Postoperative Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery: United States versus International Medical Graduates.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize postoperative outcomes among patients who underwent an oncologic operation relative to whether the treating surgeon was an international medical graduate (IMG) versus a United States medical graduate (USMG). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: IMGs comprise approximately one-quarter of the physician workforce in the United States. METHODS: The 100% Medicare Standard Analytic Files were utilized to extract data on patients with breast, lung, hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB), and colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between 2014 and 2020. Entropy balancing (EB) and multivariable regression analysis were performed to evaluate the association between postoperative outcomes among USMG and IMG surgeons. RESULTS: Among 285,930 beneficiaries, 242,914 (85.0%) and 43,016 (15.0%) underwent surgery by a USMG and IMG surgeon, respectively. Overall, 129,576 (45.3%) individuals were male, and 168,848 (59.1%) patients had a Charlson Comorbidity Index score >2. Notably, IMG surgeons were more likely to care for racial/ethnic minority patients (14.7% vs. 12.5%) and those with a high social vulnerability index (33.3% vs. 32.1%) (all P<0.001). On multivariable analysis after EB, patients treated by an IMG surgeon were less likely to experience adverse postoperative outcomes including 90-day readmission (OR 0.89, 95%CI 0.80-0.99) and index complications (OR 0.84, 95%CI 0.74-0.95) versus USMG surgeons (all P<0.05). Patients treated by IMG versus USMG surgeons had no difference in likelihood to achieve a textbook outcome (OR 1.10, 95%CI 0.99-1.21; P=0.077). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative outcomes among patients treated by IMG surgeons were roughly equivalent to those of USMG surgeons. In addition, IMG surgeons were more likely to care for patients with multiple comorbidities and individuals from vulnerable communities.

Association between quality metric adherence and overall survival among patients undergoing resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Process-based quality metrics are important for improving long-term outcomes after surgical resection. We sought to develop a practical surgical quality score for patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing curative-intent resection. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgical resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma between 2010 and 2017 were identified using the National Cancer Database. Five surgical quality metrics were defined: minimally invasive approach, adequate lymphadenectomy, negative surgical margins, receipt of adjuvant therapy, and no prolonged hospitalization. Log-rank test and multivariable Cox regression analysis were used to determine the association of quality metrics with overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 38,228 patients underwent curative-intent resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Median age at diagnosis was 68 years (interquartile range = 61-75), and roughly half the cohort was male (n = 19,562; 51.2%). Quality metrics were achieved on a varied basis: minimally invasive approach (n = 5,701; 14.9%), adequate lymphadenectomy (n = 27,122; 80.0%), negative surgical margin (n = 29,248; 76.5%), receipt of adjuvant therapy (n = 26,006; 68.0%), and absence of prolonged hospitalization (n = 26,470; 69.2%). An integer-based surgical quality score from 0 (no quality metrics) to 16 (all quality metrics) was calculated. Patients with higher scores had progressively better overall survival. Median overall survival differed substantially among the score categories (score = 0-4 points, 8.7 [8.0-9.6] months; 5-8 points, 17.5 [16.9-18.2] months; 9-12 points, 22.1 [21.6-22.8] months; and 13-16 points, 30.8 [30.2-31.3] months; P < .001). On multivariable analysis, risk-adjusted mortality hazards decreased in a stepwise manner with higher scores (0-4 points: reference; 5-8 points: multivariable adjusted hazard ratio = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.57-0.63; 9-12 points: adjusted hazard ratio = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.47-0.52; 13-16 points: and adjusted hazard ratio = 0.37; 95% CI, 0.34-0.40; all P < .001). CONCLUSION: Adherence to quality metrics may be associated with improved overall survival. Efforts aimed at increasing compliance with quality metric measures may help optimize long-term outcomes among patients undergoing surgical resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Textbook oncologic outcomes among patients undergoing laparoscopic, robotic and open surgery for intrahepatic and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Textbook oncologic outcome (TOO) serves as a composite, oncologic metric for surgical quality of care. We sought to evaluate variations in TOO among patients undergoing laparoscopic, robotic, and open surgery for intrahepatic (iCCA) and perihilar (pCCA) cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: Patients who underwent liver resection for iCCA and pCCA between 2010 and 2018 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Entropy balancing was performed for covariate balancing and multivariable regression was used to evaluate the association between surgical approach and TOO. RESULTS: Among 5434 patients who underwent hepatic resection between 2010 and 2018, 3888 (71.6%) had iCCA, and 1546 (28.4%) had pCCA. TOO was achieved in 11.7% (n = 454), and 18.8% (n = 291) of patients with iCCA and pCCA, respectively. There was a difference in achievement of TOO relative to operative approach among patients with iCCA (robotic: 6.2% vs. laparoscopic: 8.1% vs. open: 12.5%; p = 0.002). After entropy balancing, patients with iCCA undergoing laparoscopic surgery had 32% reduced odds of achieving TOO (Ref: open surgery; laparoscopic, OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.49-0.93; p = 0.016; robotic, OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.34-1.39; p = 0.298). CONCLUSIONS: Usage of composite oncologic measures such as TOO may allow for a holistic assessment of different approaches to hepatic resection among patients with CCA.

Impact of early primary care physician follow-up on hospital readmission following gastrointestinal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: We sought to examine the association between primary care physician (PCP) follow-up on readmission following gastrointestinal (GI) cancer surgery. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for GI cancer were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Multivariable regression was performed to examine the association between early PCP follow-up and hospital readmission. RESULTS: Among 60 957 patients who underwent GI cancer surgery, 19 661 (32.7%) visited a PCP within 30-days after discharge. Of note, patients who visited PCP were less likely to be readmitted within 90 days (PCP visit: 17.4% vs. no PCP visit: 28.2%; p < 0.001). Median postsurgical expenditures were lower among patients who visited a PCP (PCP visit: $4116 [IQR: $670-$13 860] vs. no PCP visit: $6700 [IQR: $870-$21 301]; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, PCP follow-up was associated with lower odds of 90-day readmission (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.50-0.55) (both p < 0.001). Moreover, patients who followed up with a PCP had lower risk of death at 90-days (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.40-0.51; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: PCP follow-up was associated with a reduced risk of readmission and mortality following GI cancer surgery. Care coordination across in-hospital and community-based health platforms is critical to achieve optimal outcomes for patients.

Association of preoperative cholangitis with outcomes and expenditures among patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to characterize the association of preoperative acute cholangitis (PAC) with surgical outcomes and healthcare costs. METHODS: Patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) between 2013 and 2021 were identified using 100% Medicare Standard Analytic Files. PAC was defined as the occurrence of at least 1 episode of acute cholangitis within the year preceding surgery. Multivariable regression analyses were used to compare postoperative outcomes and costs relative to PAC. RESULTS: Among 23,455 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent PD, 2,217 patients (9.5%) had at least 1 episode of PAC. Most patients (n = 14,729 [62.8%]) underwent PD for a malignant indication. On multivariable analyses, PAC was associated with elevated odds of surgical site infection (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.29), sepsis (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01-1.37), extended length of stay (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.26), and readmission within 90 days (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.04-1.26). Patients with a history of PAC before PD had a reduced likelihood of achieving a postoperative textbook outcome (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.75-0.92) along with 87.8% and 18.4% higher associated preoperative and postoperative healthcare costs, respectively (all P < .001). Overall costs increased substantially among patients with more than 1 PAC episode ($59,893 [95% CI, $57,827-$61,959] for no episode vs $77,922 [95% CI, $73,854-$81,990] for 1 episode vs $101,205 [95% CI, $94,871-$107,539] for multiple episodes). CONCLUSION: Approximately 1 in 10 patients undergoing PD experienced an antecedent PAC episode, which was associated with adverse surgical outcomes and greater healthcare expenditures.

Healthcare utilization and expenditures among patients with venous thromboembolism following gastrointestinal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess healthcare utilization and expenditures among patients who developed venous thromboembolism (VTE) after gastrointestinal cancer surgery. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for esophageal, gastric, hepatic, biliary duct, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer between 2013 and 2020 were identified using the MarketScan database. Entropy balancing was performed to obtain a cohort that was well balanced relative to different clinical covariates. Generalized linear models were used to compare 1-year postdischarge costs among patients who did and did not develop a postoperative VTE. RESULTS: Among 20,253 individuals in the analytical cohort (esophagus [n = 518 {2.6%}], stomach [n = 970 {4.8%}], liver [n = 608 {3.0%}], bile duct [n = 294 {1.5%}], pancreas [n = 1511 {7.5%}], colon [n = 12,222 {60.3%}], and rectum [n = 4130 {20.4%}]), 894 (4.4%) developed VTE. Overall, most patients were male (n = 10,656 [52.6%]), aged between 55 and 64 years (n = 10,372 [51.2%]), and were employed full time (n = 11,408 [56.3%]). On multivariable analysis, VTE was associated with higher inpatient (mean difference [MD], $17,547; 95% CI, $15,141-$19,952), outpatient (MD, $8769; 95% CI, $7045-$10,491), and pharmacy (MD, $2811; 95% CI, $2509-$3113) expenditures (all P < .001). Furthermore, patients who developed VTE had higher out-of-pocket costs for inpatient (MD, $159; 95% CI, $66-$253) and pharmacy (MD, $122; 95% CI, $109-$136) services (all P < .001). CONCLUSION: Among privately insured patients aged <65 years, VTE was associated with increased healthcare utilization and expenditures during the first year after discharge.

Long-term Health Outcomes of New Persistent Opioid Use After Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: New persistent opioid use (NPOU) after surgery has been identified as a common complication. This study sought to assess the long-term health outcomes among patients who experienced NPOU after gastrointestinal (GI) cancer surgery. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for hepato-pancreato-biliary and colorectal cancer between 2007 and 2019 were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked database. Mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the risk of mortality and hospital visits related to falls, respiratory events, or pain symptoms. RESULTS: Among 15,456 patients who underwent GI cancer surgery, 967(6.6%) experienced NPOU. Notably, the patients at risk for the development of NPOU were those with a history of substance abuse (odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.84), moderate social vulnerability (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.06-1.50), an advanced disease stage (OR, 4.42; 95% CI, 3.51-5.82), or perioperative opioid use (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 2.59-3.63. After control for competing risk factors, patients who experienced NPOU were more likely to visit a hospital for falls, respiratory events, or pain symptoms (OR, 1.45, 95% CI 1.18-1.78). Moreover, patients who experienced NPOU had a greater risk of death at 1 year (hazard ratio [HR], 2.15; 95% CI, 1.74-2.66). CONCLUSION: Approximately 1 in 15 patients experienced NPOU after GI cancer surgery. NPOU was associated with an increased risk of subsequent hospital visits and higher mortality. Targeted interventions for individuals at higher risk for NPOU after surgery should be used to help mitigate the harmful effects of NPOU.

Minimally Invasive Techniques for Gastrectomy.

Gastric adenocarcinoma is an aggressive disease and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Surgery entails either a total or a subtotal gastrectomy. These complex operations carry elevated morbidity and mortality with an extended recovery time. As such, research has focused on minimizing these risks and enhancing postoperative care. Robotic surgery is a newer platform that helps overcome some of the limitations of laparoscopy through three-dimensional vision, better mobility, and improved surgeon dexterity. As such, many surgeons have embraced robotics and advocated for their implementation in cancer surgery. This review will discuss the technical considerations of performing a robotic gastrectomy.

Cannabis use disorder and perioperative outcomes following complex cancer surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis usage is increasing in the United States, especially among patients with cancer. We sought to evaluate whether cannabis use disorder (CUD) was associated with higher morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing complex cancer surgery. METHODS: Patients who underwent complex cancer surgery between January 2016 and December 2019 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample database. CUD was defined according to ICD-10 codes. Propensity score matching was performed to create a 1:1 matched cohort that was well balanced with respect to covariates, which included patient comorbidities, sociodemographic factors, and procedure type. The primary composite outcome was in-hospital mortality and seven major perioperative complications (myocardial ischemia, acute kidney injury, stroke, respiratory failure, venous thromboembolism, hospital-acquired infection, and surgical procedure-related complications). RESULTS: Among 15 014 patients who underwent a high-risk surgical procedure, a cohort of 7507 patients with CUD (median age; 43 years [IQR: 30-56 years]; n = 3078 [41.0%] female) were matched with 7507 patients who were not cannabis users (median age; 44 years [IQR: 30-58 years); n = 2997 [39.9%] female). CUD was associated with slight increased risk relative to postoperative kidney injury (CUD, 7.8% vs. no CUD, 6.1%); however, in-hospital mortality was slightly lower (CUD, 0.9% vs. no CUD, 1.6%) (both p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, after controlling for other risk factors, CUD was not associated with higher morbidity and mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.98-1.15; p = 0.158). CONCLUSION: CUD was not associated with a higher risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality following complex cancer surgery.

Care fragmentation in hepatopancreatic surgery and postoperative outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Practice fragmentation in surgery may be associated with poor quality of care. We sought to define the association between fragmented practice and outcomes in hepatopancreatic surgery relative to surgeon volume and sex. METHODS: Medicare beneficiaries who underwent hepatopancreatic surgery between 2016 and 2021 were identified. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine provider sex-based differences in the rate of fragmented practice relative to the achievement of a textbook outcome and health care expenditures after adjusting for procedure-specific case volume. RESULTS: Among 37,416 patients, almost one-half were female (n = 18,333, 49.0%) with the majority treated by male surgeons (n = 33,697, 90.8%). Female surgeons were more likely to have a greater rate of fragmented practice (females: n = 242, 84.9% vs males: n = 1,487, 78.4%, P = .003; odds ratio 2.66, 95% confidence interval 2.33-3.03, P < .001). Patients treated by high rate of fragmented practice surgeons had increased odds of postoperative complications (odds ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.54), extended length-of-stay (odds ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.38-1.68), 90-day-mortality (odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.72), and lower odds of achieving a textbook outcome (odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.71-0.83). This association persisted independent of surgeon-specific volume (textbook outcome, high vs low rate of fragmented practice: high-volume surgeon, odds ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.91, P = .021 vs. low-volume surgeon, odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.69-0.82, P < .001). Among patients treated by male surgeons, a high rate of fragmented practice was associated with reduced odds of achieving a textbook outcome (male surgeons: odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.70-0.82, P < .001; female surgeons: odds ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.63-1.05, P = .110). Treatment by surgeons with higher fragmented practice was associated with higher expenditures (index expenditure: percentage difference 9.87, 95% confidence interval, 7.42-12.36; P < .05). CONCLUSION: A high rate of fragmented practice adversely affected postoperative outcomes and healthcare expenditures even among high-volume surgeons with the impact varying based on surgeon sex.

Association of Hospital Market Competition with Outcomes of Complex Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The association of hospital market competition, financial costs, and quality of oncologic care has not been well-defined. This study sought to evaluate variations in patient outcomes and financial expenditures after complex cancer surgery across high- and low-competition markets. METHODS: Medicare 100% Standard Analytic Files were used to identify patients with lung, esophageal, gastric, hepatopancreaticobiliary, or colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between 2018 and 2021. Data were merged with the annual hospital survey database, and the hospital market Herfindahl-Hirschman index was used to categorize hospitals into low- and high-concentration markets. Multi-level, multivariable regression models adjusting for patient characteristics (i.e., age, sex, comorbidities, and social vulnerability), year of procedure, and hospital factors (i.e., case volume, nurse-bed ratio, and teaching status) were used to assess the association between hospital market competition and outcomes. RESULTS: Among 117,641 beneficiaries who underwent complex oncologic surgery, the mean age was 73.8 ± 6.1 years, and approximately one-half of the cohort was male (n = 56,243, 47.8%). Overall, 63.8% (n = 75,041) of the patients underwent care within a high-competition market. Notably, there was marked geographic variation relative to market competition. High versus low market-competition hospitals were more likely to be in high social vulnerability areas (35.1 vs 27.5%; p < 0.001), as well as care for racial/ethnic minority individuals (13.8 vs 7.7%; p < 0.001), and patients with more comorbidities (≥ 2 Elixhauser comorbidities: 63.1 vs 61.1%; p < 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, treatment at hospitals in high- versus low-competition markets was associated with lower odds of achieving a textbook outcome (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.99; p = 0.009). Patients at high-competition hospitals had greater mean index hospitalization costs ($19,462.2 [16211.9] vs $18,844.7 [14994.7]) and 90-day post-discharge costs ($7807.8 [15431.3] vs $7332.8 [14038.2]) (both p < 0.001) than individuals at low-competition hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital market competition was associated with poor achievement of an optimal postoperative outcome and greater hospitalization costs.

CD200 is overexpressed in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and predictive of overall survival.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with a 5 year survival rate of 13%. This poor survival is attributed, in part, to limited and ineffective treatments for patients with metastatic disease, highlighting a need to identify molecular drivers of pancreatic cancer to target for more effective treatment. CD200 is a glycoprotein that interacts with the receptor CD200R and elicits an immunosuppressive response. Overexpression of CD200 has been associated with differential outcomes, depending on the tumor type. In the context of pancreatic cancer, we have previously reported that CD200 is expressed in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment (TME), and that targeting CD200 in murine tumor models reduces tumor burden. We hypothesized that CD200 is overexpressed on tumor and stromal populations in the pancreatic TME and that circulating levels of soluble CD200 (sCD200) have prognostic value for overall survival. We discovered that CD200 was overexpressed on immune, stromal, and tumor populations in the pancreatic TME. Particularly, single-cell RNA-sequencing indicated that CD200 was upregulated on inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cytometry by time of flight analysis of PBMCs indicated that CD200 was overexpressed on innate immune populations, including monocytes, dendritic cells, and monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells. High sCD200 levels in plasma correlated with significantly worse overall and progression-free survival. Additionally, sCD200 correlated with the ratio of circulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 3: tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) 3 and MMP11/TIMP3. This study highlights the importance of CD200 expression in pancreatic cancer and provides the rationale for designing novel therapeutic strategies that target this protein.

Surgical outcomes and healthcare expenditures among patients with dementia undergoing major surgery.

BACKGROUND: We sought to define surgical outcomes among elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) following major thoracic and gastrointestinal surgery. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was used to identify patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, pneumonectomy, pancreatectomy, and colectomy. Individuals were identified from the Medicare Standard Analytic Files and multivariable regression was utilized to assess the association of ADRD with textbook outcome (TO), expenditures, and discharge disposition. RESULTS: Among 1,175,010 Medicare beneficiaries, 19,406 (1.7%) patients had a preoperative diagnosis of ADRD (CABG: n = 1,643, 8.5%; AAA repair: n = 5,926, 30.5%; pneumonectomy: n = 590, 3.0%; pancreatectomy: n = 181, 0.9%; and colectomy: n = 11,066, 57.0%). After propensity score matching, patients with ADRD were less likely to achieve a TO (ADRD: 31.2% vs. no ADRD: 40.1%) or be discharged to home (ADRD: 26.7% vs. no ADRD: 46.2%) versus patients who did not have ADRD (both p < 0.001). Median index surgery expenditures were higher among patients with ADRD (ADRD: $28,815 [IQR $14,333-$39,273] vs. no ADRD: $27,101 [IQR $13,433-$38,578]; p < 0.001) (p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, patients with ADRD had higher odds of postoperative complications (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.25-1.40), extended length-of-stay (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.21-1.32), 90-day readmission (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.31-1.43), and 90-day mortality (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.66-1.86) (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnosis of ADRD was an independent risk factor for poor postoperative outcomes, discharge to non-home settings, as well as higher healthcare expenditures. These data should serve to inform discussions and decision-making about surgery among the growing number of older patients with cognitive deficits.

Survival disparities in rural versus urban patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: A multi-institutional study from the US neuroendocrine tumor study group.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs) are indolent malignancies that often have a prolonged clinical course. This study assesses disparities in outcomes between PNET patients who live in urban (UA) and rural areas (RA). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the US Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group database. PNET patients with a home zip code recorded were included and categorized as RA or UA according to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and logistical regression. RESULTS: Of the 1176 PNET patients in the database, 1126 (96%) had zip code recorded. While 837 (74%) lived in UA, 289 (26%) lived in RA. RA patients had significantly shorter median OS following primary PNET resection (122 vs 149 months, p â€‹= â€‹0.01). After controlling for income, local healthcare access, distance from treatment center, ASA class, BMI, and T/N/M stage, living in a RA remained significantly associated with worse OS (HR 1.60, 95%CI 1.08-2.39, p â€‹= â€‹0.02). CONCLUSION: Rural patients have significantly shorter OS following PNET resection compared to their urban counterparts.

Disparities in clinical trial enrollment among patients with gastrointestinal cancer relative to minority-serving and safety-netting hospitals.

BACKGROUND: For results to be generalizable to all patients with cancer, clinical trials need to include a diverse patient demographic that is representative of the general population. We sought to characterize the effect of receiving care at a minority-serving hospital (MSH) and/or safety-net hospital on clinical trial enrollment among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. METHODS: Adult patients with GI cancer who underwent oncologic surgery and were enrolled in institutional-/National Cancer Institute-funded clinical trials between 2012 and 2019 were identified in the National Cancer Database. Multivariable regression was used to assess the relationship between MSH and safety-net status relative to clinical trial enrollment. RESULTS: Among 1,112,594 patients, 994,598 (89.4%) were treated at a non-MSH, whereas 117,996 (10.6%) were treated at an MSH. Only 1857 patients (0.2%) were enrolled in a clinical trial; most patients received care at a non-MSH (1794 [96.6%]). On multivariable analysis, the odds of enrollment in a clinical trial were markedly lower among patients treated at an MSH vs non-MSH (odds ratio [OR], 0.32; 95% CI, 0.22-0.46). In addition, even after controlling for receipt of care at MSH, Black patients remained at lower odds of enrollment in a clinical trial than White patients (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.45-0.73; both P < .05). CONCLUSION: Overall, clinical trial participation among patients with GI cancer was extremely low. Patients treated at an MSH and high safety-net burden hospitals and Black individuals were much less likely to be enrolled in a clinical trial. Efforts should be made to improve trial enrollment and address disparities in trial representation.

Online artificial intelligence platforms and their applicability to gastrointestinal surgical operations.

BACKGROUND: The internet is a common source of health information for patients. Interactive online artificial intelligence (AI) may be a more reliable source of health-related information than traditional search engines. This study aimed to assess the quality and perceived utility of chat-based AI responses related to 3 common gastrointestinal (GI) surgical procedures. METHODS: A survey of 24 questions covering general perioperative information on cholecystectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), and colectomy was created. Each question was posed to Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in June 2023, and the generated responses were recorded. The quality and perceived utility of responses were independently and subjectively graded by expert respondents specific to each surgical field. Grades were classified as "poor," "fair," "good," "very good," or "excellent." RESULTS: Among the 45 respondents (general surgeon [n = 13], surgical oncologist [n = 18], colorectal surgeon [n = 13], and transplant surgeon [n = 1]), most practiced at an academic facility (95.6%). Respondents had been in practice for a mean of 12.3 years (general surgeon, 14.5 ± 7.2; surgical oncologist, 12.1 ± 8.2; colorectal surgeon, 10.2 ± 8.0) and performed a mean 53 index operations annually (cholecystectomy, 47 ± 28; PD, 28 ± 27; colectomy, 81 ± 44). Overall, the most commonly assigned quality grade was "fair" or "good" for most responses (n = 622/1080, 57.6%). Most of the 1080 total utility grades were "fair" (n = 279, 25.8%) or "good" (n = 344, 31.9%), whereas only 129 utility grades (11.9%) were "poor." Of note, ChatGPT responses related to cholecystectomy (45.3% ["very good"/"excellent"] vs 18.1% ["poor"/"fair"]) were deemed to be better quality than AI responses about PD (18.9% ["very good"/"excellent"] vs 46.9% ["poor"/"fair"]) or colectomy (31.4% ["very good"/"excellent"] vs 38.3% ["poor"/"fair"]). Overall, only 20.0% of the experts deemed ChatGPT to be an accurate source of information, whereas 15.6% of the experts found it unreliable. Moreover, 1 in 3 surgeons deemed ChatGPT responses as not likely to reduce patient-physician correspondence (31.1%) or not comparable to in-person surgeon responses (35.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Although a potential resource for patient education, ChatGPT responses to common GI perioperative questions were deemed to be of only modest quality and utility to patients. In addition, the relative quality of AI responses varied markedly on the basis of procedure type.

Effect of Behavioral Health Disorders on Surgical Outcomes in Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral health disorders (BHDs) can often be exacerbated in the setting of cancer. We sought to define the prevalence of BHD among cancer patients and characterize the association of BHD with surgical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Patients diagnosed with lung, esophageal, gastric, liver, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer between 2018 and 2021 were identified within Medicare Standard Analytic Files. Data on BHD defined as substance abuse, eating disorder, or sleep disorder were obtained. Postoperative textbook outcomes (ie no complications, prolonged length of stay, 90-day readmission, or 90-day mortality), as well as in-hospital expenditures and overall survival were assessed. RESULTS: Among 694,836 cancer patients, 46,719 (6.7%) patients had at least 1 BHD. Patients with BHD were less likely to undergo resection (no BHD: 23.4% vs BHD: 20.3%; p < 0.001). Among surgical patients, individuals with BHD had higher odds of a complication (odds ratio [OR] 1.32 [1.26 to 1.39]), prolonged length of stay (OR 1.36 [1.29 to 1.43]), and 90-day readmission (OR 1.57 [1.50 to 1.65]) independent of social vulnerability or hospital-volume status resulting in lower odds to achieve a TO (OR 0.66 [0.63 to 0.69]). Surgical patients with BHD also had higher in-hospital expenditures (no BHD: $16,159 vs BHD: $17,432; p < 0.001). Of note, patients with BHD had worse long-term postoperative survival (median, no BHD: 46.6 [45.9 to 46.7] vs BHD: 37.1 [35.6 to 38.7] months) even after controlling for other clinical factors (hazard ratio 1.26 [1.22 to 1.31], p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BHD was associated with lower likelihood to achieve a postoperative textbook outcome, higher expenditures, as well as worse prognosis. Initiatives to target BHD are needed to improve outcomes of cancer patients undergoing surgery.

Variation in Hospital Mortality After Complex Cancer Surgery: Patient, Volume, Hospital or Social Determinants?

INTRODUCTION: We sought to define the individual contributions of patient characteristics (PCs), hospital characteristics (HCs), case volume (CV), and social determinants of health (SDoH) on in-hospital mortality (IHM) after complex cancer surgery. METHODS: The California Department of Health Care Access and Information database identified patients who underwent esophagectomy (ES), pneumonectomy (PN), pancreatectomy (PD), or proctectomy (PR) for a malignant diagnosis between 2010 and 2020. Multi-level multivariable regression was performed to assess the proportion of variance explained by PCs, HCs, CV and SDoH on IHM. RESULTS: A total of 52,838 patients underwent cancer surgery (ES: n = 2,700, 5.1%; PN: n = 30,822, 58.3%; PD: n = 7530, 14.3%; PR: n = 11,786, 22.3%) across 294 hospitals. The IHM for the overall cohort was 1.7% and varied from 4.4% for ES to 0.8% for PR. On multivariable regression, PCs contributed the most to the variance in IHM (overall: 32.0%; ES: 21.6%; PN: 28.0%; PD: 20.3%; PR: 39.9%). Among the overall cohort, CV contributed 2.4%, HCs contributed 1.3%, and SDoH contributed 1.2% to the variation in IHM. CV was the second highest contributor to IHM among ES (5.3%), PN (5.3%), and PD (5.9%); however, HCs were a more important contributor among patients who underwent PR (8.0%). The unexplained variance in IHM was highest among ES (72.4%), followed by the PD (67.5%) and PN (64.6%) patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: PCs are the greatest underlying contributor to variations in IHM following cancer surgery. These data highlight the need to focus on optimizing patients and exploring unexplained sources of IHM to improve quality of surgical care.