Patterns and outcomes of colorectal cancer in adolescents and young adults.

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population (aged 15-39 y) is rising.

Materials And Methods: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database to study CRC in the AYA population. We studied clinical and socioeconomic factors associated with survival.

Timing of chemotherapy and survival in patients with resectable gastric adenocarcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the timing of chemotherapy in gastric cancer by comparing survival outcomes in treatment groups.

Methods: Patients with surgically resected gastric adenocarcinoma from 1988 to 2006 were identified from the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program. To evaluate the population most likely to receive and/or benefit from adjunct chemotherapy, inclusion criteria consisted of Stage II or III gastric cancer patients > 18 years of age who underwent curative-intent surgical resection.

Elective versus emergency surgery for ulcerative colitis: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program analysis.

Background: It is unclear whether advances in the medical management of ulcerative colitis (UC) have altered outcomes for medically intractable disease. Therefore, it is essential to understand the current impact of elective versus emergency surgery for UC.

Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to compare outcomes for elective versus emergency UC surgery between 2005 and 2010.

Well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma: the role of post-operative radioactive iodine administration.

Post-operative management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) often involves administration of radioactive iodine (RAI) for remnant ablation or adjuvant therapy. However, given the favorable prognosis associated with DTC, the risk versus benefit ratio of RAI remains unclear. RAI is associated with substantial, albeit rare side effects, including a possible increased risk of secondary malignancy and altered fertility, which must be balanced against the magnitude of benefit for decreasing recurrence and improving survival.

Laparoscopic versus open colon resections in California: a cross-sectional analysis.

Laparoscopic surgery is associated with decreased hospital length of stay, improved perioperative morbidity, and faster return to work compared with open procedures. Despite these benefits, laparoscopy has not been universally adopted with recent implementation estimates ranging from 10 to 30 per cent. The purpose of this study was to analyze the adoption of laparoscopic techniques for colon resections in California in 2009 based on institutional colectomy volume status.

Elderly patients with colon cancer have unique tumor characteristics and poor survival.

Background: The incidence of colon cancer increases with age, and colon cancer predominantly affects individuals >65 years old. However, there are limited data regarding clinical and pathologic factors, treatment characteristics, and survival of older patients with colon cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of increasing age on colon cancer.

Milan Criteria and UCSF Criteria: A Preliminary Comparative Study of Liver Transplantation Outcomes in the United States.

The application of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) necessitates highly selective criteria to maximize survival and to optimize allocation of a scarce resource. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of OLT for HCC in patients transplanted under Milan and UCSF criteria. The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for patients who had undergone OLT for HCC from 2002 to 2007, and 1,972 patients (Milan criteria, n = 1, 913; UCSF criteria, n = 59) were identified.