Outcomes After Use of a Lymph Node Collection Kit for Lung Cancer Surgery: A Pragmatic, Population-Based, Multi-Institutional, Staggered Implementation Study.

Introduction: Suboptimal pathologic nodal staging prevails after curative-intent resection of lung cancer. We evaluated the impact of a lymph node specimen collection kit on lung cancer surgery outcomes in a prospective, population-based, staggered implementation study.

Methods: From January 1, 2014, to August 28, 2018, we implemented the kit in three homogeneous institutional cohorts involving 11 eligible hospitals from four contiguous hospital referral regions.

Effectiveness of Implemented Interventions on Pathologic Nodal Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Accurate pathologic nodal staging improves early stage non-small cell lung cancer survival. In an ongoing implementation study, we measured the impact of a surgical lymph node specimen collection kit and a more thorough pathologic gross dissection method on attainment of guideline-recommended pathologic nodal staging quality.

Methods: We prospectively collected data on curative intent non-small cell lung cancer resections from 2009 to 2016 from 11 hospitals in four contiguous Dartmouth Hospital referral regions.

Evolution in the Surgical Care of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Mid-South Quality of Surgical Resection Cohort.

Surgery is the most important curative treatment modality for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the pattern of surgical resection for NSCLC in a high incidence and mortality region of the United States over a 10-year period (2004-2013) in the context of a regional surgical quality improvement initiative. We abstracted patient-level data on all resections at 11 hospitals in 4 contiguous Dartmouth Hospital Referral Regions in North Mississippi, East Arkansas, and West Tennessee.

Prognostic Value of National Comprehensive Cancer Network Lung Cancer Resection Quality Criteria.

Background: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) surgical resection guidelines for non-small cell lung cancer recommend anatomic resection, negative margins, examination of hilar/intrapulmonary lymph nodes, and examination of three or more mediastinal nodal stations. We examined the survival impact of these criteria.

Methods: A population-based observational study was done using patient-level data from all curative-intent, non-small cell lung cancer resections from 2004 to 2013 at 11 institutions in four contiguous Dartmouth Hospital referral regions in three US states.