Racial comparisons in treatment of rectal adenocarcinoma and survival in the military health system.

Background: Racial disparities in treatment and outcomes of rectal cancer have been attributed to patients' differential access to care. We aimed to study treatment and outcomes of rectal cancer in the equal access Military Health System (MHS) to better understand potential racial disparities.

Methods: We accessed the MilCanEpi database to study a cohort of patients aged 18 and older who were diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma between 1998 and 2014.

Characteristics Associated With Survival in Surgically Nonresected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in the Military Health System.

Objectives: Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages with high-case fatality. Many tumors are not surgically resectable. We aimed to identify features associated with survival in patients with surgically nonresected pancreatic cancer in the Military Health System.

High mRNA expression of LY6 gene family is associated with overall survival outcome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic cancer ranks one of the worst in overall survival outcome with a 5 year survival rate being less than 10%. Pancreatic cancer faces unique challenges in its diagnosis and treatment, such as the lack of clinically validated biomarkers and the immensely immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Recently, the LY6 gene family has received increasing attention for its multi-faceted roles in cancer development, stem cell maintenance, immunomodulation, and association with more aggressive and hard-to-treat cancers.

Management of Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms (LAMN): An International Survey of Surgeons Performing CRS and HIPEC.

Background: Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMN) are commonly managed by community surgeons at diagnosis. There is variability in the treatment of LAMN, both by community and specialist providers. We assessed current management practices for LAMN across surgeons with expertise in peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM).

Defining a minimum number of examined lymph nodes improves the prognostic value of lymphadenectomy in pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Lymph node (LN) metastasis is associated with decreased survival following resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In N0 disease, increasing total evaluated LN (ELN) correlates with improved outcomes suggesting patients may be understaged when LNs are undersampled. We aim to assess the optimal number of examined lymph nodes (ELN) following pancreatectomy.

Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy versus standard distal pancreatosplenectomy for pancreatic cancer, a dual-institutional analysis.

Background: Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) has been adopted by some surgeons in the treatment of left-sided pancreatic cancer (PDAC). Low disease incidence and heterogenous disease biology make robust prospective comparison of RAMPS and standard distal pancreatosplenectomy (DPS) difficult.

Methods: Consecutive cases of chemo-naïve patients undergoing open RAMPS and DPS for PDAC between 2010-2017 at two international high-volume pancreatectomy centers were compared.

Sarcomas in the United States: Recent trends and a call for improved staging.

Background And Objectives: Sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors, and there is lack of data describing contemporary changes in patterns of care. We evaluated the epidemiology of sarcomas over 12 recent years.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was queried for sarcoma cases from 2002-2014.

The Impact of Extent of Liver Resection Among Patients with Neuroendocrine Liver Metastasis: an International Multi-institutional Study.

Background: Liver resection in patients with neuroendocrine liver metastasis (NELM) provides a survival benefit, yet the optimal extent of resection remains unknown. We sought to examine outcomes of patients undergoing non-anatomic (NAR) versus anatomic liver resection (AR) for NELM using a large international cohort of patients.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty-eight patients who underwent curative intent liver resection from January 1990 to December 2016 were identified from eight institutions.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with en bloc vein resection for locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a case series without venous reconstruction.

Resection with clean margin (R0 resection) is associated with better survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Over the last decade, advancements in preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy in pancreatic cancer have led to expansion of indications for surgical resection. Current guidelines define pancreatic cancer with unreconstructable vascular involvement as locally advanced, or surgically unresectable.

A Validated Model for Identifying Patients Unlikely to Benefit From the 21-Gene Recurrence Score Assay.

Background: Predicting recurrence risk and chemotherapy benefit in early-stage breast cancer can be challenging, and Oncotype DX (ODX) is often used to gain insight. However, it is still unclear whether ODX can benefit in all cases. To clarify ODX's usefulness we sought to develop a model using readily available pathologic markers to help clinicians make that determination.