High-Risk Features of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation: Patients for Whom Surgery Should Not Be Delayed.

Objective: Clinical predictors of pathological complete response have not reliably identified patients for whom an organ-sparing approach following neoadjuvant chemoradiation be undertaken for esophageal cancer patients. We sought to identify high-risk predictors of residual carcinoma that may preclude patients from a selective surgical approach.

Background: Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy for esophageal adenocarcinoma were identified.

Diverse tumorigenic consequences of human papillomavirus integration in primary oropharyngeal cancers.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes 5% of all cancers and frequently integrates into host chromosomes. The HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 are necessary but insufficient for cancer formation, indicating that additional secondary genetic events are required. Here, we investigate potential oncogenic impacts of virus integration.

Independent association of marijuana use and poor oral hygiene with HPV-negative but not HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: Sexual behavior is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancer, whereas tobacco and alcohol use are associated with HPV-negative cancer. A case-control study was designed to investigate additional demographic and behavioral factors independently associated with these distinct oral cancers.

Methods: From 2011 to 2014, 249 newly diagnosed oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases were matched (1:2) on age, gender, and self-identified race to 498 controls without a cancer history attending the outpatient otolaryngology clinic at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

Time trends and predictors of survival in surgically resected early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Background: The improvement in the management of lung cancer have the potential to improve survival in patients undergoing resection for early-stage (stage I and II) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but few studies have evaluated time trends and identified predictors of overall survival (OS).

Methods: We identified surgically resected early-stage NSCLC between 1998 and 2016. The 3-year OS (1998-2014) and 5-year OS (1998-2012) rates were calculated for each year.

Agreement on Major Pathological Response in NSCLC Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Introduction: We have suggested that major pathologic response (MPR) could serve as a surrogate endpoint for survival and provide rapid means of comparing different neoadjuvant treatment regimens. Here, we confirm that MPR is predictive of long-term overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection, to assess agreement on MPR between 2 observers, and to determine the minimum number of slides needed to obtain an accurate determination of MPR.

Patients And Methods: We identified 151 patients with NSCLC who had been treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by complete surgical resection from 2008 to 2012.

Time Trends of Perioperative Outcomes in Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Resection Patients.

Background: Advances in perioperative and operative management hold great promise for improving perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing resection for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this study was to evaluate time trends in the incidence of perioperative outcomes and to identify predictors of pulmonary complication in early stage NSCLC resection patients.

Methods: An institutional database was reviewed to identify patients with primary, clinical stage I and II NSCLC who underwent resection from 1998 to 2016.

Dynamic factors affecting HPV-attributable fraction for head and neck cancers.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is attributable to carcinogen and oncogenic virus exposure and rates are driven by the prevalence, intensity, and duration of exposures. Recent dramatic shifts in human behavior have resulted in substantial heterogeneity in HNSCC incidence trends over calendar time. For example, changes in sexual behavior during the 1900s likely increased exposure to oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and, consequently, rates of HPV-positive HNSCC.

Microcephaly inpatient hospitalization and potential Zika outbreak in Texas: A cost and predicted economic burden analysis.

Objective: Estimate inpatient hospitalization costs for patients with microcephaly, and predict cost increases due to a potential Zika virus outbreak.

Methods: We identified Texas-wide inpatient hospitalization discharge records (2008-2015), for newborns and non-newborns with microcephaly. We estimated the cost of each hospitalization by applying cost-to-charge ratios on the actual hospitalization charge.

Multimodality Therapy for N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Evolving Paradigm.

Background: Induction chemoradiation for resectable N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is used with the intent to optimize locoregional control, whereas induction chemotherapy given in systemic doses is meant to optimally target potential distant disease. However, the optimal preoperative treatment regimen is still unknown and practice patterns continue to vary widely. We compared multiinstitutional oncologic outcomes for N2 NSCLC from 4 experienced lung cancer treatment centers.

Predictors of survival after resection of primary sarcomas of the chest wall-A large, single-institution series.

Background And Objectives: Chest wall sarcomas are rare and may demonstrate heterogeneous features. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy used as adjuncts. Herein, we report outcomes of a large cohort of patients with primary chest wall sarcoma who underwent resection.

Clinicoradiographic Predictors of Aggressive Biology in Lung Cancer With Ground Glass Components.

Background: Ground glass opacities pose diagnostic challenges, and even after malignancy is confirmed, prognosis is often unclear. We sought to identify clinicoradiographic features that could predict aggressive tumor biology in lung adenocarcinoma with associated ground glass components.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma from 2008 to 2013 was performed.

Natural History of Ground-Glass Lesions Among Patients With Previous Lung Cancer.

Background: Among patients with previous lung cancer, the malignant potential of subsequent ground-glass opacities (GGOs) on computed tomography remains unknown, with a lack of consensus regarding surveillance and intervention. This study sought to describe the natural history of GGO in patients with a history of lung cancer.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 210 patients with a history of lung cancer and ensuing computed tomography evidence of pure or mixed GGOs between 2007 and 2013.

The Influence of Reconstructive Technique on Perioperative Pulmonary and Infectious Outcomes Following Chest Wall Resection.

Background: Emerging technologies for prosthetic reconstruction after chest wall resection have yielded a wide variety of reconstructive options for thoracic surgeons. The ideal chest wall reconstruction and its impact on perioperative outcomes has not been well defined. Our goal was to determine whether mesh characteristics such as rigidity or absorbability altered perioperative pulmonary and infectious outcomes.

Correlating mammographic and pathologic findings in clinical decision support using natural language processing and data mining methods.

Background: A key challenge to mining electronic health records for mammography research is the preponderance of unstructured narrative text, which strikingly limits usable output. The imaging characteristics of breast cancer subtypes have been described previously, but without standardization of parameters for data mining.

Methods: The authors searched the enterprise-wide data warehouse at the Houston Methodist Hospital, the Methodist Environment for Translational Enhancement and Outcomes Research (METEOR), for patients with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 5 mammogram readings performed between January 2006 and May 2015 and an available pathology report.

Impact of a Fast-track Esophagectomy Protocol on Esophageal Cancer Patient Outcomes and Hospital Charges.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a fast-track esophagectomy protocol (FTEP) on esophageal cancer patients' safety, length of hospital stay (LOS), and hospital charges.

Background: FTEP involved transferring patients to the telemetry unit instead of the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) after esophagectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 708 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for primary esophageal cancer during the 4 years before (group A; 322 patients) or 4 years after (group B; 386 patients) the institution of an FTEP.