Evaluating Variation in Lymph Node Sampling During Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Melanoma.

Background: The operative standard for melanoma, implemented by the Commission on Cancer (CoC), addresses margin width and excision depth, but does not collect information on sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). However, SLNB, an implemented technical standard in breast cancer, is also critical in the management of melanoma through its impact on nodal staging. This study aimed to characterize the current facility-level variation in nodal yield and nodal positivity to determine if there is an opportunity for improvement through standardization.

Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Leadership for Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery: A Qualitative Analysis.

Background: Gender disparities are well described in cardiothoracic surgery. However, qualitative data highlighting women's lived experiences are lacking. We aimed to explore women's experiences with mentorship, sponsorship, and leadership in cardiothoracic surgery.

National Variation in Implementation of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Clinically Node-Positive Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Therapy.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is feasible in women with clinically node-positive breast cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and a nodal pathologic complete response. Acceptable false negative rates are achieved through technical considerations such as removing three or more sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs); however, the variation that exists in adherence to this technique is unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate recent trends in axillary surgery in women with cN1-cN2 disease who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adherence to removing three or more SLNs, and variation in SLN yield.

American College of Surgeons Operative Standards and Breast Cancer Outcomes.

Importance: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) operative standards were established to detail critical elements of cancer surgery, reduce technical variation, and improve outcomes. Two of the 6 operative standards target adequate axillary surgery for breast cancer. The potential association of the operative standards with short-term oncologic outcomes, such as nodal yield and nodal positivity rates, is currently unknown.