Impact of Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on lung cancer care in the US.

Background: Healthcare disparities significantly affect access to care and outcomes in lung cancer patients. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion (ME) was enacted with the aim of improving access to quality and affordable healthcare. This study aims to determine the impact of ME on access to care and outcomes for patients with lung cancer.

Esophageal perforation after anterior cervical spine surgery.

Objective: To report our updated experience in the management of esophageal perforation resulting from anterior cervical spine surgery, and to compare two wound management approaches.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients managed for esophageal perforations resulting from anterior cervical spine surgery (2007-2020). We examine outcomes based on 2 wound management approaches: closed (closed incision over a drain) versus open (left open to heal by secondary intention).

Trends and predictors of inflation-adjusted costs in transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement in a nationally representative sample.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has become an accepted alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement. We examined the trends and predictors in inflation-adjusted costs of transcatheter aortic valve replacement and surgical aortic valve replacement.

Methods: National Inpatient Sample identified patients who underwent aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions, codes.

Thymic Neuroendocrine Tumors and Thymic Carcinoma: Demographics, Treatment, and Survival.

Objective: Although rare, thymic neuroendocrine tumors (TNET) and thymic carcinoma (TC) are the most common thymic nonthymomatous malignancies; their survival outcomes have not been thoroughly compared. We analyzed the clinical, treatment, and survival characteristics of TNET and TC.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with a histologic diagnosis of TNET or TC in the National Cancer Database (2004 to 2015).

The Revised 2017 MSPE: Better, But Not "Outstanding".

Aim: The medical student performance evaluation (MSPE) is relied on as an objective summary evaluation by surgical program directors. In 2017, an MSPE task force released recommendations for best practice for their format and content. The purpose of this study was to analyze US medical schools' adherence to these guidelines.

Establishment of a Regional Virtual Tumor Board Program to Improve the Process of Care for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: Multidisciplinary evaluation (MDE) of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is the current standard, often provided through a tumor board (TB) forum; this standard is limited by oncology workforce shortages and lack of a TB at every institution. Virtual TBs (VTBs) may help overcome these limitations. Our study aim was to assess the impact of a regional VTB on the MDE process for patients with HCC.