Health Disparities and Anal Cancer.

Health disparities are preventable differences in health outcomes that are experienced by disadvantaged patient populations. Disparities in prevention, incidence, treatment, and mortality exist among patients with anal cancer. Factors contributing to these disparities are found at the patient, provider, health system, and public policy levels.

Trends in Adjuvant Chemotherapy Use Among Stage III Colon Cancer in Non-Elderly and Low Comorbidity Patients.

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer is underutilized in the United States. The aim of this study was to assess the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in younger and medically fit patients and analyze the socioeconomic factors associated with its utilization.

Methods: Using the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2015, we selected stage III colon cancer patients between age 18 to 65, Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index (CDCI) of 0 or 1, and those that survived at least 12 months after surgery.

Risk Factors for the Failure of Non-operative Management Among Patients Admitted for Colonic Diverticulitis.

Background: Diverticulitis is one of the most diagnosed gastrointestinal diseases in the country, and its incidence has risen over time, especially among younger populations, with increasing attempts at non-operative management. We elected to look at acute diverticular disease from the lens of a failure analysis, where we could estimate the hazard of requiring operative intervention based upon several clinical factors.

Materials And Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried between 2010 and 2015 for unplanned admissions among adults with a primary diagnosis of diverticulitis.

Appendiceal Cancer in the National Cancer Database: Increasing Frequency, Decreasing Age, and Shifting Histology.

Background: Nonoperative management of acute appendicitis is increasingly common. However, small studies have demonstrated high rates of appendiceal cancer in interval appendectomy specimens. Therefore, we sought to identify national trends in appendiceal cancer incidence and histology.

Effect of Surgical Team Communication on Adherence to Opioid Discharge Guidelines in Post-Operative Inpatients.

Objective: Current opioid prescribing guidelines state that post-operative inpatients who do not receive opioids in the 24 hours preceding discharge do not require an opioid prescription on discharge. This study was designed to assess providers' understanding of opioid discharge guidelines and explore drivers of adherence.

Design: An electronic survey was released which assessed knowledge of opioid discharge guidelines and probed surgical team communication.

The Survival Advantage of Lobectomy over Wedge Resection Lessens as Health-Related Life Expectancy Decreases.

Introduction: Patients with early-stage NSCLC typically must choose between a surgery with superior local control (lobectomy) or one that preserves lung parenchyma (wedge). Recognizing that many patients with cancer have competing mortality risks unrelated to cancer, we investigated whether an established model of predicting life expectancy could be used to identify patients with stage I NSCLC for whom survival after wedge is not different from lobectomy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare was performed to evaluate survival among treatment-naive patients, diagnosed 2005-2015, who underwent lobectomy or wedge for stage I (≤2 cm tumors) NSCLC.

Novel Approach to Removal of Rectal Foreign Bodies.

Background: Retained rectal foreign bodies are a common concern in patients presenting to the emergency department. Thankfully, the rates of injury from these retained objects are low. Numerous techniques have been described for the extraction of these foreign bodies, including using endoscopic snares, Foley catheters to break suction mechanisms, and various kinds of clamps to grasp the objects.