Merits of the social return on investment methodology for assessing the value of palliative care programmes.

Despite the widely accepted benefits of palliative care for individuals with serious illnesses and their families, the utilisation of this approach remains low. Although an increased use of palliative care services can increase the value of health-care spending by providing comprehensive wraparound services to support care, the economic evidence required to implement, promote, and engage in palliative care models on a wide scale eludes the affected individuals, health-care providers, payers, and policy makers. This gap in evidence is partly owing to the methodological limitations of standard value-assessment frameworks, which do not capture important societal dimensions of the value generated by palliative care.

Characterizing Patients with ypT0N1 Gastric Adenocarcinoma Within the AJCC Staging System.

Introduction: The standard of care for gastric cancer in the United States involves perioperative chemotherapy. While most post-therapy pathologic staging results are concordant (i.e.

Racial Disparities in the Use of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer.

Introduction: Racial disparities in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) utilization across gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are not well characterized. We evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in the use of MIS approaches and associated outcomes.

Methods: We analyzed a cohort of patients with GI cancer in the National Cancer Database (2010-2020).

Global, regional, and national mortality burden attributable to air pollution from landscape fires: a health impact assessment study.

Background: Landscape fire-sourced (LFS) air pollution is an increasing public health concern in the context of climate change. However, little is known about the attributable global, regional, and national mortality burden related to LFS air pollution.

Methods: We calculated country-specific population-weighted average daily and annual LFS fine particulate matter (PM) and surface ozone (O) during 2000-19 from a validated dataset.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Open, Laparoscopic, and Robotic Gastrectomy in the United States: A Retrospective Analysis of Perioperative, Oncologic, and Survival Outcomes.

Introduction: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is increasingly used in the surgical management of gastric cancer; however, its adoption lags that of other cancers. Most randomized controlled trials comparing MIS to open gastrectomy have been conducted in Asia, with limited data from the United States. This study aimed to compare perioperative, oncologic, and survival outcomes between open, laparoscopic, and robotic gastrectomy in a large US cohort.

Management of the Uninvolved Uterus and Adnexa During Routine Pelvic Peritonectomy in Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Varies by Histology and Menopausal Status: An International Survey of Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Surgeons.

Background: No guidelines exist regarding the management of the uninvolved uterus or adnexa (fallopian tubes and/or ovaries) in patients with peritoneal metastases (PM) from non-gynecologic malignancies. It is unclear whether salpingo-oophorectomy, hysterectomy, or both should be performed when a complete pelvic peritonectomy is otherwise warranted.

Methods: A 25-item electronic survey was sent to 225 surgeons worldwide who routinely perform cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Racial Disparities in Surgical Oncologic Research Funding and Impact on Diverse Populations.

Racial disparities in surgical oncology research funding significantly impact minority researchers and diverse populations. This review explores historical factors contributing to the underrepresentation of minorities in academic medicine. Strategies for addressing these disparities include enhancing diversity in the physician workforce and improving funding opportunities for minority researchers, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and reducing cancer care disparities.

The McMaster Cough Severity Questionnaire (MCSQ): a cough severity instrument for patients with refractory chronic cough.

Background: Cough severity represents an important endpoint to assess the impact of therapies for patients with refractory chronic cough (RCC).

Objective: To develop a new patient-reported outcome measure addressing cough severity in patients with RCC.

Methods: Phase 1 (item generation): A systematic survey, focus groups, and expert consultation generated 51 items.

The Use of Palliative Therapy in Patients With Advanced Retroperitoneal Sarcoma.

Introduction: Advanced retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) can include unresectable locoregional disease, systemic or multifocal intra-abdominal metastasis, or abdominal sarcomatosis, all of which are associated with high morbidity and may be addressed through palliative therapy. Current trends in the use of palliative therapy and factors associated with its use in patients with advanced RPS remain largely unexplored. The objectives of this study are to (1) describe the temporal trend in the use of palliative therapy and (2) identify factors associated with its use in patients with advanced RPS in the United States from 2004 to 2020.

Interdisciplinary solutions and collaborations for wildfire management.

The Earth system has long lived with fires, but the impact of climate change on fire regimes has led to extreme wildfire events with higher intensity and faster spread. This has effects on ecosystems and resources, air pollution, and, ultimately, human societies. Facing these compounding challenges require interdisciplinary solutions and collaborations.

Implementing Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Stakeholder Engagement Principles in Models of Palliative Care Delivery and Advance Care Planning Research.

Background: Given the many challenges of conducting research that addresses the palliative and end-of-life care needs of patients with serious illnesses, stakeholder engagement starting from the moment of study conceptualization and design is critical to ensure successful participant recruitment, data collection, intervention delivery, data analysis, and dissemination.

Methods: Guided by a conceptual model published by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) entitled, "Measuring What Matters for Advancing the Science and Practice of Engagement"14 and with the support of a PCORI Engagement Officer, representatives from 9 PCORI-funded study teams formed a working group to survey team members and review, outline, and describe key lessons learned and best practices for promoting stakeholder engagement in palliative care research.

Results: Almost all study teams engaged with patients/caregivers, clinicians, researchers, and health care system experts as stakeholder partners.

Triphasic Learning Curve of Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) is an effective but costly procedure for select patients with peritoneal malignancies. The impact of progression along a learning curve on the cost of these procedures is unknown.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC from 2016 to 2022 at a single quaternary center.

Association of anesthesia handovers with perioperative and short-term outcomes after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Background: Anesthesiologists transition patient care to combat clinician fatigue and accommodate shift limitations. Studies exploring the association of increased handovers with patient outcomes have conflicting findings. Here, we investigate the association of anesthesia handovers with perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

African American patient and caregiver attitudes and perceptions of community health workers as lay patient navigators in palliative care.

Background: Concurrent palliative care for patients with advanced cancer has been shown to reduce physical and psychological symptoms, and improve the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer. Underutilization of palliative care services, especially among African American patients with advanced cancer, remains an important public health problem. To address this gap, we developed a community health worker (CHW) palliative care intervention for African American patients with advanced cancer, which is being formally assessed through an ongoing effectiveness-implementation trial (NCT05407844).

Sociodemographic variation in the utilization of minimally invasive surgical approaches for pancreatic cancer.

Background: Minimally invasive pancreatic surgery (MIPS), when selectively utilized, has been shown to hasten recovery with outcomes comparable to open approaches, but access may not be equitable. This study explored variation in utilization of MIPS for pancreatic cancer.

Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients diagnosed with a primary pancreatic neoplasm from 2010 to 2020.