Jerri Linn Phillips

The National Cancer Data Base report on poor survival of U.S. gastric carcinoma patients treated with gastrectomy: Fifth edition American Joint Committee on Cancer staging, proximal disease, and the different disease hypothesis

A high proportion of U.S. patients with gastric carcinoma do not receive surgical treatment. To sharpen staging criteria and facilitate comparisons with surgical series, an analysis of patients whose treatment included gastrectomy was undertaken. In addition, to evaluate the “different disease” hypothesis as an explanation for superior Japanese results, outcomes for Japanese Americans were examined.

Ten-year survey of lung cancer treatment and survival in hospitals in the United States

Primary lung cancer accounts for approximately 14% of all new cancers and 28% of cancer deaths in the U.S. Previous reviews have shown limited progress in the management or outcome of this devastating disease.

The National Cancer Data Base report on the relationship of race and National origin to the histology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma reflects interactions of genetics, diet, and viral agents. It is more common in Asians than non‐Asians, with different characteristic histologic types. This study examined nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the U.S. as a function of patient origin and histology.

The national cancer data base report on cancer of the vagina

This study was conducted to determine practice patterns in the management of vaginal malignancy.

The National Cancer Data Base: Past, Present, and Future

The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) contains information on over 25 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated in cancer centers across the USA since 1985. The NCDB collects data on patient demographics, tumor stage and histopathology, treatment, and outcomes on more than 70% of the cancer cases diagnosed in the USA annually. Reporting centers range from small community hospitals to large academic medical centers and National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Since its inception in 1988 the NCDB has been cofunded by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) and the American Cancer Society (ACS). The programmatic focus of the NCDB, since its founding, has been to support quality improvement at the local level.

The National Cancer Data Base Report on Endometrial Carcinoma in African-American Women

Although the incidence of uterine carcinoma is lower among African‐American women compared with white women, the mortality rates are higher for African‐American patients. This report is part of an ongoing series on gynecologic malignancies in African‐American women.

The national cancer data base report on malignant epithelial ovarian carcinoma in African-American women

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among African‐American women. Although the incidence rate of ovarian carcinoma for whites is higher than that for African Americans, the relative survival rate for African Americans is poorer.

The National Cancer Data Base report on ovarian cancer treatment in United States hospitals.

BACKGROUND Epithelial ovarian cancer continues to challenge clinicians. There is no accepted method of screening for ovarian cancer, and most patients present with advanced disease. In spite of advances in surgery and chemotherapy, survival continues to be poor. METHODS The data, comprising the ovarian cancer caseloads of 940 hospitals, are from the National Cancer Data Base. The 15,254 patients, diagnosed in 1988 or 1993, had no prior cancer diagnosis. RESULTS Data quality had improved by 1993; 89.4% of the records included American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging information in 1993, compared with 67.9% in 1988. Borderline epithelial tumors and germ cell tumors were most commonly found in younger women and were more likely to be diagnosed at Stage I. The percentage of women with carcinoma treated only with surgery increased substantially by 1993. Relative survival decreased with increasing tumor stage or grade. Five-year survival was considerably lower for women with carcinoma (38%) than for women with either borderline carcinoma (95%) or germ cell tumors (86%). The addition of chemotherapy to the treatment of Stage I carcinoma did not improve outcome, nor was dramatic improvement in survival brought about by the addition of chemotherapy to the treatment of Stage II and III low grade disease. Chemotherapy was beneficial to patients with Stage II or III disease, Grade 3 or 4, and Stage IV disease. CONCLUSIONS Most women with epithelial ovarian cancers continue to present with advanced disease. No improvements in early detection were apparent in the reference years studied. The benefits of the addition of chemotherapy to the treatment of this disease were most obvious in patients with Stage II and III disease, Grade 3 or 4, and those with Stage IV disease. These benefits were less clear in early stage disease. However, there continues to be significant room for improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Relationships among primary tumor size, number of involved nodes, and survival for 8044 cases of Merkel cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND The effects of primary tumor size on nodal involvement and of number of involved nodes on survival have not, to our knowledge, been examined in a national database of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). OBJECTIVE We sought to analyze a retrospective cohort of patients with MCC from the largest US national database to assess the relationships between these clinical parameters and survival. METHODS A total of 8044 MCC cases in the National Cancer Data Base were analyzed. RESULTS There was a 14% risk of regional nodal involvement for 0.5-cm tumors that increased to 25% for 1.7-cm (median-sized) tumors and to more than 36% for tumors 6 cm or larger. The number of involved nodes was strongly predictive of survival (0 nodes, 76% 5-year relative survival; 1 node, 50%; 2 nodes, 47%; 3-5 nodes, 42%; and ≥6 nodes, 24%; P < .0001 for trend). Younger and/or male patients were more likely to undergo pathological nodal evaluation. LIMITATIONS The National Cancer Data Base does not capture disease-specific survival. Hence, relative survival was calculated by comparing overall survival with age- and sex-matched US population data. CONCLUSION Pathologic nodal evaluation should be considered even for patients with small primary MCC tumors. The number of involved nodes is strongly predictive of survival and may help improve prognostic accuracy and management.

The national cancer data base report on early stage invasive vulvar carcinoma

Recent advancement in recommended treatment of early stage vulvar carcinoma had emphasized the role of pathologic indications of tumor size and lymph node involvement. The purpose of this study was to identify the current mode of practice in the management of early stage vulvar carcinoma with primary disease limited to the vulva and/or the perineum.