Evaluating variation in enhanced recovery for colorectal surgery: a report from the Surgical Care Outcomes Assessment Program.

Aim: Robust data demonstrate that enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) decrease length of stay, complications and cost. However, little is known about the reasons for variation in compliance with ERPs. The aim of this work was to confirm the efficacy of ERPs in a regional network, and to determine factors that are associated with ERP delivery in diverse hospital settings.

Using complications associated with postmastectomy radiation and immediate breast reconstruction to improve surgical decision making.

Objectives: To identify factors independently associated with surgical complications in oncologic and reconstructive surgery and to examine sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy data, along with variables that are typically known prior to definitive resection, for their ability to impact the prediction of need for postmastectomy irradiation (PMRT).

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: University hospital.

Characterizing the HER2/neu status and metastatic potential of breast cancer stem/progenitor cells.

Introduction: Treatment resistance, long latency, and high recurrence rates suggest that breast cancers arise from defective breast stem cells.

Hypothesis: Within cancers, subpopulations of cells will demonstrate differences in stem/progenitor potential, HER2/neu amplification, and gene expression. Related cells will be found in normal breast tissue.

Hepatic artery chemoinfusion with chemoembolization for neuroendocrine cancer with progressive hepatic metastases despite octreotide therapy.

Background: Hepatic metastases from neuroendocrine cancer dramatically reduce survival, introducing an important opportunity for intervention. Several treatment modalities have been examined, but an optimal treatment approach has been difficult to define. We evaluated a regimen combining hepatic artery chemoinfusion with chemoembolization.

Improved breast cancer survival among hormone replacement therapy users is durable after 5 years of additional follow-up.

Background: We previously reported that breast cancer patients who used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had significantly lower stage tumors and higher survival than never-users. We present an update with longer follow-up, HRT use data, and in vitro research.

Methods: Our database of 292 postmenopausal breast cancer patients was updated to include HRT type, duration, and disease status.