda V USGFNA diagnosis (n = 55) significantly correlated with a clinically important intraoperative frozen section (n = 17, P < .01). Intraoperative management was changed by the frozen section 53 times (7.2%). Molecular testing was sent on 92 USGFNA specimens, 80 of which were deemed "suspicious." Of the 49 patients whose management was upstaged intraoperatively, 29 (59%) would not necessitate a completion thyroidectomy under the latest UK and ATA guidelines based on final pathology. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative frozen sections rarely alter the pre-surgical plan and indeed may result in expanded surgery that could have been avoided based on latest UK and US guidelines. Molecular testing of indeterminate fine-needle aspiration results does not appear to predict meaningful intraoperative frozen section results.

Retropharyngeal abscess in a post-lung transplant cystic fibrosis patient with prior cervical fusion: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic, genetic, incurable disease that affects primarily the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. End-stage lung disease is the leading cause of death in people with CF, and lung transplant is required to preserve life. Anti-rejection medications are necessary post-transplant; however, these medications lower immune response and increase susceptibility to bacterial infections. Complications from infections post lung-transplant account for approximately 30% of CF-related deaths. Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a rare deep neck infection that occurs most commonly in children. This is the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian male with CF who developed a retropharyngeal abscess post wisdom teeth extraction that seeded into hardware from a previous cervical disc fusion. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient presented to the emergency department with severe neck and shoulder pain, limited range of motion in his arm and neck, and dysphonia. He reported feeling pain for 10 days and suspected the pain was caused by a weightlifting injury. The patient reported low-grade fever 5 days prior, which responded to acetaminophen. He was afebrile upon admission and in no respiratory distress. Diagnostic labs revealed WBC 22,000/uL and CRP 211 mg/L. The CT scan showed a large abscess in the retropharyngeal space between C2-C7. The immediate concern was airway obstruction and need for possible intubation or tracheostomy. The patient was transferred to ENT service with neurosurgery and transplant consults. The RPA was drained and lavaged. The cervical hardware was discovered to be infected and was removed. The source of the RPA infection was determined to be from the patient's wisdom teeth extraction 6 months prior to RPA. The patient received 8 weeks of intravenous ceftriaxone for Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia and underwent revision of his cervical fusion 3 months after hardware removal. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider prophylactic antimicrobial therapy for immunocompromised patients when they are at increased risk for transient bacteremia such as following invasive procedures (e.g., tooth extraction). Prophylactic antimicrobial therapy could prevent potentially life-threatening infections such as RPA in immunocompromised patients.

Revisiting a rare disease: Oral cavity basaloid squamous cell carcinoma at a high-volume tertiary center.

OBJECTIVES: Rare diseases are often poorly understood, and this study sought to investigate the incidence of a rare disease entity, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) of the oral cavity (OC) at a tertiary care medical center and to assess its clinical outcomes. METHODS: The aim of this study was to collect data in order to better understand how this rare disease progresses. This was a case series of patients with OC BSCC diagnosed between 2001 and 2018. RESULTS: 10 patients with primary OC BSCC were identified. Average age at diagnosis was 58 years (33-71). The median follow-up period was 11 months. Primary sites included oral tongue (n = 4), floor of mouth (n = 4), hard palate (n = 1), and retromolar trigone (n = 1). A majority (60%) of patients had pathologic T3/T4 tumors. All patients underwent primary surgical treatment. There was an overall 60% mortality rate: 2 died from metastasis at 1- and 3-months postop, 2 from unknown causes, 1 from sepsis at 1 month postop, and 1 from metastatic colon cancer. Average survival for those patients who died was 20.7 months. 4 patients were disease-free at the time of publication. CONCLUSION: There are few studies in the literature that seek to investigate cases of OC BSCC from a single institution. This is the first detailed case series of BSCC from a single American institution. Survival outcomes in our cohort were poor but demonstrate a variable course of disease burden. This study presents unique information regarding specific pathologic characteristics and patient outcomes for this rare disease.

The Obesity Paradox in Thyroid Surgery: Is Higher BMI Protective Against Hypoparathyroidism?

BACKGROUND: With a demonstrated association between adiposity and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, we hypothesized that patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) would have lower rates of postoperative hypoparathyroidism following total thyroidectomy. METHODS: retrospective review of patients undergoing total thyroidectomy from 2015 to 2021. Demographics, BMI, surgical indications, and laboratory data including pre- and postoperative PTH values were examined. RESULTS: Of the 352 patients with complete clinicopathologic data, most were female (n = 272, 77.3%) with an average age of 42.7 (SD+/-19.4). Obese (BMI 30-39.99) was most common BMI group (n = 108, 30.8%), with 11.7% (n = 41) morbidly obese (BMI > 40). Morbidly obese patients had significantly higher postoperative PTH levels than BMI < 18.5 (46.0 vs 19.3 pg/mL, P = .004). Patient race was significantly associated with pre- and postoperative PTH (P = .03, P = .004.) On multivariable analysis, preoperative PTH, race, and BMI were independent predictors of higher postoperative PTH (P < .05 for all). DISCUSSION: Patients with higher BMI and non-white race have relative protection from postoperative hypoparathyroidism.

Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in Preoperative Counseling for Head and Neck Cancer Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT, in preoperative counseling for patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-Sectional Survey Study. SETTING: Single institution tertiary care center. METHODS: ChatGPT was used to generate presurgical educational information including indications, risks, and recovery time for five common head and neck surgeries. Chatbot-generated information was compared with information gathered from a simple browser search (first publicly available website excluding scholarly articles). The accuracy of the information, readability, thoroughness, and number of errors were compared by five experienced head and neck surgeons in a blinded fashion. Each surgeon then chose a preference between the two information sources for each surgery. RESULTS: With the exception of total word count, ChatGPT-generated pre-surgical information has similar readability, content of knowledge, accuracy, thoroughness, and numbers of medical errors when compared to publicly available websites. Additionally, ChatGPT was preferred 48% of the time by experienced head and neck surgeons. CONCLUSION: Head and neck surgeons rated ChatGPT-generated and readily available online educational materials similarly. Further refinement in AI technology may soon open more avenues for patient counseling. Future investigations into the medical safety of AI counseling and exploring patients' perspectives would be of strong interest. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A. Laryngoscope, 134:2757-2761, 2024.

Preanalytical Phase Tumor Contaminants in Intraoperative Margins From Transoral Robotic Surgeries.

CONTEXT.­: Tumor contaminants were incidentally noted in frozen section margins of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. OBJECTIVE.­: To estimate the frequency of tumor contaminants in frozen section slides of patients who underwent surgery for pharyngeal cancer, and to characterize the surgical and pathologic context of these incidents. DESIGN.­: A retrospective search was conducted to identify pharyngeal resections from 2016 to 2022. Surgical pathology, operative reports, and frozen section slides were reviewed. Preanalytical phase tumor contaminants were defined as tumor contaminants that occurred in frozen section slides with or without occurrence in permanent slides. RESULTS.­: Eighty-one pharyngeal resections with intraoperative tumor bed margins for squamous cell carcinoma were identified. These included 308 tumor bed margins represented in 641 slides. Preanalytical contaminants occurred among 9 patients (11.1% of all and 21.4% of robotic surgeries) and in 3.8% of the 308 intraoperative tumor bed margins. A statistically significant association was found between contaminants and larger tumor size (Student t test, P = .04) and surgical approach (robotic versus open oropharyngectomy: Fisher exact test, P < .001). All patients with contaminants had intraoperative tumor disruption. Two frozen section deferrals (0.6%) and 2 discrepancies with final diagnosis (0.6%) attributed to contaminants were identified; however, clinical or surgical management was not affected in any patient. CONCLUSIONS.­: Preanalytical contaminants may cause confusion in intraoperative margin assessment. They are more likely to occur in margins of nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma resected by transoral robotic surgery if there is intraoperative tumor disruption. Rarely, preanalytical contaminants lead to frozen section deferral or discrepancy with final diagnosis.

Molecular Alterations and Comprehensive Clinical Management of Oncocytic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Review and Multidisciplinary 2023 Update.

Importance: Oncocytic (Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma is a follicular cell-derived neoplasm that accounts for approximately 5% of all thyroid cancers. Until recently, it was categorized as a follicular thyroid carcinoma, and its management was standardized with that of other differentiated thyroid carcinomas. In 2022, given an improved understanding of the unique molecular profile and clinical behavior of oncocytic thyroid carcinoma, the World Health Organization reclassified oncocytic thyroid carcinoma as distinct from follicular thyroid carcinoma. The International Thyroid Oncology Group and the American Head and Neck Society then collaborated to review the existing evidence on oncocytic thyroid carcinoma, from diagnosis through clinical management and follow-up surveillance. Observations: Given that oncocytic thyroid carcinoma was previously classified as a subtype of follicular thyroid carcinoma, it was clinically studied in that context. However, due to its low prevalence and previous classification schema, there are few studies that have specifically evaluated oncocytic thyroid carcinoma. Recent data indicate that oncocytic thyroid carcinoma is a distinct class of malignant thyroid tumor with a group of distinct genetic alterations and clinicopathologic features. Oncocytic thyroid carcinoma displays higher rates of somatic gene variants and genomic chromosomal loss of heterozygosity than do other thyroid cancers, and it harbors unique mitochondrial DNA variations. Clinically, oncocytic thyroid carcinoma is more likely to have locoregional (lymph node) metastases than is follicular thyroid carcinoma-with which it was formerly classified-and it develops distant metastases more frequently than papillary thyroid carcinoma. In addition, oncocytic thyroid carcinoma rarely absorbs radioiodine. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this review suggest that the distinct clinical presentation of oncocytic thyroid carcinoma, including its metastatic behavior and its reduced avidity to radioiodine therapy, warrants a tailored disease management approach. The reclassification of oncocytic thyroid carcinoma by the World Health Organization is an important milestone toward developing a specific and comprehensive clinical management for oncocytic thyroid carcinoma that considers its distinct characteristics.

Positive Deep Initial Incision Margin Affects Outcomes in TORS for HPV+ Oropharynx Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of initial incision margins (IIM) on clinical outcomes after transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for human papillomavirus positive (HPV+) squamous cell cancers of the oropharynx (OPSCC). METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing TORS for HPV+ OPSCC from 2007 to 2015 was performed. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), recurrence, and metastases were evaluated in the context of pathology, IIM, final margins, adjuvant therapy, and patient characteristics. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients with HPV+ OPSCC undergoing primary surgery were identified. 88% of these patients had no evidence of disease at the conclusion of the study (average follow-up 45 months). Twenty were identified that had true positive IIM and 16 had very close IIM, with the remainder demonstrating widely negative margins. Tumor very close to or involving the deep margin but not a mucosal margin was associated with a higher risk of recurrence. Perineural invasion and lymphovascular invasion were associated with positive IIM. Positive or very close IIM on the deep margin was found to impact DSS and recurrence. CONCLUSION: Obtaining negative IIM while performing TORS for HPV+ OPSCC is a modifiable factor that affects recurrence and DSS. Larger surgical margins should be considered in patients with perineural invasion or whose tumor abuts the initial deep margin. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:1132-1137, 2023.

Can a Multidisciplinary Endocrine Clinic be Beneficial for Patients and Surgeons?

BACKGROUND: Multidisciplinary clinics are expected to improve patient care by enhancing efficiency for both patients and care providers. We hypothesized that while these clinics are an efficient use of time for patients, they can limit a surgeon's productivity. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for patients evaluated in a Multidisciplinary Endocrine Tumor Clinic (MDETC) and Multidisciplinary Thyroid Cancer Clinic (MDTCC) from 2018 to 2021. Time from evaluation to surgery and prevalence of surgery were evaluated. Patients were compared to those evaluated in a surgeon-only endocrine surgery clinic (ESC) from 2017 to 2021. Chi-square and t-tests were used to test significance. RESULTS: Patients referred to the ESC underwent surgery more often than those referred to either multidisciplinary clinic (ESC 79.5%, MDETC 24.6%, MDTCC 7%; P < .001) but had a significantly longer delay between appointment and operation (ESC 19.9 days, MDETC 3.3 days, MDTCC 16.4 days; P < .001). Patients had a longer wait from referral to appointment for the MDCs (ESC 22.6 days, MDETC: 44.5, MDTCC 33; P < .05). There was no significant difference in miles traveled by patients to any clinic. CONCLUSION: Multidisciplinary clinics can provide fewer appointments and faster time to surgery for patients but may lead to longer wait time from referral to appointment and fewer overall surgeries than endocrine surgeon-only clinics.

Mediastinal parathyroidectomy: Utilization of a multidisciplinary, robotic-assisted transthoracic approach in challenging cases.

BACKGROUND: The majority of ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenomas are accessible transcervically and those not amenable to this approach pose a significant clinical and technical challenge. METHODS: Retrospective review of transthoracic robot-assisted mediastinal parathyroidectomy (TTRMP) for primary hyperparathyroidism between 2012 and 2019 at a single institution. RESULTS: 16 patients underwent TTRMP, 63% were female with a mean age of 64 ± 2.0 years. Nine of 16 had prior parathyroidectomy; 80% had persistent disease and a mean 2.8-year delay from index operation until TTRMP. Locations included: intrathymic (8), AP window (4), carina (3), and retroesophageal (1). Two patients underwent parathyroid reimplantation. Mean post-operative calcium and PTH were 9.2 ± 0.2 mg/dL and 20.2 ± 5.6 pg/mL, respectively. Complications included: temporary hypocalcemia (4), permanent hypocalcemia (1), DVT (1), hoarseness (1), and subcostal neuralgia (1). CONCLUSION: In experienced hands, TTRMP is a safe and effective approach to mediastinal parathyroids not accessible transcervically. A multidisciplinary approach should be used in reoperative cases.

Clarifying optimal outcome measures in intermittent and continuous laryngeal neuromonitoring.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) techniques have evolved over the past decade into intermittent IONM (I-IONM) and continuous IONM (C-IONM) modes of application. Despite many prior publications on both types of IONM, there remains uncertainty about what outcomes should be measured for each form of IONM. The primary objective of this paper is to define categories of benefit for I-IONM/C-IONM and to clarify and standardize their reporting outcomes. METHODS: Expert review consensus statement utilizing modified Delphi methodology. RESULTS: I-IONM provides diagnosis, classification, and prevention of nerve injury through accurate and early nerve identification. C-IONM provides real-time information on nerve functional integrity and thus may prevent some types of nerve injury but cannot assist in nerve localization. Sudden mechanisms of nerve injury cannot be predicted or prevented by either technique. CONCLUSIONS: I-IONM and C-IONM are complementary techniques. Future studies evaluating the utility of IONM should focus on outcomes that are appropriate to the type of IONM being utilized.

Ambulatory Surgery vs Overnight Observation for Total Thyroidectomy: Cost Analysis and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare financial impact between patients undergoing ambulatory (same-day discharge) vs overnight admission after total thyroidectomy while showing associated surgical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center from October 2011 and July 2017. METHODS: Patients undergoing total thyroidectomy without concurrent procedures were selected for review. Demographics, comorbidities, admission status, postoperative outcomes including minor and major complications, charges, and costs were collected. Admission status was categorized as inpatient (admission to hospital ≥1 night) or outpatient (discharged from the postoperative recovery unit). Costs were obtained from all related hospital, clinic, and emergency department visits at the University of Alabama at Birmingham within 30 days of the original surgery. After statistical analysis, outcomes and costs were compared between inpatient and outpatient total thyroidectomy patients. RESULTS: Of 870 total thyroidectomy patients included for analysis, 367 (42.2%) met outpatient criteria. A total of 169 patients (19.4%) had a complication, and only hypocalcemia occurred significantly more in the inpatient group (14.3% vs 9.26%; P < .05). No complications occurred more frequently in the outpatient population. There were no mortalities. There was a statistically significant difference between the total cost of inpatient and outpatient thyroidectomies, with outpatient surgery costing on average $2367.27 less per patient (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Outpatient total thyroidectomy can lead to cost reduction in highly selected patients who have few comorbidities while remaining safe for the patient.

Improving Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstructive Care with a Novel Perioperative Checklist.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To appraise the utility of a novel EMR-based checklist for complex head and neck microvascular free-tissue reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: A prospectively collected retrospective matched cohort study from a single tertiary care academic institution. METHODS: A retrospective matched cohort study from an academic tertiary care center with 76 total patients analyzed for disease-specific and quality outcomes before and after implementation of an EMR-based checklist tailored to complex head and neck care. The intervention group consisted of 38 consecutive patients undergoing microvascular free tissue reconstruction after implementation of the EMR-based checklist strategy. A historic cohort of 38 patients was derived by matching patients meticulously for disease-specific and surgical characteristics. Primary outcomes included post-operative medical and surgical complications, intensive care requirements, 30-day reoperation rates, hospital length of stay, and completion of preoperative metastatic evaluations. Secondary outcomes included patterns of antibiotic administration, ultimate discharge dispositions, flap survival, and recognition of preoperative hypothyroidism in previously radiated patients. RESULTS: Implementation of the perioperative checklist yielded an overall reduction in major medical complications (10.5% vs. 29.0%, P < .05*), post-operative antibiotic administration (17.4% vs. 44.7%, P < .05*), hospital length of stay (median (IQR) days 6 (1) versus 7 (3.25), P < .05*), and improved metastatic evaluation completion (92.1% vs. 63.2%, P < .05*). There was an improved discharge disposition (92.1% vs. 73.7%, P < .05*). No difference was observed in major wound complications (50.0% vs. 57.9%, P = .49), 30-day re-operation rates (31.5% vs. 34.2%, P = .81), 30-day readmission rates (21.1% vs. 21.1%, P > .99), escalations to intensive-care (13.2% vs. 21.1%, P = .36), or flap survival (97.4% vs. 89.5%, P = .17). CONCLUSIONS: Use of our EMR-based perioperative checklist reduced major medical complications, post-operative antibiotic administration, hospital length of stay, and improved discharge outcomes for patients undergoing microvascular free-tissue reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E2251-E2256, 2021.

Head and neck oncologic surgery in the COVID-19 pandemic: Our experience in a deep south tertiary care center.

INTRODUCTION: The ongoing worldwide pandemic due to COVID-19 has forced drastic changes on the daily lives of the global population. This is most notable within the health care sector. The current paper outlines the response of the head and neck oncologic surgery (HNS) division within our academic otolaryngology department in the state of Alabama. METHODS: Data with regard to case numbers and types were obtained during the pandemic and compared with time matched data. Our overall approach to managing previously scheduled and new cases, personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization, outpatient clinic, and resident involvement is summarized. DISCUSSION: Our HNS division saw a 55% reduction in surgical volume during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We feel that an early and cohesive strategy to triaging surgical cases, PPE usage, and minimizing exposure of personnel is essential to providing care for HNS patients during this pandemic.

Electronic Cigarette Awareness, Use, and Perceptions among Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are an emerging trend, yet little is known about their use in the cancer population. The objectives of this study were (1) to describe characteristics of e-cig use among cancer patients, (2) to define e-cig advertising exposure, and (3) to characterize perceptions of traditional cigarettes versus e-cigs. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Comprehensive cancer center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Inpatient, current smokers with a cancer diagnosis. E-cig exposure and use were defined using descriptive statistics. Wilcoxon rank test was used to compare perceptions between e-cigs and traditional cigarettes. RESULTS: A total of 979 patients were enrolled in the study; 39 cancer patients were identified. Most cancer patients were women (59%), with an average age of 53.3 years. Of the patients, 46.2% reported e-cig use, most of which (88.9%) was "experimental or occasional." The primary reason for e-cig use was to aid smoking cessation (66.7%), alternative use in nonsmoking areas (22.2%), and "less risky" cigarette replacement (5.6%). The most common sources for e-cig information were TV (76.9%), stores (48.7%), friends (35.9%), family (30.8%), and newspapers or magazines (12.8%). Compared with cigarettes, e-cigs were viewed as posing a reduced health risk (P < .001) and conferring a less negative social impression (P < .001). They were also viewed as less likely to satisfy nicotine cravings (P = .002), to relieve boredom (P = .0005), to have a calming effect (P < .001), and as tasting pleasant (P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: E-cig use and advertising exposure are common among cancer patients. E-cig use is perceived as healthier and more socially acceptable but less likely to produce a number of desired consequences of cigarette use.