Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Updates in Staging and Management.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Outcomes are generally favorable, but a subset of cSCC is biologically distinct and requires a different approach because of its higher risk of local recurrence, metastasis, and death. This article focuses on the recent literature regarding identification of this high-risk subset, efforts to validate and improve the prognostic ability of staging systems, and updates in management.

A statewide, community-based assessment of alvimopan's effect on surgical outcomes.

Objective: Alvimopan was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May 2008 and has been shown to accelerate gastrointestinal recovery after colectomy. Our independent study evaluated alvimopan as it is used in actual hospital practice in the state of Michigan. We hypothesized that alvimopan significantly decreases incidence of prolonged ileus and reduces length of stay (LOS) in patients who have undergone colectomy.