A Long, Unnerving Road: Malpractice Claims Involving the Surgical Management of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease.

BACKGROUND: Given their profound emotional, physical, and financial toll on patients and surgeons, we studied the characteristics, costs, and contributing factors of thyroid and parathyroid surgical malpractice claims. METHODS: Using the Controlled Risk Insurance Company Strategies' Comparative Benchmarking System database, representing ~30% of all US paid and unpaid malpractice claims, 5384 claims filed against general surgeons and otolaryngologists from 1995-2015 were reviewed to isolate claims involving the surgical management of thyroid and parathyroid disease. These claims were studied, and multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with plaintiff payout. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-eight thyroid and parathyroid surgical malpractice claims were isolated. The median time from alleged harm event to closure of a malpractice case was 39 months. The most common associated complications were bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury (n = 23) and hematoma (n = 18). Complications led to death in 18 cases. Patient payout occurred in 33% of claims (n = 42), and the median cost per claim was $277,913 (IQR $87,343-$783,663). On multivariable analysis, bilateral RLN injury was predictive of patient payout (OR 3.58, p = 0.03), while procedure, death, and surgeon specialty were not. CONCLUSION: Though rare, malpractice claims related to thyroid and parathyroid surgery are costly, time-consuming, and reveal opportunities for early surgeon-patient resolution after poor outcomes.

Reliability of Shear-Wave Elastography Estimates of the Young Modulus of Tissue in Follicular Thyroid Neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the reliability of shear-wave elastographic estimates of the Young modulus in thyroid follicular neoplasms. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this study, 35 adults with follicular nodules diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy were enrolled. A single sonographer examined all nodules in three planes (sagittal, transverse, and transverse center). Two raters independently placed ROIs in each nodule. Intra- and interrater reliability were computed as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and were reported using the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies. RESULTS: Thirty-five subjects with 35 follicular pattern nodules diagnosed by FNA biopsy were enrolled; 23 (65.7%) patients were female, with a mean age of 55.1 years (range, 23-85 years). For rater 1, intrarater agreement showed ICCs for single measurements of 0.87, 0.87, and 0.90 in the sagittal, transverse, and transverse center plans, respectively; ICCs for the median of multiple measurements were 0.97, 0.94, and 0.96 in the sagittal, transverse, and transverse center planes, respectively. For rater 2, intrarater agreement showed ICCs for single measurements of 0.94, 0.86, and 0.92 in the sagittal, transverse, and transverse center planes, respectively; ICCs for the median of multiple measurements were 0.97, 0.92, and 0.96 in the sagittal, transverse, and transverse center planes, respectively. Interrater agreement between measurements performed for the same subject showed ICCs for single measurements of 0.87, 0.87, and 0.80 in the sagittal, transverse, and transverse center planes, respectively; ICCs for the median of multiple measurements were 0.96, 0.93, and 0.92 in the sagittal, transverse, and transverse center planes, respectively. CONCLUSION: ROI placement is a reliable method for estimating the Young modulus of tissue in follicular thyroid nodules.

Shear-Wave Elastography for the Preoperative Risk Stratification of Follicular-patterned Lesions of the Thyroid: Diagnostic Accuracy and Optimal Measurement Plane.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of shear-wave elastography (SWE) for the diagnosis of malignancy in follicular lesions and to identify the optimal SWE measurement plane. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant, single-institution, prospective pilot study. Subjects scheduled for surgery after a previous fine-needle aspiration report of "atypia of undetermined significance" or "follicular lesion of undetermined significance," "suspicion for follicular neoplasm," or "suspicion for Hurthle cell neoplasm," were enrolled after obtaining informed consent. Subjects underwent conventional ultrasonography (US), Doppler evaluation, and SWE preoperatively, and their predictive value for thyroid malignancy was evaluated relative to the reference standard of surgical pathologic findings. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (12 men, 23 women) with a mean age of 55 years (range, 23-85 years) and a fine-needle aspiration diagnosis of atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (n = 16), suspicion for follicular neoplasm (n = 14), and suspicion for Hurthle cell neoplasm (n = 5) were enrolled in the study. Male sex was a statistically significant (P = .02) predictor of malignancy, but age was not. No sonographic morphologic parameter, including nodule size, microcalcification, macrocalcification, halo sign, taller than wide dimension, or hypoechogenicity, was associated with malignancy. Similarly, no Doppler feature, including intranodular vascularity, pulsatility index, resistive index, or peak-systolic velocity, was associated with malignancy. Higher median SWE tissue Young modulus estimates from the transverse insonation plane were associated with malignancy, yielding an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.62, 1.00) for differentiation of malignant from benign nodules. At a cutoff value of 22.3 kPa, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 82%, 88%, 75%, and 91%, respectively, were observed. CONCLUSION: This prospective pilot study indicates that SWE may be a valuable tool in preoperative malignancy risk assessment of follicular-patterned thyroid nodules.

Incorporating Well-Being into Mentorship Meetings: A Case Demonstration at Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Surgery a Harvard Medical School Affiliate.

Surgeons have been under great pressure during the COVID pandemic. Their careers are filled with fast paced decisions, life and death situations, and long hours at work. The COVID pandemic created more tasks and even new responsibilities at times, but when the operating rooms were closed down, there was less work. The COVID experience invited the opportunity to rethink mentoring in the surgery department at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The leadership experimented with a new style of mentoring which involved a team approach. In addition, they tried something else that was new: adding a lifestyle medicine expert and wellness coach to the mentoring team. The program was tested on 13 early stage surgeons who found the experience to be beneficial, and they commented that they wished they had it even earlier in their careers. Including a non-surgeon who was a lifestyle medicine physician and wellness coach added an element of whole person health that was acceptable to the surgeons and even embraced as the majority of them elected to follow up with one on one coaching after the mentoring meeting. This team mentoring program with senior surgeons and a lifestyle medicine expert is one that can be explored by other departments and other hospitals given its success at the department of surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Preoperative localization strategies for primary hyperparathyroidism: an economic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Strategies for localizing parathyroid pathology preoperatively vary in cost and accuracy. Our purpose was to compute and compare comprehensive costs associated with common localization strategies. METHODS: A decision-analytic model was developed to evaluate comprehensive, short-term costs of parathyroid localization strategies for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Eight strategies were compared. Probabilities of accurate localization were extracted from the literature, and costs associated with each strategy were based on 2011 Medicare reimbursement schedules. Differential cost considerations included outpatient versus inpatient surgeries, operative time, and costs of imaging. Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine effects of variability in key model parameters upon model results. RESULTS: Ultrasound (US) followed by 4D-CT was the least expensive strategy ($5,901), followed by US alone ($6,028), and 4D-CT alone ($6,110). Strategies including sestamibi (SM) were more expensive, with associated expenditures of up to $6,329 for contemporaneous US and SM. Four-gland, bilateral neck exploration (BNE) was the most expensive strategy ($6,824). Differences in cost were dependent upon differences in the sensitivity of each strategy for detecting single-gland disease, which determined the proportion of patients able to undergo outpatient minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. In sensitivity analysis, US alone was preferred over US followed by 4D-CT only when both the sensitivity of US alone for detecting an adenoma was ≥ 94 %, and the sensitivity of 4D-CT following negative US was ≤ 39 %. 4D-CT alone was the least costly strategy when US sensitivity was ≤ 31 %. CONCLUSIONS: Among commonly used strategies for preoperative localization of parathyroid pathology, US followed by selective 4D-CT is the least expensive.

Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) for preoperative parathyroid localization: A good study but are we using it?

BACKGROUND: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) scan to localize abnormal parathyroid glands is diagnostically superior to ultrasound (US) and sestamibi. The implementation of 4D-CT imaging is unknown. METHODS: The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program (CESQIP) database from 2014 to 2018 was utilized. Patients with hyperparathyroidism undergoing an initial operation were included. The rate of US, sestamibi and 4D-CT performance was calculated for the entire study population, and for each institution. RESULTS: 7,959 patients were included. In 311(3.9%) patients, no preoperative imaging was recorded. Of patients with imaging, US was performed in 6,872(86.3%), sestamibi in 5,094(64.0%), and 4D-CT in 1,630(20.4%). The combination of US and sestamibi was most frequent (3,855, 48.4%). Institutional rates of 4D-CT performance varied from 0.1% to 88.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Of the imaging modalities, 4D-CT was utilized least frequently and with greatest variability. Given the high accuracy of 4D-CT, efforts to reduce this variation may improve overall preoperative localization in patients with hyperparathyroidism.

Safety of outpatient adrenalectomy across 3 minimally invasive approaches at 2 academic medical centers.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient adrenalectomy has the potential to decrease costs, improve inpatient capacity, and decrease patient exposure to hospital-acquired conditions. Still, the practice has yet to be widely adopted and current studies demonstrating the safety of outpatient adrenalectomy are limited by sample size, extensive exclusion criteria, and no comparison to inpatient cases. We aimed to study the characteristics and safety of outpatient adrenalectomy using the largest such sample to date across 2 academic medical centers and 3 minimally invasive approaches. METHODS: All minimally invasive adrenalectomies were identified, starting from the time outpatient adrenalectomy was initiated at each institution. Cases involving removal of other organs, bilateral adrenalectomies, and cases in which a patient was admitted to the hospital before the day of surgery were excluded. Patient, tumor, and case characteristics were compared between outpatient and inpatient cases, and multivariable regression analysis was used to assess odds of 30-day readmission and/or complication. RESULTS: Of 203 patients undergoing minimally invasive adrenalectomy, 49% (n = 99) were performed on an outpatient basis. Outpatient disposition was more likely in the setting of lower estimated blood loss, case completion before 3 pm, and for surgery performed in the setting of nodule/mass and primary hyperaldosteronism versus Cushing's syndrome, pheochromocytoma, and metastasis (P < .05). There were no significant differences in patient age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, procedure performed, or total time under anesthesia between inpatient and outpatient cases. On adjusted analysis, outpatient adrenalectomy was not associated with increased 30-day readmission rate (odds ratio 0.23 [confidence interval 0.04-1.26] P = .09) or 30-day complication rate (odds ratio 0.21 [confidence interval 0.06-0.81] P = .02). CONCLUSION: Outpatient adrenalectomy can be performed safely without increased risk of 30-day complications or readmission in appropriately selected candidates.

Practice patterns for surgical management of low-risk papillary thyroid cancer from 2014 to 2019: A CESQIP analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with low-risk-PTC who undergo thyroid lobectomy (TL) have comparable disease-specific survival with lower morbidity than total thyroidectomy (TT). We aim to describe the surgical management of low-risk-PTC using the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program (CESQIP). METHOD: CESQIP thyroidectomies of PTC tumors <4 cm were analyzed from 2014 to 2019 (n = 740). Postoperative outcomes were compared. Subgroup analysis examined temporal and institutional trends, and stratified for tumor size. Statistics utilized t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-squared. RESULTS: TT patients had greater hypoparathyroidism, operative time, and length-of-stay (all p < 0.001). Incidence of TL decreased with increasing tumor size (24.2% for <1 cm, 15.8% for 1-2 cm, 6.1% for 2-4 cm). TL rates increased from 2.0% in 2014 to 21.2% in 2018-19. Completion thyroidectomy was recommended in 12.0% of TL subjects. There was significant variation in TL rate by institution (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: For low-risk-PTC, TT remained the most commonly utilized operation. TL rates increased following release of the new ATA guidelines. TT was associated with higher perioperative morbidity. Further insight is needed to understand factors influencing operative approach.

Normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism: A Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program analysis.

BACKGROUND: Normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism may be more challenging to cure compared with classical primary hyperparathyroidism. The aim of this study was to utilize a multi-institutional database to better characterize this condition. METHODS: The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program database was queried for all patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism. Patient characteristics, operative details, pathology, and outcomes data were compared between patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism and those with hypercalcemia. RESULTS: Among 7,569 patients, 9.7% (733) were normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism. Mean age at surgery and sex were similar for normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism and primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia. The primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia cohort had a single parathyroid resected more frequently than the normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism group (73.3%% vs 47.5%, P < .05). Patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism had a higher rate of subtotal (3.5 gland) resection (10.0% vs 4.7%, P < .05). Pathology reported a higher frequency of multigland hyperplasia in the normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism cohort (43.1% vs 21.9%, P <.05). In the normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism cohort, 47 patients (6.4%) underwent remedial surgery compared with 307 patients (4.5%) with primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia (P < .05). The rate of clinical concern for persistent hyperparathyroidism was similar between the 2 groups (P = .09) but not reported in 25% overall. CONCLUSION: Patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism have higher rates of multigland disease and remedial surgery compared with primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia.

The Presence of Hürthle Cells Does Not Increase the Risk of Malignancy in Most Bethesda Categories in Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspirates.

Background: Hürthle cell/oncocytic change is commonly reported on thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and may be considered an "atypical cell" by clinicians. This study aims to delineate the association between Hürthle cells in preoperative cytology and subsequent pathology of the indexed thyroid nodule and to report rates of malignancy. Methods: Retrospective review of records of 300 patients with Hürthle cell/oncocytic change on FNA and final surgical pathology at a tertiary referral center between 2000 and 2013 was performed and compared with a multi-institutional FNA cohort. The degree of Hürthle cell presence was correlated with histopathologic diagnoses. Results: In the Hürthle cell FNA group, Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) categories were as follows: I (nondiagnostic) 14 (4.7%); II (benign) 113 (37.7%); III (atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance) 33 (11%); IV (follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm) 125 (41.6%); V (suspicious for malignancy) 12 (4%); and VI (malignant) 3 (1%). When categorized based on the degree of Hürthle cell change, 59 (29%) were classified as mild, 13 (6%) moderate, and 131 (65%) as predominant. When comparing the results with a multi-institutional FNA cohort (all with surgical confirmation), the presence of Hürthle cells was found to be associated with a lower risk of malignancy in all BSRTC categories, with a statistically significant difference in the BSRTC IV and V groups. The sole exception was when Hürthle cell presence was classified as predominant (defined as >75% of the cellular population); the rate of malignancy was significantly elevated in FNAs interpreted as benign/Bethesda II. Conclusions: Although Hürthle cells have been considered by clinicians as an "atypical cell," their presence does not increase the risk of malignancy within BSRTC categories overall. However, when predominant Hürthle cell change is present, the risk of malignancy is increased in the benign cytology/BSRTC category II.

Using Smartphones to Capture Novel Recovery Metrics After Cancer Surgery.

Importance: Patient-generated health data captured from smartphone sensors have the potential to better quantify the physical outcomes of surgery. The ability of these data to discriminate between postoperative trends in physical activity remains unknown. Objective: To assess whether physical activity captured from smartphone accelerometer data can be used to describe postoperative recovery among patients undergoing cancer operations. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted from July 2017 to April 2019 in a single academic tertiary care hospital in the United States. Preoperatively, adults (age ≥18 years) who spoke English and were undergoing elective operations for skin, soft tissue, head, neck, and abdominal cancers were approached. Patients were excluded if they did not own a smartphone. Exposures: Study participants downloaded an application that collected smartphone accelerometer data continuously for 1 week preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end points were trends in daily exertional activity and the ability to achieve at least 60 minutes of daily exertional activity after surgery among patients with vs without a clinically significant postoperative event. Postoperative events were defined as complications, emergency department presentations, readmissions, reoperations, and mortality. Results: A total of 139 individuals were approached. In the 62 enrolled patients, who were followed up for a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 147 (77-179) days, there were no preprocedural differences between patients with vs without a postoperative event. Seventeen patients (27%) experienced a postoperative event. These patients had longer operations than those without a postoperative event (median [IQR], 225 [152-402] minutes vs 107 [68-174] minutes; P < .001), as well as greater blood loss (median [IQR], 200 [35-515] mL vs 25 [5-100] mL; P = .006) and more follow-up visits (median [IQR], 2 [2-4] visits vs 1 [1-2] visits; P = .002). Compared with mean baseline daily exertional activity, patients with a postoperative event had lower activity at week 1 (difference, -41.6 [95% CI, -75.1 to -8.0] minutes; P = .02), week 3 (difference, -40.0 [95% CI, -72.3 to -3.6] minutes; P = .03), week 5 (difference, -39.6 [95% CI, -69.1 to -10.1] minutes; P = .01), and week 6 (difference, -36.2 [95% CI, -64.5 to -7.8] minutes; P = .01) postoperatively. Fewer of these patients were able to achieve 60 minutes of daily exertional activity in the 6 weeks postoperatively (proportions: week 1, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.31-0.49]; P < .001; week 2, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.40-0.58]; P = .003; week 3, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.30-0.48]; P < .001; week 4, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.38-0.57]; P < .001; week 5, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.42-0.60]; P < .001; week 6, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.68-0.79] vs 0.43 [95% CI, 0.33-0.52]; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Smartphone accelerometer data can describe differences in postoperative physical activity among patients with vs without a postoperative event. These data help objectively quantify patient-centered surgical recovery, which have the potential to improve and promote shared decision-making, recovery monitoring, and patient engagement.

Mindfulness in Surgery.

In the past 20 years, interest in mindfulness and its cultivation through various meditative practices has increased astronomically. This is reflected in the popularity of mindfulness training programs, its ever-widening exposure in popular culture, and in the number of scientific articles published on the topic. With the recent focus on burnout in the medical profession and reports of high levels of anxiety and depression among residents and staff physicians, the potential applications of mindfulness are becoming increasingly apparent in the hospital setting. Mindfulness meditation may be particularly useful for surgeons because they are required to maintain their presence of mind and mental focus in the setting of challenging physical and mental tasks. Furthermore, personality traits such as perfectionism and intensity, which may have facilitated success in the competitive environment of medical school and residency training, may later manifest as intolerance and impatience, contributing to frustration and anger. A mindfulness meditation practice may help reduce the tendency to react to these emotions, yet still allow surgeons to remain motivated to excel. This article provides a definition of mindfulness and describes its introduction to Western culture. The connection of a regular meditation practice to improvements in focus and performance are reviewed. The potential benefits of mindfulness training to a surgical career are discussed, and an approach to introducing mindfulness and meditation to individual surgeons and surgical departments is outlined. We hypothesize that the introduction of department-wide training programs in mindfulness and meditation could benefit surgeons with regard to technical performance, empathy toward patients, academic productivity, and general life and career satisfaction.

Predictors of an accurate preoperative sestamibi scan for single-gland parathyroid adenomas.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate why some patients with single parathyroid adenomas have negative preoperative sestamibi scans. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Twenty-one patients with false-negative (FN) scans were compared with 22 patients with true-positive (TP) scans. All patients had single parathyroid adenomas. INTERVENTIONS: Neck exploration and removal of parathyroid adenomas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age; sex; preoperative serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels; gland weight; location; and pathologic features. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in age or preoperative serum calcium or parathyroid hormone levels. Gland weight was greater in the TP group compared with the FN group (mean +/- SD, 1336 +/- 1603 mg vs 475 +/- 365 mg; P = .04); 13 (62%) of the 21 glands in the FN group were located in the upper position, compared with 6 (27%) of the 22 glands in the TP group (P = .03). Ten of the 22 glands in the TP group consisted predominantly of oxyphil cells, compared with 2 of the 21 glands in the FN group (P = .02). A multivariate logistic regression model yielded the following factors that predicted an accurate scan: higher percentage of oxyphil cells (P = .03), heavier gland (P = .03), female sex (P = .04), and gland location in the lower position (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Smaller-volume parathyroid adenomas and those in the upper position are less likely to be localized with sestamibi scans. A TP scan correlates with oxyphil cell predominance, supporting a role for the mitochondrial-rich cell in sestamibi uptake and retention.

Indications for Surgical Management of Hyperparathyroidism: A Review.

IMPORTANCE: Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is a common clinical entity, with approximately 100 000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Most patients with pHPT have a relatively mild form of the disease and present with few if any overt signs or symptoms. This has led to a dilemma regarding which patients should be considered for parathyroid surgery. In this article, we review the established literature on the indications for surgery in asymptomatic pHPT and discuss the most recent consensus conference guidelines. OBSERVATIONS: The reviewed literature suggests that there were improved outcomes among patients with asymptomatic pHPT who underwent curative surgery. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Most patients with pHPT should be considered for parathyroidectomy. More randomized clinical trials are needed to strongly support a surgical recommendation for all asymptomatic patients with pHPT.

Measurement and Variation in Estimation of Quality of Life Effects of Patients Undergoing Treatment for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer incidence is increasing. The effect of diagnosis and treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an essential variable in the absence of a change in life span for the majority of patients. HRQoL instruments, with data useful for between-disease comparisons, are being increasingly used for health policy and outcomes evaluation. Variation exits among the instruments based on the impact of a specific disease. We assessed which of four well-validated, preference-based surveys detect changes in health and clinical intervention in patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: Four commonly used HRQoL questionnaires (Short Form-12v2® [SF6D], EuroQol-5D [EQ5D], and Health Utilities Index Mark 2 and 3 [HUI2, HUI3]) were administered to patients with the diagnosis of PTC at three perioperative time points during the first year of treatment. Clinicopathological and treatment course data were assessed for HRQoL impact including complications from surgery, re-operation for persistence/early recurrence, and adjuvant radioactive iodine treatment. We compared standard metrics, including ceiling effect, intraclass correlation coefficient, effect sizes, and quality-adjusted life-years between the four instruments. RESULTS: Of 117 patients, 27% had a preoperative diagnosis of anxiety or depression, 41% had regional lymph node metastases, three had distant metastases and 49% underwent adjuvant radioactive iodine treatment. The ceiling effect (i.e., proportion with a perfect score) was greatest with EQ5D and least with SF6D. Index scores ranged from 0.77 (SF6D) to 0.90 (EQ5D). All scores declined at two weeks postoperatively and returned to pretreatment levels at six months. The SF6D was the only instrument to exceed the conventional minimally important difference between all three time points. Quality-adjusted life-years were as follows: SF6D, 0.79; EQ5D, 0.90; HUI2, 0.88; and HUI3, 0.86. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reflect the general good health of PTC patients. The effect on quality of life is primarily related to emotional and social impacts of treatment. The results support the measurement of a similar underlying construct, although variation in detecting changes in health exists between the instruments. Of the instruments assessed, the SF6D is the most responsive to treatment effects and should be utilized in future economic analyses in this patient population.

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas, excluding gastrinoma.

In summary, neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas comprise a unique and relatively rare group of tumors, of which gastrinoma and insulinoma are the most common types. Insulinomas tend to be small, solitary and benign, with surgical resection curable in most cases. The remainder of the neuroendocrine tumors are usually large, and unlikely to be cured with surgery; their slow-growing nature, however, mandates aggressive surgical therapy; even in cases where metastatic disease is present. Somatostatin analogs such as octreotide, are used to control the symptoms of hormone secretion; they are generally less effective in patients with insulinoma than in those with the other neuroendocrine tumors. Streptozocin, 5-fluorouracil, and doxorubicin are the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents in metastatic neuroendocrine tumors; their efficacy is limited, and significant side effects limit their use. Finally, liver transplantation in very select patients may prolong survival and alleviate debilitating symptoms.

Systemic inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis by thrombospondin-2 using cell-based antiangiogenic gene therapy.

Recent studies indicate that continuous administration improves the antitumoral efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors, as compared with intermittent dosing, suggesting a potential role of gene therapy in antiangiogenic tumor therapy. We established a tissue-engineered implant system for the continuous in vivo production of thrombospondin-2 (TSP-2), a potent endogenous inhibitor of tumor growth and angiogenesis. Fibroblasts were retrovirally transduced to overexpress TSP-2 and were seeded onto biodegradable polymer scaffolds. After transplantation into the peritoneal cavity of nude mice, bioimplants maintained high levels of TSP-2 secretion over extended time periods, resulting in increased levels of circulating TSP-2. Bioimplant-generated TSP-2 potently inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis of human squamous cell carcinomas, malignant melanomas, and Lewis lung carcinomas that were implanted at a distant site. These results provide the first proof-of-principle for the feasibility and therapeutic efficiency of systemic, cell-based antiangiogenic gene therapy using biodegradable polymer grafts for the treatment of cancer.

Upper neck papillary thyroid cancer (UPTC): A new proposed term for the composite of thyroglossal duct cyst-associated papillary thyroid cancer, pyramidal lobe papillary thyroid cancer, and Delphian node papillary thyroid cancer metastasis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) is a common congenital anomaly, but TGDC carcinoma is rare. Thyroglossal duct cyst carcinoma management is controversial, especially that of the orthotopic thyroid gland. We aim to provide an insight into the pathologic basis of this management controversy through the review of 28 TGDC cancer cases, thus far the largest such series to our knowledge. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: Twenty-eight cases recorded as TGDC cancer in the hospital database were reviewed; their initial clinical diagnosis from medical chart review (DX1) and final pathological review diagnosis (DX2) through pathology slides review by our pathologist (blinded to DX1) were compared. The thyroid gland management and pathology were evaluated. RESULTS: In the 28 TGDC carcinoma (hospital-recorded diagnosis) patients, DX1 and DX2 were respectively reported as 53% and 14% TGDC carcinoma, 11% and 29% as pyramidal lobe primary, and 4% and 25% as metastatic Delphian node. Thirty-two percent of cases were in the indeterminate category, in both DX1 and DX2, but included different patients. Thyroidectomy was performed in 54% of the cases, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) was reported in 37% of these thyroid glands. Concurrent thyroid gland malignancy was reported in all Delphian node and pyramidal lobe PTC patients. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of TGDC cancer comprises a heterogeneous group that includes true TGDC cancer, pyramidal lobe primary, Delphian node metastasis, and indeterminate cases. We propose a new terminology of upper neck papillary thyroid carcinoma (UPTC) to denote this heterogeneous group and recommend a rational algorithm for management. Correct pathologic subcategory and thyroid ultrasonography are essential for optimal management of thyroid gland in UPTC cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 126:1709-1714, 2016.