Reducing Conduit Ischemia and Anastomotic Leaks in Transhiatal Esophagectomy: Six Principles.

BACKGROUND: Transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) is an accepted approach for distal esophageal (DE) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. Its reported weaknesses are limited loco-regional resection and high anastomotic leak rates. We have used laparoscopic assistance to perform a THE (LapTHE) as our preferred method of resection for GEJ and DE cancers for over 20 years. Our unique approach and experience may provide technical insights and perhaps superior outcomes. METHODS: We reviewed all patients who underwent LapTHE for DE and GEJ malignancy over 10 years (2011-2020). We included 6 principles in our approach: (1) minimize dissection trauma using laparoscopy; (2) routine Kocher maneuver; (3) division of lesser sac adhesions exposing the entire gastroepiploic arcade; (4) gaining excess conduit mobility, allowing resection of proximal stomach, and performing the anastomosis with a well perfused stomach; (5) stapled side-to-side anastomosis; and (6) routine feeding jejunostomy and early oral diet. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-seven patients were included in the analysis. The median number of lymph nodes procured was 19 (range 5-49). Negative margins were achieved in all cases (95% confidence interval [CI] 98-100%). Median hospital stay was 7 days. Overall major complication rate was 24% (17-32%), 90-day mortality was 2.0% (0.4-5.8%), and reoperation was 5.4% (2.4-10%). Three patients (2.0%, 0.4-5.8%) developed anastomotic leaks. Median follow-up was 901 days (range 52-5240). Nine patients (6.1%, 2.8-11%) developed anastomotic strictures. CONCLUSIONS: Routine use of LapTHE for DE and GEJ cancers and inclusion of these six operative principles allow for a low rate of anastomotic complications relative to national benchmarks.

Factors associated with lung cancer risk factor documentation.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with the minimum necessary information to determine an individual's eligibility for lung cancer screening (ie, sufficient risk factor documentation) and to characterize clinic-level variability in documentation. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study using electronic health record data from an academic health system in 2019. Methods: We calculated the relative risk of sufficient lung cancer risk factor documentation by patient-, provider-, and system-level variables using Poisson regression models, clustering by clinic. We compared unadjusted, risk-adjusted, and reliability-adjusted proportions of patients with sufficient smoking documentation across 31 clinics using logistic regression models and 2-level hierarchical logit models to estimate reliability-adjusted proportions across clinics. Results: Among 20,632 individuals, 60% had sufficient risk factor documentation to determine screening eligibility. Patient-level factors inversely associated with risk factor documentation included Black race (relative risk [RR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.60-0.81), non-English preferred language (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.49-0.74), Medicaid insurance (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.57-0.71), and nonactivated patient portal (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80-0.90). Documentation varied across clinics. The reliability-adjusted intraclass correlation coefficient decreased from 11.0% (95% CI, 6.9%-17.1%) to 5.3% (95% CI, 3.2%-8.6%), adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: We found a low rate of sufficient lung cancer risk factor documentation and associations of risk factor documentation based on patient-level factors such as race, insurance status, language, and patient portal activation. Risk factor documentation rates varied across clinics, and only approximately half the variation was explained by factors in our analysis.

Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers, Version 2.2023, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Cancers originating in the esophagus or esophagogastric junction constitute a major global health problem. Esophageal cancers are histologically classified as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or adenocarcinoma, which differ in their etiology, pathology, tumor location, therapeutics, and prognosis. In contrast to esophageal adenocarcinoma, which usually affects the lower esophagus, esophageal SCC is more likely to localize at or higher than the tracheal bifurcation. Systemic therapy can provide palliation, improved survival, and enhanced quality of life in patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease. The implementation of biomarker testing, especially analysis of HER2 status, microsatellite instability status, and the expression of programmed death-ligand 1, has had a significant impact on clinical practice and patient care. Targeted therapies including trastuzumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab, and pembrolizumab have produced encouraging results in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Palliative management, which may include systemic therapy, chemoradiation, and/or best supportive care, is recommended for all patients with unresectable or metastatic cancer. Multidisciplinary team management is essential for all patients with locally advanced esophageal or esophagogastric junction cancers. This selection from the NCCN Guidelines for Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers focuses on the management of recurrent or metastatic disease.

Symptoms and signs of lung cancer prior to diagnosis: case-control study using electronic health records from ambulatory care within a large US-based tertiary care centre.

OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in the USA. While most patients are diagnosed following symptomatic presentation, no studies have compared symptoms and physical examination signs at or prior to diagnosis from electronic health records (EHRs) in the USA. We aimed to identify symptoms and signs in patients prior to diagnosis in EHR data. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Ambulatory care clinics at a large tertiary care academic health centre in the USA. PARTICIPANTS, OUTCOMES: We studied 698 primary lung cancer cases in adults diagnosed between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2019, and 6841 controls matched by age, sex, smoking status and type of clinic. Coded and free-text data from the EHR were extracted from 2 years prior to diagnosis date for cases and index date for controls. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression were used to identify symptoms and signs associated with lung cancer at time of diagnosis, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months before the diagnosis/index dates. RESULTS: Eleven symptoms and signs recorded during the study period were associated with a significantly higher chance of being a lung cancer case in multivariable analyses. Of these, seven were significantly associated with lung cancer 6 months prior to diagnosis: haemoptysis (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.9 to 5.3), cough (OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.4 to 4.0), chest crackles or wheeze (OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.3 to 4.1), bone pain (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.1 to 3.6), back pain (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.9 to 3.2), weight loss (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.8) and fatigue (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.1). CONCLUSIONS: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer appear to have symptoms and signs recorded in the EHR that distinguish them from similar matched patients in ambulatory care, often 6 months or more before diagnosis. These findings suggest opportunities to improve the diagnostic process for lung cancer.

Acquiring tissue for advanced lung cancer diagnosis and comprehensive biomarker testing: A National Lung Cancer Roundtable best-practice guide.

Advances in biomarker-driven therapies for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) both provide opportunities to improve the treatment (and thus outcomes) for patients and pose new challenges for equitable care delivery. Over the last decade, the continuing development of new biomarker-driven therapies and evolving indications for their use have intensified the importance of interdisciplinary communication and coordination for patients with or suspected to have lung cancer. Multidisciplinary teams are challenged with completing comprehensive and timely biomarker testing and navigating the constantly evolving evidence base for a complex and time-sensitive disease. This guide provides context for the current state of comprehensive biomarker testing for NSCLC, reviews how biomarker testing integrates within the diagnostic continuum for patients, and illustrates best practices and common pitfalls that influence the success and timeliness of biomarker testing using a series of case scenarios.

Perception of Treatment Success and Impact on Function with Antibiotics or Appendectomy for Appendicitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial with an Observational Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To compare secondary patient reported outcomes of perceptions of treatment success and function for patients treated for appendicitis with appendectomy vs. antibiotics at 30 days. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The Comparison of Outcomes of antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy trial found antibiotics noninferior to appendectomy based on 30-day health status. To address questions about outcomes among participants with lower socioeconomic status, we explored the relationship of sociodemographic and clinical factors and outcomes. METHODS: We focused on 4 patient reported outcomes at 30 days: high decisional regret, dissatisfaction with treatment, problems performing usual activities, and missing >10 days of work. The randomized (RCT) and observational cohorts were pooled for exploration of baseline factors. The RCT cohort alone was used for comparison of treatments. Logistic regression was used to assess associations. RESULTS: The pooled cohort contained 2062 participants; 1552 from the RCT. Overall, regret and dissatisfaction were low whereas problems with usual activities and prolonged missed work occurred more frequently. In the RCT, those assigned to antibiotics had more regret (Odd ratios (OR) 2.97, 95% Confidence intervals (CI) 2.05-4.31) and dissatisfaction (OR 1.98, 95%CI 1.25-3.12), and reported less missed work (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.27-0.56). Factors associated with function outcomes included sociodemographic and clinical variables for both treatment arms. Fewer factors were associated with dissatisfaction and regret. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, participants reported high satisfaction, low regret, and were frequently able to resume usual activities and return to work. When comparing treatments for appendicitis, no single measure defines success or failure for all people. The reported data may inform discussions regarding the most appropriate treatment for individuals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02800785.

Evaluation of a Multilevel Laboratory Stewardship Intervention Targeted to Cardiac and Thoracic Surgical Services at an Academic Medical Center.

CONTEXT.­: Unnecessary laboratory tests are ordered because of factors such as preselected orders on order sets, clinician habits, and trainee concerns. Excessive use of laboratory testing increases patient discomfort via unnecessary phlebotomy, contributes to iatrogenic anemia, increases risk of bloodstream infections, and increases the cost of care. OBJECTIVE.­: To address these concerns, we implemented a multilevel laboratory stewardship intervention to decrease unnecessary laboratory testing, measured by laboratory tests per day attributed to service, across 2 surgical divisions with high laboratory use. DESIGN.­: The multilevel intervention included 5 components: stakeholder engagement, provider education, computerized provider order entry modification, performance feedback, and culture change supported by leadership. The primary outcome of the study was laboratory tests ordered per patient-day. Secondary outcomes included the number of blood draws per patient-day, total lab-associated costs, length of stay, discharge to a nursing facility, 30-day readmissions, and deaths. A difference-in-differences analytic approach assessed the outcome measures in the intervention period, with other surgical services as controls. RESULTS.­: The primary outcome of laboratory tests per patient-day showed a significant decrease across both thoracic and cardiac surgery services, with between 1.5 and 2 fewer tests ordered per patient-day for both services and an estimated 20 000 fewer tests performed during the intervention period. Blood draws per patient-day were also significantly decreased on the thoracic surgery service but not for cardiac surgery. CONCLUSIONS.­: A multilevel laboratory stewardship intervention targeted to 2 surgical services resulted in a significant decrease in laboratory test use without negatively impacting length of stay, readmissions, or mortality.

Patient and Nodule Characteristics Associated With a Lung Cancer Diagnosis Among Individuals With Incidentally Detected Lung Nodules.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary nodules are a common incidental finding on CT imaging. Few studies have described patient and nodule characteristics associated with a lung cancer diagnosis using a population-based cohort. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does a relationship exist between patient and nodule characteristics and lung cancer among individuals with incidentally detected pulmonary nodules, and can this information be used to create exploratory lung cancer prediction models with reasonable performance characteristics? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults older than 18 years with lung nodules of any size incidentally detected by chest CT imaging between 2005 and 2015. All patients had at least 2 years of complete follow-up. To evaluate the relationship between patient and nodule characteristics and lung cancer, we used binomial regression. We used logistic regression to create prediction models, and we internally validated model performance using bootstrap optimism correction. RESULTS: Among 7,240 patients with a median age of 67 years, 56% of whom were women, with a median BMI of 28 kg/m2, 56% of whom were ever smokers, 31% of whom had prior nonlung malignancy, with a median nodule size 5.6 mm, 57% of whom had multiple nodules, and 40% of whom had an upper lobe nodule, 265 patients (3.7%; 95% CI, 3.2%-4.1%) had a diagnosis of lung cancer. In a multivariate analysis, age, sex, BMI, smoking history, and nodule size and location were associated with a lung cancer diagnosis, whereas prior malignancy and nodule number and laterality were not. We were able to construct two prediction models with an area under the curve value of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.72-0.80) and reasonable calibration. INTERPRETATION: Lung cancer is uncommon among individuals with incidentally detected lung nodules. Some, but not all, previously identified factors associated with lung cancer also were associated with this outcome in this sample. These findings may have implications for clinical practice, future practice guidelines, and the development of novel lung cancer prediction models for individuals with incidentally detected lung nodules.

How Timely Is Diagnosis of Lung Cancer? Cohort Study of Individuals with Lung Cancer Presenting in Ambulatory Care in the United States.

The diagnosis of lung cancer in ambulatory settings is often challenging due to non-specific clinical presentation, but there are currently no clinical quality measures (CQMs) in the United States used to identify areas for practice improvement in diagnosis. We describe the pre-diagnostic time intervals among a retrospective cohort of 711 patients identified with primary lung cancer from 2012-2019 from ambulatory care clinics in Seattle, Washington USA. Electronic health record data were extracted for two years prior to diagnosis, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) applied to identify symptoms/signs from free text clinical fields. Time points were defined for initial symptomatic presentation, chest imaging, specialist consultation, diagnostic confirmation, and treatment initiation. Median and interquartile ranges (IQR) were calculated for intervals spanning these time points. The mean age of the cohort was 67.3 years, 54.1% had Stage III or IV disease and the majority were diagnosed after clinical presentation (94.5%) rather than screening (5.5%). Median intervals from first recorded symptoms/signs to diagnosis was 570 days (IQR 273-691), from chest CT or chest X-ray imaging to diagnosis 43 days (IQR 11-240), specialist consultation to diagnosis 72 days (IQR 13-456), and from diagnosis to treatment initiation 7 days (IQR 0-36). Symptoms/signs associated with lung cancer can be identified over a year prior to diagnosis using NLP, highlighting the need for CQMs to improve timeliness of diagnosis.

Fleischner Society Guideline Recommendations for Incidentally Detected Pulmonary Nodules and the Probability of Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: The Fleischner Society aims to limit further evaluations of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules when the probability of lung cancer is <1% and to pursue further evaluations when the probability of lung cancer is ≥1%. To evaluate the internal consistency of guideline goals and recommendations, the authors evaluated stratum-specific recommendations and 2-year probabilities of lung cancer. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study (2005-2015) was conducted of individuals enrolled in one of two integrated health systems with solid nodules incidentally detected on CT. The 2017 Fleischner Society guidelines were used to define strata on the basis of smoking status and nodule size and number. Lung cancer diagnoses within 2 years of nodule detection were ascertained using cancer registry data. Confidence interval (CI) inspection was used to determine if stratum-specific probabilities of lung cancer were different than 1%. RESULTS: Among 5,444 individuals with incidentally detected lung nodules (median age, 66 years; 54% women; 57% smoked; median nodule size, 5.5 mm; 55% with multiple nodules), 214 (3.9%; 95% CI, 3.4%-4.5%) were diagnosed with lung cancer within 2 years. For 7 of 12 strata (58%), 2,765 patients (51%), and 194 lung cancer cases (91%), there was alignment between Fleischner Society goals and recommendations. Alignment was indeterminate for 5 strata (42%), 2,679 patients (49%), and 20 lung cancer cases (9%) because CIs for the probability of lung cancer spanned 1%. CONCLUSIONS: Fleischner Society guideline goals and recommendations align at least half the time. It is uncertain whether alignment of guideline goals and recommendations occurs more often.

Clinical Understaging, Treatment Response, and Survival Among Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Selecting appropriate management for patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is predicated on accurate clinical staging information. Inaccurate information could lead to inappropriate treatment and suboptimal survival. We investigated the relationship between staging accuracy, treatment, and survival. METHODS: This was a national cohort study of EA patients in the National Cancer Data Base (2006-2015) treated with upfront resection or neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). Clinical and pathological staging information was used to ascertain staging concordance for each patient. For NAT patients, Bayesian analysis was used to account for potential downstaging. We evaluated the association between staging concordance, receipt of NAT, and survival through hierarchical logistic regression and multivariable Cox regression. RESULTS: Among 7635 EA patients treated at 877 hospitals, 3038 had upfront resection and 4597 NAT followed by surgery. Relative to accurately staged patients, understaging was associated with a lower likelihood (odds ratio [OR] 0.04 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02-0.05) while overstaging was associated with a greater likelihood of receiving NAT (OR 1.98 [1.53-2.56]). Relative to upfront surgery, treatment of cT1N0 patients with NAT was associated with a higher risk of death (HR 3.08 [2.36-4.02]). For accurately or overstaged cT3-T4 patients, NAT was associated with a lower risk of death whether downstaging occurred (ypN0 disease-HR 0.67 [0.49-0.92]; N+ disease-HR 0.55 [0.45-0.66]) or not (ypN + disease-HR 0.78 [95% CI 0.65-0.93]). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical understaging is associated with receipt of NAT which in turn may have a stage-specific impact on patients' survival regardless of treatment response. Guidelines should account for the possibility of inaccurate clinical staging.

Use and Safety of Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy for Achalasia in the US.

Importance: Several professional practice guidelines recommend per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) as a potential first-line therapy for the management of achalasia, yet payers remain hesitant to reimburse for the procedure owing to unanswered questions regarding safety. Objective: To evaluate the use, safety, health care utilization, and costs associated with the use of POEM for treatment of achalasia relative to laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) and pneumatic dilation (PD). Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective national cohort study of commercially insured patients, aged 18 to 63 years, who underwent index intervention for achalasia with either LHM, PD, or POEM in the US between July 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017. Patient data were obtained from a national commercial claims database. Included in the study were patients with at least 12 months of enrollment after index treatment and a minimum of 6 months of continuous enrollment before their index procedure. Patients 64 years or older were excluded to avoid underestimation of health care claims from enrollment in Medicare supplemental insurance. Data were analyzed from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: Changes in the proportion of annual procedures performed for achalasia were evaluated over time. The frequency of severe procedure-related adverse events, including perforation, pneumothorax, bleeding, and death, were compared. Negative binomial regression was used to compare the incidence rates of subsequent diagnostic testing, reintervention, and unplanned hospitalization. Generalized linear models were used to compare differences in 1-year health-related expenditures across procedures. Results: This cohort study included a total of 1921 patients (median [IQR] age: LHM group, 48 [37-56] years; 737 men [51%]; PD group, 51 [41-58] years; 168 men [52%]; POEM group, 50 [40-57] years; 80 men [56%]). The use of POEM increased 19-fold over the study period, from 1.1% (95% CI, 0.2%-3.2%) of procedures in 2010 to 18.9% in 2017 (95% CI, 13.6%-25.3%; P = .01). Adverse events were rare and did not differ between procedures. Compared with LHM, POEM was associated with more subsequent diagnostic testing (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2.2; 95% CI, 1.9-2.6) and reinterventions (IRR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.3). When compared with PD, POEM was associated with more subsequent diagnostic testing (IRR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.8) but fewer reinterventions (IRR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6). The total 1-year health care costs were similar between POEM and LHM, but significantly lower for PD (mean cost difference, $7674; 95% CI, $657-$14 692). Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this cohort study suggest that POEM was associated with higher health care utilization compared with LHM and lower subsequent health care utilization but higher costs compared with PD. The use of POEM is increasing rapidly; payers should recognize the totality of evidence and current treatment guidelines as they consider reimbursement for POEM. Patients should be informed of the trade-offs between approaches when considering treatment.

Gastric Cancer, Version 2.2022, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Over 95% of gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are typically classified based on anatomic location and histologic type. Gastric cancer generally carries a poor prognosis because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Systemic therapy can provide palliation, improved survival, and enhanced quality of life in patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease. The implementation of biomarker testing, especially analysis of HER2 status, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), has had a significant impact on clinical practice and patient care. Targeted therapies including trastuzumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab have produced encouraging results in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Palliative management, which may include systemic therapy, chemoradiation, and/or best supportive care, is recommended for all patients with unresectable or metastatic cancer. Multidisciplinary team management is essential for all patients with localized gastric cancer. This selection from the NCCN Guidelines for Gastric Cancer focuses on the management of unresectable locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic disease.

Association Between Hospital Perioperative Quality and Long-term Survival After Noncardiac Surgery.

IMPORTANCE: There is known variation in perioperative mortality rates across hospitals. However, the extent to which this variation is associated with hospital-level differences in longer-term survival has not been characterized. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between hospital perioperative quality and long-term survival after noncardiac surgery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This national cohort study included 654 093 US veterans who underwent noncardiac surgery at 98 hospitals using data from the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed between January 1 and November 1, 2021. EXPOSURES: Hospitals were stratified separately into quintiles of reliability-adjusted failure to rescue (FTR) and mortality rates. Patients were further categorized as having a complicated or uncomplicated postoperative course. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The association between hospital FTR or mortality performance quintile (with quintile 1 representing low FTR or mortality and quintile 5 representing very high FTR or mortality) and overall risk of death was evaluated separately using multivariable shared frailty modeling among patients with a complicated and uncomplicated postoperative course. RESULTS: For the overall cohort of 654 093 patients, the mean (SD) age was 61.1 (13.2) years; 597 515 (91.4%) were men and 56 578 (8.7%) were women; 111 077 (17.0%) were Black, 5953 (0.9%) were Native American, 467 969 (71.5%) were White, 42 219 (6.5%) were missing a racial category, and 26 875 (4.1%) were of another race; and 37 538 (5.7%) were Hispanic. Hospital-level 5-year survival for patients with a complicated course ranged from 42.7% (95% CI, 38.1%-46.9%) to 82.4% (95% CI, 59.0%-93.2%) and from 76.2% (95% CI, 74.4%-78.0%) to 95.2% (95% CI, 92.5%-97.7%) for patients with an uncomplicated course. Overall, 47 (48.0%) and 83 (84.7%) of 98 hospitals were either in the same or within 1 performance quintile for FTR and mortality, respectively. Among patients who had a postoperative complication, there was a dose-dependent association between care at hospitals with higher FTR rates and risk of death (compared with quintile 1: quintile 2 hazard ratio [HR], 1.05 [95% CI, 0.99-1.12]; quintile 3 HR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.10-1.26]; quintile 4 HR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.22-1.38]; and quintile 5 HR, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.22-1.43]). Similarly, increasing hospital FTR rates were associated with increasing risk of death among patients without complications (compared with quintile 1: quintile 2 HR, 1.07 [95% CI, 1.01-1.14]; quintile 3 HR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.04-1.16]; quintile 4 HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.09-1.21]; and quintile 5 HR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.05-1.19]). These findings were similar across hospital mortality quintiles for patients with complicated and uncomplicated courses. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cohort study suggest that the structures, processes, and systems of care that underlie the association between FTR and worse short-term outcomes may also have an influence on long-term survival through a pathway other than rescue from complications. A better understanding of these differences could lead to strategies that address variation in both perioperative and longer-term outcomes.

Staging Concordance and Guideline-Concordant Treatment for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Treatment selection for patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma is predicated on clinical staging information, which is inaccurate in 20% to 30% of cases and could impact the delivery of guideline-concordant treatment. We aimed to evaluate the association between staging concordance at the patient and hospital levels with the delivery of guideline-concordant treatment among esophageal adenocarcinoma patients. METHODS: This was a national cohort study of resected esophageal adenocarcinoma patients in the National Cancer Data Base (2006 to 2015) treated either with upfront resection or neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery. Patient- and hospital-level clinical and pathologic staging concordance and deviations from treatment guidelines were ascertained. For neoadjuvant therapy patients, staging concordance was predicted through Bayesian analysis. Reliability adjustment was used when evaluating hospital-level concordance. RESULTS: Among 9393 esophageal adenocarcinoma patients treated at 927 hospitals, 41% had upfront surgery. Among upfront surgery patients, staging concordance was 85.1% for T1N0 and 86.9% for T3-T4N+ disease, but less than 50% for all others. Among patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy, treatment downstaging was observed in 33.9%. Deviations from treatment guidelines were identified in 38.5% of upfront surgery patients and 3.3% of neoadjuvant therapy patients. The proportion of concordantly staged patients ranged from 60.1% to 87.9%, and deviations from treatment guidelines were observed among 14.9% to 22.7% of the patients. Patient staging concordance increased, and deviations from guidelines decreased, as hospital-level concordance increased (trend test, P values less than .001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Deviations from treatment guidelines in esophageal adenocarcinoma patients appear to be a function of inaccurate clinical staging information, which should be a new focus for quality improvement efforts.

Psychological Traits and the Persuasiveness of Lung Cancer Screening Health Messages.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer screening remains underused despite its proven mortality benefit. Health systems have attempted to increase screening awareness through advertising. Psychological theories suggest that construal level (a personal orientation toward the big picture or the details) and regulatory focus (goals emphasizing acquisition of a good or avoidance of a bad outcome) play a key role in health advertising effectiveness. These theories have not been examined in a screen-eligible population. METHODS: Using Amazon's crowdsourcing platform, Mechanical Turk, we identified screen-eligible individuals based on US Preventive Services Task Force criteria. We randomly assigned participants to see 1 of 4 screening advertisement images in a 2 (construal level: high vs low) × 2 (regulatory focus: promotion vs prevention) between-subjects experimental design. We assessed willingness to undergo screening after the advertisement. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-one individuals responded to our study invitation (mean age, 61 years). We found that the high construal/promotion focus image led to a greater willingness to screen compared with images representing other psychological states (P = .04). Regarding the personality traits of our respondents, high construal/promotion focus was the most prevalent (40%) trait combination, whereas low construal/prevention focus was the least prevalent (17%). CONCLUSIONS: The psychological focus of health-related messages affects an individual's willingness to undergo lung cancer screening. Individuals eligible for lung cancer screening are more persuaded by "big picture" messages describing the benefits of screening. Health systems may use this knowledge to design more effective patient-facing communications that lead to higher rates of screening.