Textbook oncologic outcome in pancreaticoduodenectomy: Do regionalization efforts make sense?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Few empiric studies evaluate the effects of regionalization on pancreatic cancer care. METHODS: We queried the National Cancer Database to identify patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for clinical stage I/II pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2006 and 2015. Facilities were categorized by annual pancreatectomy volume. Textbook oncologic outcome was defined as a margin negative resection, appropriate lymph node assessment, no prolonged hospitalization, no 30-day readmission, no 90-day mortality, and timely receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariable regression adjusted for comorbid disease, pathologic stage, and facility characteristics was used to evaluate the relationship between facility volume and textbook outcome. RESULTS: Sixteen thousand six hundred and two patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy; 3566 (21.5%) had a textbook outcome. Operations performed at high volume centers increased each year (45.8% in 2006 to 64.2% in 2015, p < 0.001) as did textbook outcome rates (14.3%-26.2%, p < 0.001). Surgical volume was associated with textbook outcome. High volume centers demonstrated higher unadjusted rates of textbook outcome (25.4% vs. 11.8% p < 0.01) and increased adjusted odds of textbook outcome relative to low volume centers (odds ratio: 2.39, [2.02, 2.85], p < 0.001). Textbook outcome was associated with improved overall survival independent of volume. CONCLUSIONS: Regionalization of care for pancreaticoduodenectomy to high volume centers is ongoing and is associated with improved quality of care.

The impact of health insurance on cancer care in disadvantaged communities.

BACKGROUND: Individuals from disadvantaged communities are among the millions of uninsured Americans gaining insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The extent to which health insurance can mitigate the effects of the social determinants of health on cancer care is unknown. METHODS: This study linked the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries to US Census data to study patients diagnosed with the 4 leading causes of cancer deaths between 2007 and 2011. A county-level social determinant score was developed with 5 measures of wealth, education, and employment. Patients were stratified into quintiles, with the lowest quintile representing the most disadvantaged communities. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations and cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: A total of 364,507 patients aged 18 to 64 years were identified (134,105 with breast cancer, 106,914 with prostate cancer, 62,606 with lung cancer, and 60,882 with colorectal cancer). Overall, patients from the most disadvantaged communities (median household income, $42,885; patients below the poverty level, 22%; patients completing college, 17%) were more likely to present with distant disease (odds ratio, 1.6; P < .001) and were less likely to receive cancer-directed surgery (odds ratio, 0.8; P < .001) than the least disadvantaged communities (median income, $78,249; patients below the poverty level, 9%; patients completing college, 42%). The differences persisted across quintiles regardless of the insurance status. The effect of having insurance on cancer-specific survival was more pronounced in disadvantaged communities (relative benefit at 3 years, 40% vs 31%). However, it did not fully mitigate the effect of social determinants on mortality (hazard ratio, 0.75 vs 0.68; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer patients from disadvantaged communities benefit most from health insurance, and there is a reduction in disparities in outcome. However, the gap produced by social determinants of health cannot be bridged by insurance alone. Cancer 2017;123:1219-1227. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Colorectal cancer outcomes and treatment patterns in patients too young for average-risk screening.

BACKGROUND: Although colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines recommend initiating screening at age 50 years, the percentage of cancer cases in younger patients is increasing. To the authors' knowledge, the national treatment patterns and outcomes of these patients are largely unknown. METHODS: The current study was a population-based, retrospective cohort study of the nationally representative Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry for patients diagnosed with CRC from 1998 through 2011. Patients were categorized as being younger or older than the recommended screening age. Differences with regard to stage of disease at diagnosis, patterns of therapy, and disease-specific survival were compared between age groups using multinomial regression, multiple regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, and Weibull survival analysis. RESULTS: Of 258,024 patients with CRC, 37,847 (15%) were aged <50 years. Young patients were more likely to present with regional (relative risk ratio, 1.3; P<.001) or distant (relative risk ratio, 1.5; P<.001) disease. Patients with CRC with distant metastasis in the younger age group were more likely to receive surgical therapy for their primary tumor (adjusted probability: 72% vs 63%; P<.001), and radiotherapy also was more likely in younger patients with CRC (adjusted probability: 53% vs 48%; P<.001). Patients younger than the recommended screening age had better overall disease-specific survival (hazards ratio, 0.77; P<.001), despite a larger percentage of these individuals presenting with advanced disease. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CRC diagnosed at age <50 years are more likely to present with advanced-stage disease. However, they receive more aggressive therapy and achieve longer disease-specific survival, despite the greater percentage of patients with advanced-stage disease. These findings suggest the need for improved risk assessment and screening decisions for younger adults.

Hospital Ownership of a Postacute Care Facility Influences Discharge Destinations After Emergent Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify hospital characteristics associated with variation in patient disposition after emergent surgery. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Colon resections in elderly patients are often done in emergent settings. Although these operations are known to be riskier, there are limited data regarding postoperative discharge destination. METHODS: We evaluated Medicare beneficiaries who underwent emergent colectomy between 2008 and 2010. Using hierarchical logistic regression, we estimated patient and hospital-level risk-adjusted rates of nonhome discharges. Hospitals were stratified into quintiles based on their nonhome discharge rates. Generalized linear models were used to identify hospital structural characteristics associated with nonhome discharges (comparing discharge to skilled nursing facilities vs home with/without home health services). RESULTS: Of the 122,604 patients surviving to discharge after emergent colectomy at 3012 hospitals, 46.7% were discharged to a nonhome destination. There was a wide variation in risk and reliability-adjusted nonhome discharge rates across hospitals (15% to 80%). Patients at hospitals in the highest quintile of nonhome discharge rates were more likely to have longer hospitalizations (15.1 vs 13.2; P < 0.001) and more complications (43.2% vs 34%; P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, only hospital ownership of a skilled nursing facility (P < 0.001), teaching status (P = 0.025), and low nurse-to-patient ratios (P = 0.002) were associated with nonhome discharges. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries are discharged to a nonhome destination after emergent colectomy. Hospital ownership of a skilled nursing facility and low nurse-to-patient ratios are highly associated with nonhome discharges. This may signify the underlying financial incentives to preferentially utilize postacute care facilities under the traditional fee-for-service payment model.

Variation in Hospital Thromboprophylaxis Practices for Abdominal Cancer Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Venous thromboembolism remains a prominent cause of morbidity and mortality following cancer surgery. Although evidence-based guidelines recommend major cancer surgery thromboprophylaxis starts before incision and continues at least 7-10 days postoperatively, the extent to which the guidelines are followed is unknown. We assessed variation in thromboprophylaxis practices for abdominal cancer surgery in a regional surgical collaborative. METHODS: We studied abdominal resections for primary gastrointestinal, hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB), and neuroendocrine malignancies in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative from July 2012 to September 2013 (N = 2967 patients in 52 hospitals). We obtained detailed perioperative and postoperative pharmacologic and mechanical thromboprophylaxis information for patients without documented exemptions (e.g., active bleeding, allergy), and compared differences in procedure mix and operative complexity across hospitals based on their perioperative thromboprophylaxis rates. Additionally, we surveyed hospitals to identify variations in perioperative practice and barriers to prophylaxis administration. RESULTS: Overall, 40.4 % of eligible patients had perioperative pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis for abdominal cancer surgery, and 25.3 % of the highest-risk patients had evidence of inadequate postoperative prophylaxis (under-prophylaxis, either by dose or duration). Hospital perioperative thromboprophylaxis rates ranged from 0 to 96.1 %, and postoperative thromboprophylaxis rates ranged from 73.9 to 100 %. Epidural use was not independently associated with hospital pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis rates. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer than half of patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery receive perioperative thromboprophylaxis, and there is wide variation in hospital thromboprophylaxis utilization despite strong evidence-based guidelines supporting its use.

Variation in care in concurrent chemotherapy administration during radiation for locally advanced cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the usage of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (C-CRT) for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. METHODS: Patients with locally invasive cervical carcinoma diagnosed between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2012 from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were included. Outcomes for patients undergoing radiation therapy only, 'RT alone' group were compared to those receiving chemotherapy concurrent with radiation 'C-CRT group'. Trends in utilization of C-CRT and factors associated with the deviation from standard of care were explored. Lastly, the effect of hospital volume on utilization of C-CRT was investigated. RESULTS: A total of 18,164 patients undergoing definitive radiation therapy were available for analysis. Utilization of C-CRT increased from 72.4% in 2004 to 84.3% in 2012 (p-trend<0.001). After adjusting for patient, tumor, and treatment factors, a multivariable logistic regression model revealed increasing age, African-American race, Charlson-comorbidity index of ≥2, Medicaid insurance status, uninsured status, and Stage I disease were each independently associated with the lack of C-CRT. After adjusting for patient characteristics, low volume hospitals were noted to have overall significantly lower rates and greater variation in C-CRT administration. Patients in 'RT alone' group had an overall worse survival rate (adjusted-HR 1.47, 95%CI 1.4-1.56). CONCLUSION: Rates of C-CRT administration varied significantly across hospitals in the United States. Hospitals with a high case volume had higher rates and more consistent patterns of C-CRT administration. Furthermore, we identified independent factors, all of which represent noteworthy health disparities, associated with lower rates of C-CRT administration.

Impact of BMI on Ability to Successfully Create an IPAA.

BACKGROUND: IPAA is the surgical treatment of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis. Limited data exist on how obesity impacts the ability of the surgeon to successfully create an IPAA. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine how BMI affects the ability to successfully complete the operation. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted at a single tertiary care center. PATIENTS: We included all of the patients undergoing an IPAA for ulcerative colitis between January 2002 and August 2013 at our institution. A total of 1175 patients underwent proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis during the study period; 129 were not offered IPAA (reasons included patient preference (n = 53), advanced age/comorbidity (n = 28), obesity (n = 23), incontinence (n = 8), suspicion of Crohn's disease (n = 8), rectal cancer (n = 3), and other (n = 6)). Twenty-six patients had a concurrent cancer diagnosis, and 5 had a polyposis syndrome. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We used logistic regression modeling to estimate the association between BMI and unsuccessful pouch attempts. RESULTS: Of the 1046 patients offered IPAA, 19 (1.82%) could not be technically completed at the time of surgery. Increasing BMI was associated with a higher risk of not being able to technically perform IPAA (OR = 1.26 (95% CI, 1.17-1.34)). The chance of an unsuccessful pouch rose from 2.0% at a BMI of 30 to 5.7% at a BMI of 35 and 15.0% at a BMI of 40 (p < 0.01). The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve was 0.82. BMI explained 21% of the variation in pouch success rate. LIMITATIONS: This study is limited in its generalizability. Also, the verbosity within the operative dictations varied among surgeons, making it impossible to be certain which maneuvers were performed to gain length in each patient. In addition, we were limited to BMI as a surrogate for visceral obesity, and we did not include medical therapy at the time of IPAA attempt. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong association between increasing BMI and the ability to technically perform IPAA. Obese patients should be counseled to lose weight preoperatively to increase the probability of successful IPAA construction at the time of operation.

Risk-profiles and outcomes of multi-foetal pregnancies in adolescent mothers.

In this retrospective review of 468 mothers with a multi-foetal pregnancy in Detroit, we describe the risk-profiles and the obstetrical, maternal and foetal outcomes of multi-foetal pregnancy in 59 (13%) adolescents. Overall, most mothers were African American, did not have private insurance and all were unmarried. For most mothers, this was their first pregnancy (59.3%) and their first delivery (69.5%). Almost 50% presented to triage at least once during their pregnancy. Anaemia (78%) and hypertensive disorders (18.6%) were common in this age group. The majority of adolescents delivered preterm as 81.4% were <37 weeks and 49% were <34 weeks. Furthermore, the majority of infants (79%) had low birth weights (median: 1975 g, range: 365-3405 g). This contemporary report emphasises the need for multidisciplinary prenatal management and specialist supervision, as multi-foetal pregnancies in adolescents pose real risks and impact obstetrical, maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Critical evaluation of the scientific content in clinical practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Increasing pressures to provide high-quality evidence-based cancer care have driven the rapid proliferation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The quality and validity of CPGs have been questioned, and adherence to guidelines is relatively low. The purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the development process and scientific content of CPGs. METHODS: CPGs addressing management of rectal cancer were evaluated. We quantitatively assessed guideline quality with the validated Appraisal of Guidelines Research & Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. We identified 21 independent processes of care using the nominal group technique. We then compared the evidence base and scientific agreement for the management recommendations for these processes of care. RESULTS: The quality and content of rectal cancer CPGs varied widely. Mean overall AGREE II scores ranged from 27% to 90%. Across the 5 CPGs, average scores were highest for the clarity of presentation domain (85%; range, 58% to 99%) and lowest for the applicability domain (21%; range, 8% to 56%). Randomized controlled trials represented a small proportion of citations (median, 18%; range, 13%-35%), 78% of the recommendations were based on low- or moderate-quality evidence, and the CPGs only had 11 references in common with the highest-rated CPG. There were conflicting recommendations for 13 of the 21 care processes assessed (62%). CONCLUSIONS: There is significant variation in CPG development processes and scientific content. With conflicting recommendations between CPGs, there is no reliable resource to guide high-quality evidence-based cancer care. The quality and consistency of CPGs are in need of improvement.

Variation in Transfusion Practices and the Effect on Outcomes After Noncardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the patient-level effects of blood transfusion on postoperative outcomes and to estimate the effects of different transfusion practices on hospital-level risk-adjusted outcomes. BACKGROUND: Postoperative transfusion practices and their effects on short-term outcomes in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery are not well understood. METHODS: Demographic, operative, and outcomes data for 48,720 patients undergoing general or vascular surgery at 52 hospitals between July 2012 and April 2014 were obtained. The main exposure variable was receipt of any blood transfusion within 72 hours after surgery. Thirty-day mortality, any morbidity, infectious complications, and postoperative myocardial infarction were the outcomes of interest. Propensity score matching was used to minimize confounding by indication. Hospitals were categorized as having a restrictive, average, or liberal transfusion practice based on average trigger hemoglobin values. RESULTS: A total of 2243 (4.6%) patients received a postoperative blood transfusion. After propensity matching, a postoperative transfusion was associated with increased 30-day mortality (3.6% excess absolute risk), any morbidity (4.4% excess absolute risk), and infectious morbidity (1.0% excess absolute risk). However, a transfusion was associated with 3.5% absolute risk reduction in postoperative myocardial infarction. At the hospital level, there was a wide variation in transfusion practices. Hospitals with liberal practices were twice as likely to transfuse patients and had higher risk-adjusted mortality rates than restrictive hospitals (3.1% vs 2.2%; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Postoperative transfusions after noncardiac surgery are associated with increased adverse postoperative outcomes, with the exception of postoperative myocardial infarction. Hospitals that are liberal in their transfusion practices have higher 30-day mortality rates, suggesting potential interventions for quality improvement.

Time-to-readmission and Mortality After High-risk Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if mortality varies by time-to-readmission (TTR). BACKGROUND: Although readmissions reduction is a national health care priority, little progress has been made toward understanding why only some readmissions lead to adverse outcomes. METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional cohort analysis, we used 2005-2009 Medicare data on beneficiaries undergoing colectomy, lung resection, or coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 1,033,255) to created 5 TTR groups: no 30-day readmission (n = 897,510), less than 6 days (n = 44,361), 6 to 10 days (n = 31,018), 11 to 15 days (n = 20,797), 16 to 20 days (n = 15,483), or more than 21 days (n = 24,086). Our analyses evaluated TTR groups for differences in risk-adjusted mortality (30, 60, and 90 days) and complications during the index admission. RESULTS: Increasing TTR was associated with a stepwise decline in mortality. For example, 90-day mortality rates in patients readmitted between 1 and 5 days, 6 and 10 days, and 11 and 15 days were 12.6%, 11.4%, and 10.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). Compared to nonreadmitted patients, the adjusted odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) were 4.88 (4.72-5.05), 4.20 (4.03-4.37), and 3.81 (3.63-3.99), respectively. Similar patterns were observed for 30- and 60-day mortality. There were no sizable differences in complication rates for patients readmitted within 5 days versus after 21 days (24.8% vs 26.2%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical readmissions within 10 days of discharge are disproportionately common and associated with increased mortality independent of index complications. These findings suggest 10-day readmissions should be specially targeted by quality improvement efforts.

Pancreatic Resection Results in a Statewide Surgical Collaborative.

BACKGROUND: A strong relationship between hospital caseload and adverse outcomes has been demonstrated for pancreatic resections. Participation in regional surgical collaboratives may mitigate this phenomenon. This study sought to investigate changes over time in adverse outcomes after pancreatectomy across hospitals with different caseloads in a statewide surgical collaborative. METHODS: The study investigated patients undergoing pancreatic resection from January 2008 to August 2013 at Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) hospitals (1007 patients in 19 academic and community hospitals). Risk-adjusted rates of major complications, mortality, and failure to rescue were compared between hospitals based on caseloads (low, medium, and high) in early (2008-2010) and later (2011-2013) periods. Finally, the degree to which different complications explained changes in hospital outcome variation was assessed. RESULTS: Adjusted rates of major complications and mortality decreased over time, driven largely by improvements at low-caseload hospitals. In 2008-2010, risk-adjusted major complication rates were higher for low-caseload than for high-caseload hospitals (27.8 vs. 17.8 %; p = 0.02). However, these differences were attenuated in 2011-2013 (22.2 vs. 20.0 %; p = 0.74). Similarly, adjusted mortality rates were higher in low-caseload hospitals in 2008-2010 (6.2 vs. 0.8 %; p = 0.02), but these differences were attenuated in 2011-2013 (3.3 vs. 1.1 %; p = 0.18). Variation in major complications decreased, largely due to decreased variation in "medical" complication rates, with less change in surgical-site complications. CONCLUSION: Participation in regional quality collaboratives by lower-volume hospitals can attenuate the volume-outcome relationship for pancreatic surgery. Continued work in collaboratives with an emphasis on technical and intraoperative aspects of care may improve overall quality of care.

Multi-institutional assessment of sphincter preservation for rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sphincter-preserving surgery (SPS) has been proposed as a quality measure for rectal cancer surgery. However, previous studies on SPS rates lack critical clinical characteristics, rendering it unclear if variation in SPS rates is due to unmeasured case-mix differences or surgeons' selection criteria. In this context, we investigate the variation in SPS rates at various practice settings. METHODS: Ten hospitals in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative collected rectal cancer-specific data, including tumor location and reasons for non-SPS, of patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery from 2007 to 2012. Hospitals were divided into terciles of SPS rates (frequent, average, and infrequent). Patients were categorized as 'definitely SPS eligible' a priori if they did not have any of the following: sphincter involvement, tumor <6 cm from the anal verge, fecal incontinence, stoma preference, or metastatic disease. Fixed-effects logistic regression was used to evaluate for factors associated with SPS. RESULTS: In total, 329 patients underwent rectal cancer surgery at 10 hospitals (5/10 higher volume, and 6/10 major teaching). Overall, 72 % had SPS (range by hospital 47-91 %). Patient and tumor characteristics were similar between hospital terciles. On multivariable analysis, only hospital ID, younger age, and tumor location were associated with SPS, but not sex, race, body mass index, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, preoperative radiation, or American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class. Analysis of the 181 (55 %) 'definitely-eligible' patients revealed an SPS rate of 90 % (65-100 %). CONCLUSIONS: SPS rates vary by hospital, even after accounting for clinical characteristics using detailed chart review. These data suggest missed opportunities for SPS, and refute the general hypothesis that hospital variation in previous studies is due to unmeasured case-mix differences.

Extended sacropelvic resection for locally recurrent rectal cancer: can it be done safely and with good oncologic outcomes?

BACKGROUND: A multimodality approach to patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer that includes surgery is associated with a significant survival advantage when tumor-free margins are achieved. Patients with advanced tumors will require extended sacropelvic resection to optimize oncologic outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the safety, feasibility, and oncologic outcomes of extended sacropelvic resection for locally recurrent rectal cancer at our institution. DESIGN: A retrospective review identified 406 patients who had surgery for locally recurrent rectal cancer between 1997 and 2007. From this group, all patients who underwent a curative-intent sacropelvic resection were analyzed. SETTINGS: This investigation was conducted at an academic tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Thirty patients (24 male) were identified. Median age was 59 years (range, 25-84). Operations were performed for a first local recurrence (n = 24), a second recurrence (n = 5) and for a third recurrence (n = 1). INTERVENTIONS: Twenty-six patients underwent neoadjuvant radiation, and 20 received intraoperative radiation therapy. All patients underwent extended sacropelvic resection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were early (<30 days) and late (>30 days) surgical complications. Overall and disease-free survivals were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier technique. RESULTS: Margin-negative resection was achieved in 93%. The most proximal level of spinal transection was the fourth lumbar space, and 4 patients underwent lower extremity amputation. There was no mortality, and early morbidity was seen in 76%. Median follow-up was 2.7 years (range, 2 months to 10.8 years). Overall survival at 2 and 5 years was 86% and 46%. Disease-free survival at 2 and 5 years was 79% and 43%. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its retrospective nature and the limited number of patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found extended sacropelvic resection for locally recurrent rectal cancer to be feasible and safe with overall and disease-free survival rates in comparison with survival rates seen in patients undergoing nonsacropelvic resections for locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Tackling complex thoracic surgical operations with robotic solutions: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: The adoption of robotic surgery for general thoracic surgery has rapidly progressed over the last two decades from its application in basic operations to complex pathologies. As such, the purpose of this narrative review is to highlight the collective experience of tackling complex thoracic surgical operations with minimally invasive robotic solutions. Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed were conducted for each subtopic, using specific keywords and inclusion criteria. Once identified, the articles were screened through the abstract, introduction, results and conclusion for relevancy, and included based on a standard narrative review inclusion criteria. Key Content and Findings: The role of the robotic approach has increased in thoracic outlet syndrome, chest wall resection, tracheobronchomalacia, airway and sleeve lung surgery, lobectomy after neoadjuvant therapy, complex segmentectomy, giant paraesophageal hernia repair, esophagectomy and esophageal enucleation, mediastinal masses and thymectomy and lung transplantation. Robotic surgery has several advantages when compared to video-assisted and open thoracoscopic surgery. These include better pain control and aesthetic outcome, improved handling of complex anatomy, enhanced access to lymph nodes, and faster recovery rates. Although it is associated with longer operative time, robotic surgery has comparable morbidity rates. Conclusions: The robotic approach to complex thoracic problems is safe, effective, and associated with improved patient outcomes. To encourage wider adoption of robotic technology, increased training and expanded research efforts are essential, alongside improved worldwide access to this technology.

Fragmented care, Commission on Cancer accreditation, and overall survival in patients receiving surgery and chemotherapy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Increasing regionalization for esophagectomy for cancer may lead patients to travel for surgery at one institution and receive chemotherapy at another closer to home. We explore the effects on survival for care fragmentation, the Commission on Cancer status of secondary institutions providing chemotherapy, and the type of institution performing surgery. METHODS: We queried the National Cancer Database to identify all patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and received perioperative chemotherapy between 2006 and 2019. Patients were divided into single-center care, fragmented-to-Commission on Cancer care, or fragmented-to-non-Commission on Cancer care. We identified associations using multivariable logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: A total of 18,502 patients met the criteria for inclusion: 8,290 (44.8%) received single-center care; 3,414 (18.5%) fragmented-to-Commission on Cancer care; and 6,798 (36.4%) fragmented-to-non-Commission on Cancer care. Fragmented care was more likely in White patients (adjusted odds ratio = 1.25; P < .001) and in patients nonadjacent to a metropolitan area (adjusted odds ratio = 1.36; P < .001). Overall survival was equivalent between single-center and fragmented care, but undergoing an esophagectomy at an academic center was associated with improved survival (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.82; P = .016). In patients with an esophagectomy at a nonacademic center, overall survival was best if perioperative chemotherapy was administered at Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities compared with chemotherapy at fragmented-to-non-Commission on Cancer centers (P = .022). CONCLUSION: Most of the esophageal cancer care in the US is fragmented at multiple institutions. When care is fragmented, it is most commonly at non-Commission on Cancer centers for perioperative chemotherapy. Overall survival is best when esophagectomy is performed at an academic center, and perioperative therapy is administered at Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities.

En bloc chest wall resection in locally advanced cT3N2 (stage IIIB) lung cancer involving the chest wall: Revisiting guidelines.

Objectives: Current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend definitive chemoradiation rather than surgery for patients with locally advanced clinical stage T3 and N2 (stage IIIB) lung cancer involving the chest wall. The data supporting this recommendation are controversial. We studied whether surgery confers a survival advantage over definitive chemoradiation in the National Cancer Database. Methods: We identified all patients with clinical stage T3 and N2 lung cancer in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2017 who underwent a lobectomy with en bloc chest wall resection and compared them with patients with clinical stage T3 and N2 lung cancer who had definitive chemoradiation. We used propensity score matching to minimize confounding by indication while excluding patients with tumors in the upper lobes to exclude Pancoast tumors. We used 1:1 propensity score matching and Kaplan-Meir survival analyses to estimate associations. Results: Of 4467 patients meeting all inclusion/exclusion criteria, 210 (4.49%) had an en bloc chest wall resection. Patients undergoing surgical resection were younger (mean age = 60.3 ± 10.3 years vs 67.5 ± 10.4 years; P < .001) and had more adenocarcinoma (59.0% vs 44.5%; P < .001) but were otherwise similar in terms of sex (37.1% female vs 42.0%; P = .167) and race (Whites 84.3% vs 84.0%; P = .276) compared with the definitive chemoradiation group. After resection, there was an unadjusted 30- and 90-day mortality rate of 3.3% and 9.5%, respectively. A substantial survival benefit with surgical resection persisted after propensity score matching (log-rank P < .001). Conclusions: In this large observational study, we found that in select patients, en bloc chest wall resection for locally advanced clinical stage T3 and N2 lung cancer was associated with improved survival compared with definitive chemoradiation. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines should be revisited.

Fragmented care in localized pancreatic cancer: Is commission on cancer accreditation associated with improved overall survival?

BACKGROUND: Prior studies of fragmentation of care in pancreatic cancer have not adjusted for indicators of hospital quality such as Commission on Cancer accreditation. The effect of fragmentation of care has not been well defined. METHODS: We queried the National Cancer Database to identify patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy with perioperative systemic therapy for clinical stages I-III pancreatic cancer between 2006 and 2019. Patients who received systemic therapy at a center different than the center performing surgery were categorized as having fragmentation of care. Patients having fragmentation of care were further categorized on the basis of whether (fragmentation of care Commission on Cancer) or not (fragmentation of care non-Commission on Cancer) systemic therapy was administered at a facility accredited by the Commission on Cancer. RESULTS: A total of 11,732 patients met inclusion criteria; 5,668 (48.3%) underwent fragmentation of care, and 3,426 (29.2%) fragmentation of care non-Commission on Cancer. Patients undergoing fragmentation of care non-Commission on Cancer were less likely to receive neoadjuvant systemic therapy than those undergoing fragmentation of care Commission on Cancer or non-fragmented care (27.7% vs 40.1% vs 36.8%, P < .001). On Cox analysis, advanced age, comorbid disease, node-positive disease, and facility type were associated with risk of overall survival. Fragmentation of care was not (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [0.94-1.06], P = .8). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, there were no significant differences in 5-year overall survival between treatment cohorts. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing fragmentation of care for localized pancreatic cancer, those treated with systemic therapy in Commission on Cancer accredited facilities are more likely to be given neoadjuvant therapy but demonstrate no significant improvement in survival relative to those undergoing non-fragmented care or those undergoing fragmentation of care but receiving systemic therapy in nonaccredited facilities.