Universal genetic counseling in breast cancer patients significantly improves overall testing rates and improves completion rates in subpopulations.

PURPOSE: The NCCN guidelines recommend genetic testing in those patients at increased risk of breast cancer in order to identify candidates for increased frequency of screening or prophylactic mastectomy. However, genetic testing may now identify patients who may benefit from recently developed targeted breast cancer therapy. In order to more widely identify these patients, we implemented genetic counseling for all patients diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: In 2021, all patients evaluated within a Midwestern community hospital system diagnosed with breast cancer were offered genetic counseling. This group of patients was compared to a cohort of patients in 2021 who were offered genetic counseling based on NCCN guidelines. With Pearson's chi square, Fisher's Exact test, Mann-Whitney U, and multivariate regression as appropriate, individual demographic data and genetic testing completion between 2019 and 2021 were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 973 patients were reviewed. 439 were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and 534 in 2021. Demographics and stage at diagnosis (p = 0.194) were similar between years. Completion of genetic testing increased from 204 (46.5%) in 2019 to 338 (63.3%) in 2021 (p < 0.01) with the universal counseling protocol. Specifically, genetic testing completion increased significantly in older patients (p = 0.041) and patients receiving Medicare benefits (p = 0.005). The overall pathogenic variants found increased from 32 to 39 with the most common including BRCA2 (n = 11), CFTR (n = 9), CHEK2 (n = 8), BRCA1 (n = 6). CONCLUSION: Universal genetic counseling was related to a significant increase in genetic testing completion and an increase in pathogenic variants found among breast cancer patients, specifically in subpopulations which may have been previously excluded by traditional NCCN genetic testing screening guidelines.

Mathilde Schott, A Woman's Influence in the Revolution of the Scalpel in the 1890s.

Surgery relies on the scalpel; the surgeon's first instrument in every case. From early knives crafted in the pre-historic era to today, the scalpel has evolved along with medical and surgical fields but maintained its critical role and symbolism of operative intervention. A significant catalyst for change in surgical instrument development in the late 1800s was the evolution of anesthesia and antisepsis. Surgical instruments were affected by harsh sterilization techniques, creating need for a method to maintain surgical scalpel sharpness. Mathilde Schott, an early female biomedical engineering innovator, filed a patent (US431153) in 1890 for a detachable scalpel blade. Schott identified and responded to the needs of surgeons at the turn of the 20th century and created a detachable blade and stabilizing lever. Schott persevered in a society unaccustomed to women leaders, subsequently improving medicine, surgery, and engineering.

Home Recovery After Mastectomy: Review of Literature and Strategies for Implementation American Society of Breast Surgeons Working Group.

BACKGROUND: Practices regarding recovery after mastectomy vary significantly, including overnight stay versus discharge same day. Expanded use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) algorithms and the recent COVID pandemic have led to increased number of patients who undergo home recovery after mastectomy (HRAM). METHODS: The Patient Safety Quality Committee of the American Society of Breast Surgeons created a multispecialty working group to review the literature evaluating HRAM after mastectomy with and without implant-based reconstruction. A literature review was performed regarding this topic; the group then developed guidance for patient selection and tools for implementation. RESULTS: Multiple, retrospective series have reported that patients discharged day of mastectomy have similar risk of complications compared with those kept overnight, including risk of hematoma (0-5.1%). Multimodal strategies that improve nausea and analgesia improve likelihood of HRAM. Patients who undergo surgery in ambulatory surgery centers and by high-volume breast surgeons are more likely to be discharged day of surgery. When evaluating unplanned return to care, the only significant factors are African American race and increased comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Review of current literature demonstrates that HRAM is a safe option in appropriate patients. Choice of method of recovery should consider patient factors, such as comorbidities and social situation, and requires input from the multidisciplinary team. Preoperative education regarding pain management, drain care, and after-hour access to medical care are crucial components to a successful program. Additional investigation is needed as these programs become more prevalent to assess quality measures such as unplanned return to care, complications, and patient satisfaction.

Complete pathologic response rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy increases with increasing HER2/CEP17 ratio in HER2 overexpressing breast cancer: analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

BACKGROUND: HER2-positive breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that overexpresses human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 promoting cancer cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies targeting the HER2 receptor have improved survival for this patient population. Achieving pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has correlated with disease-free survival in multiple trials, but we do not know why some HER2-positive tumors respond better to these therapies. We evaluated the correlation between HER2/CEP17 ratio and partial versus complete response following NAC. We evaluated whether patients with higher HER2/CEP17 ratios would have higher rates of pCR after NAC. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we performed a retrospective review comparing pCR rates after NAC based on HER2 ratio between 2005 and 2014. Patients were excluded if they were HER2 negative, did not undergo NAC, or if the HER2 ratio was not recorded. Trends in percentage of pCR versus partial response were analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: The NCDB included 237,118 patients with HER2 equivocal or HER2-positive breast tumors. 29,291 of these patients underwent NAC, and HER2/CEP17 ratios were recorded in 14,597 of the NAC cases. A pCR was noted in 9752 patients and 11,402 patients had a partial response. The ratios were significantly different between complete vs. partial response groups (include ratios), P < 0.001. Using linear regression analysis, we identified a direct relationship between increasing the ratio and response to NAC. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates a linear relationship between HER2/CEP17 ratio and pCR to NAC in patients included in the NCDB. The NCDB reflects current clinical practices across the country, and in this patient population, higher HER2 ratio is predictive of pCR to NAC and thus may be used in guiding decisions regarding the therapies that a patient receives in order to enhance pCR.

Pain Control in Breast Surgery: Survey of Current Practice and Recommendations for Optimizing Management-American Society of Breast Surgeons Opioid/Pain Control Workgroup.

INTRODUCTION: The opioid epidemic in the United States is a public health crisis. Breast surgeons are obligated to provide good pain control for their patients after surgery but also must minimize administration of narcotics to prevent a surgical episode of care from becoming a patient's gateway into opioid dependence. METHODS: A survey to ascertain pain management practice patterns after breast surgery was performed. A review of currently available literature that was specific to breast surgery was performed to create recommendations regarding pain management strategies. RESULTS: A total of 609 surgeons completed the survey and demonstrated significant variations in pain management practices, specifically within regards to utilization of regional anesthesia (e.g., nerve blocks), and quantity of prescribed narcotics. There is excellent data to guide the use of local and regional anesthesia. There are, however, fewer studies to guide narcotic recommendations; thus, these recommendations were guided by prevailing practice patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Pain management practices after breast surgery have significant variation and represent an opportunity to improve patient safety and quality of care. Multimodality approaches in conjunction with standardized quantities of narcotics are recommended.

Racial disparities in breast cancer persist despite early detection: analysis of treatment of stage 1 breast cancer and effect of insurance status on disparities.

PURPOSE: Prior research demonstrates racial disparities in breast cancer treatment. Disparities are commonly attributed to more advanced stage at presentation or aggressive tumor biology. We seek to evaluate if racial disparities persist in the treatment of stage 1 breast cancer patients who by definition are not delayed in presentation. METHODS: We selected stage 1 breast cases in the National Cancer Data Base. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on race and included White and Black patients. We also performed a subgroup analysis of patients with private insurance for comparison to determine if private insurance diminished the racial disparities noted. We analyzed differences in time to treatments by race. RESULTS: Our analysis included 546,351 patients of which 494,784 (90.6%) were White non-Hispanic and 51,567 (9.4%) were Black non-Hispanic. Black women had significantly longer times to first treatment (35.5 days vs 28.1 days), surgery (36.6 days vs 28.8 days), chemotherapy (88.1 days vs 75.4 days), radiation (131.3 days vs 99.1 days), and endocrine therapy (152.1 days vs 126.5 days) than White women. When patients with private insurance were analyzed the difference in time to surgery decreased by 1.2 days but racial differences remained statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Despite selecting for early-stage breast cancer, racial disparities between White and Black women in time to all forms of breast cancer treatment persist. These disparities while likely not oncologically significant do suggest institutional barriers for obtaining care faced by women of color which may not be addressed with improving access to mammography alone.

Select Choices in Benign Breast Disease: An Initiative of the American Society of Breast Surgeons for the American Board of Internal Medicine Choosing Wisely® Campaign.

BACKGROUND: Up to 50% of all women encounter benign breast problems. In contrast to breast cancer, high-level evidence is not available to guide treatment. Management is therefore largely based on individual physician experience/training. The American board of internal medicine (ABIM) initiated its Choosing Wisely® campaign to promote conversations between patients and physicians about challenging the use of tests or procedures which may not be necessary. The American society of breast surgeons (ASBrS) Patient safety and quality committee (PSQC) chose to participate in this campaign in regard to the management of benign breast disease. METHODS: The PSQC solicited initial candidate measures. PSQC surgeons represent a wide variety of practices. The resulting measures were ranked by modified Delphi appropriateness methodology in two rounds. The final list was approved by ASBrS and endorsed by the ABIM. RESULTS: The final five measures are as follows. (1) Don't routinely excise areas of pseuodoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast in patients who are not having symptoms from it. (2) Don't routinely surgically excise biopsy-proven fibroadenomas that are < 2 cm. (3) Don't routinely operate for a breast abscess without an initial attempt to percutaneously aspirate. (4) Don't perform screening mammography in asymptomatic patients with normal exams who have less than a 5-years life expectancy. (5) Don't routinely drain nonpainful, fluid-filled cysts. CONCLUSIONS: The ASBrS Choosing Wisely® measures that address benign breast disease management are easily accessible to patients via the internet. Consensus was reached by PSQC regarding these recommendations. These measures provide guidance for shared decision-making.

Benchmarking the American Society of Breast Surgeon Member Performance for More Than a Million Quality Measure-Patient Encounters.

BACKGROUND: Nine breast cancer quality measures (QM) were selected by the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Programs (QPP) and other performance improvement programs. We report member performance. STUDY DESIGN: Surgeons entered QM data into an electronic registry. For each QM, aggregate "performance met" (PM) was reported (median, range and percentiles) and benchmarks (target goals) were calculated by CMS methodology, specifically, the Achievable Benchmark of Care™ (ABC) method. RESULTS: A total of 1,286,011 QM encounters were captured from 2011-2015. For 7 QM, first and last PM rates were as follows: (1) needle biopsy (95.8, 98.5%), (2) specimen imaging (97.9, 98.8%), (3) specimen orientation (98.5, 98.3%), (4) sentinel node use (95.1, 93.4%), (5) antibiotic selection (98.0, 99.4%), (6) antibiotic duration (99.0, 99.8%), and (7) no surgical site infection (98.8, 98.9%); all p values < 0.001 for trends. Variability and reasons for noncompliance by surgeon for each QM were identified. The CMS-calculated target goals (ABC™ benchmarks) for PM for 6 QM were 100%, suggesting that not meeting performance is a "never should occur" event. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons self-reported a large number of specialty-specific patient-measure encounters into a registry for self-assessment and participation in QPP. Despite high levels of performance demonstrated initially in 2011 with minimal subsequent change, the ASBrS concluded "perfect" performance was not a realistic goal for QPP. Thus, after review of our normative performance data, the ASBrS recommended different benchmarks than CMS for each QM.

Preoperative Panel Testing for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes Does Not Significantly Impact Time to Surgery for Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients Compared with BRCA1/2 Testing.

BACKGROUND: This study seeks to determine whether there is a delay in time to surgery in breast cancer patients with panel tests compared with traditional BRCA testing. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of women diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent genetic evaluation from our institution's Genetic Counselor Database from January 2013 to August 2015. Patients were excluded if they were male, clinical information was unavailable, the patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, had a diagnosis of recurrent breast cancer during time of study, or had postoperative genetics evaluation. RESULTS: Included in the study were 138 patients. The time from diagnosis to surgery for BRCA1/2 tested patients was 43.5 days compared with 51.0 days in the panel group (p = 0.186). Turnaround time for genetic testing decreased during the period studied and was approximately 6 days longer for panel testing than BRCA testing. It took 12.2 days for BRCA results and 18.9 days for the panel results (p < 0.01). Turnaround time for BRCA1/2 testing in 2014 and 2015 was 12.4 and 10.5 days respectively, whereas panel testing was 20.5 and 18.2 days (p ≤ 0.001). Of the variables included in multivariable linear regression, only mastectomy significantly contributed to time to surgery (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Panel genetic testing did not delay time to surgery compared with BRCA testing alone. The use of panel testing has increased over time, and lab turnaround time has decreased. Mastectomy was the only clinical variable contributing to longer time to surgery.

Measures of Appropriateness and Value for Breast Surgeons and Their Patients: The American Society of Breast Surgeons Choosing Wisely (®) Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Current breast cancer care is based on high-level evidence from randomized, controlled trials. Despite these data, there continues to be variability of breast cancer care, including overutilization of some tests and operations. To reduce overutilization, the American Board of Internal Medicine Choosing Wisely (®) Campaign recommends that professional organizations provide patients and providers with a list of care practices that may not be necessary. Shared decision making regarding these services is encouraged. METHODS: The Patient Safety and Quality Committee of the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) solicited candidate measures for the Choosing Wisely (®) Campaign. The resulting list of "appropriateness" measures of care was ranked by a modified Delphi appropriateness methodology. The highest-ranked measures were submitted to and later approved by the ASBrS Board of Directors. They are listed below. RESULTS: (1) Don't routinely order breast magnetic resonance imaging in new breast cancer patients. (2) Don't routinely excise all the lymph nodes beneath the arm in patients having lumpectomy for breast cancer. (3) Don't routinely order specialized tumor gene testing in all new breast cancer patients. (4) Don't routinely reoperate on patients with invasive cancer if the cancer is close to the edge of the excised lumpectomy tissue. (5) Don't routinely perform a double mastectomy in patients who have a single breast with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The ASBrS list for the Choosing Wisely (®) campaign is easily accessible to breast cancer patients online. These measures provide surgeons and their patients with a starting point for shared decision making regarding potentially unnecessary testing and operations.

Pilot study to evaluate feasibility of image-guided breast-conserving therapy in the advanced multimodal image-guided operating (AMIGO) suite.

BACKGROUND: The rate of reexcision in breast-conserving surgery remains high, leading to delay in initiation of adjuvant therapy, increased cost, increased complications, and negative psychological impact to the patient.1 (-) 3 We initiated a phase 1 clinical trial to determine the feasibility of the use of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess margins in the advanced multimodal image-guided operating (AMIGO) suite. METHODS: All patients received contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MRI while under general anesthesia in the supine position, followed by standard BCT with or without wire guidance and sentinel node biopsy. Additional margin reexcision was performed of suspicious margins and correlated to final pathology (Fig. 1). Feasibility was assessed via two components: demonstration of safety and sterility and acceptable duration of the operation and imaging; and adequacy of intraoperative MRI imaging for interpretation and its comparison to final pathology. Fig. 1 Schema of AMIGO trial RESULTS: Eight patients (mean age 48.5 years), 4 with stage I breast cancer and 4 with stage II breast cancer, were recruited. All patients underwent successful BCT in the AMIGO suite with no AMIGO-specific complications or break in sterility during surgery. The mean operative time was 113 min (range 93-146 min). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience with AMIGO suggests that it is feasible to use intraoperative MRI imaging to evaluate margin assessment in real time. Further research is required to identify modalities that will lead to a reduction in reexcision in breast cancer therapy.

Socioeconomic and geographic differences in immediate reconstruction after mastectomy in the United States.

Disparities are evident in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. This study examines multiple socioeconomic and geographic regions across the US to determine if disparities exist in the type of reconstruction obtained after mastectomy. This is a retrospective study evaluating socioeconomic and geographic variables of 14,764 women who underwent mastectomy in 2008 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Statistical analysis was performed on three groups of women: patients without reconstruction (NR), patients who underwent breast implant/tissue expander reconstruction (TE), and patients with autologous reconstruction such as free or pedicled flaps (FLAP). The majority of patients (63.9%) had NR, while 23.9% had TE and 12.2% underwent FLAP. Compared to patients with NR, women with TE or FLAP were younger (64.9 years versus 51.3 and 51.1 years, p < 0.001), had fewer chronic conditions (2.60 and 2.54 chronic conditions for TE and FLAP respectively versus 3.85 for NR, p < 0.001) and higher mean hospital charges ($42,850 TE and $48,680 FLAP versus $22,300 NR, p < 0.001). Both Medicare and Medicaid insurance carriers had a higher proportion of women that did not get reconstructed compared to other insurance types (p < 0.001). Compared to NR, reconstructed women more often lived in urban areas and zip codes with higher average incomes (p < 0.001). This is the first national study analyzing insurance type and geographic variations to show statistically significant disparities in rate and type of immediate reconstruction after mastectomy. These inequalities need to be addressed to extend immediate reconstruction options to all women undergoing mastectomy.

Outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic malignancy in octogenarians: an American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most series analyzing outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy in octogenarians are limited by a small sample size. The investigators used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for an analysis of the impact of advanced age on outcomes after pancreatic cancer surgery. METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2010 was accessed to study the outcomes of 475 pancreaticoduodenectomies performed in patients ≥80 years of age compared with 4,102 patients <80 years of age using chi-square and Student's t tests. A multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with 30-day mortality and the occurrence of major complications. RESULTS: Octogenarians had significantly more preoperative comorbidities compared with patients <80 years of age. On multivariate analysis, age ≥80 years was associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing 30-day mortality and major complications compared with patients <80 years of age. On subgroup analysis, septuagenarians had a similar odds ratio of experiencing mortality or complications compared with octogenarians, whereas patients <70 years of age were at lower risk. CONCLUSIONS: Although octogenarians have an increased risk for mortality and major complications compared with patients <80 years of age, on subgroup analysis, they do not differ from septuagenarians.

The consequence of undertreatment of patients treated with breast conserving therapy for ductal carcinoma in-situ.

BACKGROUND: The use of clinical features to allocate adjuvant therapy in the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ with breast-conserving therapy remains controversial. METHODS: A review of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ treated with breast-conserving therapy was performed. The recurrence rate was examined in relation to patient age, tumor characteristics, Van Nuys Prognostic Index, and the receipt of prescribed adjuvant therapies. RESULTS: Six percent of patients (17 of 294) had developed local recurrences after a median follow-up period of 63 months. Fifty-nine percent of patients (91 of 154) with estrogen receptor-positive tumors did not receive prescribed tamoxifen. Thirty-one percent of patients (45 of 147) with Van Nuys Prognostic Index scores ≥7 did not receive recommended radiation therapy. Receipt of prescribed adjuvant therapy did not result in a decrease in the rate of local recurrence. Patient age was the only factor associated with local recurrence on univariate but not on multivariate analysis (P = .374). CONCLUSIONS: A low rate of local recurrence was achieved despite a large number of patients' not receiving prescribed adjuvant therapies.

Survey of New York City resident physicians on cause-of-death reporting, 2010.

INTRODUCTION: Death certificates contain critical information for epidemiology, public health research, disease surveillance, and community health programs. In most teaching hospitals, resident physicians complete death certificates. The objective of this study was to examine the experiences and opinions of physician residents in New York City on the accuracy of the cause-of-death reporting system. METHODS: In May and June 2010, we conducted an anonymous, Internet-based, 32-question survey of all internal medicine, emergency medicine, and general surgery residency programs (n = 70) in New York City. We analyzed data by type of residency and by resident experience in reporting deaths. We defined high-volume respondents as those who completed 11 or more death certificates in the last 3 years. RESULTS: A total of 521 residents from 38 residency programs participated (program response rate, 54%). We identified 178 (34%) high-volume respondents. Only 33.3% of all respondents and 22.7% of high-volume residents believed that cause-of-death reporting is accurate. Of all respondents, 48.6% had knowingly reported an inaccurate cause of death; 58.4% of high-volume residents had done so. Of respondents who indicated they reported an inaccurate cause, 76.8% said the system would not accept the correct cause, 40.5% said admitting office personnel instructed them to "put something else," and 30.7% said the medical examiner instructed them to do so; 64.6% cited cardiovascular disease as the most frequent diagnosis inaccurately reported. CONCLUSION: Most resident physicians believed the current cause-of-death reporting system is inaccurate, often knowingly documenting incorrect causes. The system should be improved to allow reporting of more causes, and residents should receive better training on completing death certificates.

Surgical residents' perception of the 16-hour work day restriction: concern for negative impact on resident education and patient care.

BACKGROUND: Effective July 1, 2011, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) instituted a 16-hour duty period limitation for postgraduate year I (PGY I) residents. Our aim was to assess the attitudes and perception of general surgery residents regarding the new duty hour limitation as well as the transfer of care process under the new guidelines. STUDY DESIGN: An anonymous, web-based survey was conducted nationally 7 months after the institution of the 16-hour duty limitation. RESULTS: A total of 464 completed surveys were analyzed. Overall, 75% of residents expressed dissatisfaction with the new duty hour limitation. PGY II to V residents reported a higher level of dissatisfaction compared with PGY I residents (87% vs 54%, p < 0.01). Eighty-nine percent of PGY II to V residents responded that there has been a shift of responsibilities from the PGY I class to PGY II to V residents, with 73% reporting increased fatigue as a result. Seventy-five percent of PGY I and 94% of PGY II to V residents expressed concerns about the adverse impact of the restrictions on the education of PGY I residents (p < 0.01). Residents at all PGY training levels reported encountering problems due to inadequate sign-outs (PGY I, 59%; PGY II to V, 85%; p < 0.01). Sixty-two percent of PGY I residents and 54% of PGY II to V residents believed that the new 16-hour duty restriction contributes to inadequate sign-outs (p = NS). Most PGY II to V residents (86%) believe there is a decreased level of patient ownership due to the work hour restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the survey suggest that the majority of general surgery residents are concerned over the potential negative impact of the duty limitation on resident education and patient care. Further research is needed to address these concerns.

Intussusception of the appendix: comprehensive review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Intussusception of the appendix is a rare disease that constitutes a diagnostic challenge to the surgeon. The literature on this condition is limited to case reports. The demographics, presentation, and treatment remain debatable in the absence of a comprehensive review of the literature. DATA SOURCES: This article reports a case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with intussusception of the appendix caused by endometriosis. A comprehensive review of the English literature in PubMed was performed. The trends in incidence, sex predilection, presentation, and treatment of appendiceal intussusception were derived based on the reports of 191 patients. COMMENTS: The incidence was more common in adults (76%) than in children (24%). Female patients (72%) were 2 times more affected in adults than in children, whereas male patients (58%) seem to be more affected in the pediatric population. Intussusception of the appendix has most commonly a chronic presentation (63%). Endometriosis (33%) and inflammation (76%) were the most common pathologic findings in adults and children, respectively. Only 49% of patients were treated by simple appendectomy; 49% patients underwent partial colectomy; and 2% of patients had their appendixes endoscopically removed.