Jingyan Yang

Nonadherence to Medications for Chronic Conditions and Nonadherence to Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy in Women With Breast Cancer

Importance While adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) reduces mortality for women with nonmetastatic breast cancer, nonadherence to HT is common. Objective We investigated the association between patterns of prior nonadherence to medications for chronic conditions with HT nonadherence. Design, Setting, and Participants For this retrospective cohort study, the MarketScan database was scanned for women 18 years and older who had been diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, and who filled 2 or more prescriptions for tamoxifen and/or an aromatase inhibitor. Main Exposures and Outcomes Nonadherence to medications for 6 chronic conditions (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, osteoporosis) in the 12 months before diagnosis was defined as a medication possession ratio (MPR) less than 80%. Nonadherence to HT was defined as an MPR less than 80% between the first and last prescription for HT up to 2 years. Analysis Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between prior medication nonadherence and HT nonadherence. Results Of 21 255 women treated with adjuvant HT, 3314 (15.6%) were nonadherent, and age (<55 or ≥75 years vs 55-64 years), higher 30-day out-of-pocket costs, and increased comorbidities were associated with nonadherence. Women without prior medications for 1 of the chronic conditions (n = 7828 [37%]) had an 18.4% nonadherence rate to HT. Those who used 1 or more medication prior to HT and were adherent (n = 9223 [43%]) had a 9.8% nonadherence rate to HT (relative to those without prior medications: odds ratio [OR] 0.56; 95% CI, 0.50-0.61), while those who were nonadherent to their chronic medications (n = 4214 [20%]) had a 23.1% nonadherence rate to HT (OR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.30-1.58). Adherence and nonadherence for medications for each of the 6 medical conditions was associated with adherence or nonadherence for HT, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance We found that nonadherence to medications for chronic conditions prior to HT was associated with greater nonadherence to oral HT in patients with breast cancer. Medication nonadherence history may play an important role in determining patients at risk for nonadherence to a subsequent medication for a different illness, such as HT, and a potential target for future interventions.

Complications Following Stereotactic Needle Biopsy of Intracranial Tumors

BACKGROUND Data from single-institution studies suggest that perioperative complication rates after stereotactic needle brain biopsies range from 6% to 12%, with permanent morbidity and mortality ranging from 3.1% to 6.4% and 0% to 1.7%, respectively. However, no population-level data are available. We conducted a population-based analysis to study complications after needle brain biopsy. METHODS We analyzed patients recorded in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample who underwent stereotactic needle brain biopsy for neoplastic lesions between 2006 and 2012. A multivariate logistic model was used to identify factors associated with complications. RESULTS We identified 7514 patients who underwent biopsy for various intracranial pathologies, including primary malignant neoplasm (52.3%), unspecified neoplasm (17.9%), metastasis (9.7%), meningioma (1.5%), radiation necrosis (0.8%), lymphoma (0.5%), and pineal region neoplasm (0.3%). Intracranial hemorrhage was the most frequent complication (5.8%). Other complications, including operative infection (0.1%) and wound breakdown (0.2%), were rare. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that hemorrhage is associated with older age (reference <40 years; 40-59 years, odds ratio [OR] 2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-3.38; ≥60 years, OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.22-2.97), hydrocephalus (OR 3.02, 95% CI 2.20-4.14), and cerebral edema (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.72-2.72). Hemorrhage is less likely when taking a biopsy from a primary malignant neoplasm (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59-0.90). Overall inpatient mortality after biopsy was 2.8%. Patients with intracranial hemorrhage were significantly more likely than patients without hemorrhage to die in the hospital (12.8% vs. 2.2%, P < 0.001) or be discharged to a rehabilitation/nursing facility (45.2% vs. 23.1%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Intracranial hemorrhage is the most frequent complication associated with needle brain biopsy and is associated with inpatient mortality and hospital disposition. Other complications are rare.

The safety of resection for primary central nervous system lymphoma: a single institution retrospective analysis.

Surgical resection is not the standard of care for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), as historical studies have demonstrated unfavorable complication rates and limited benefits. Some recent studies suggest that resection may provide a therapeutic benefit, yet the safety of these procedures has not been systematically investigated in the setting of modern neurosurgery. We examined the safety of surgical resection for PCNSL. We retrospectively analyzed all patients with PCNSL treated at Columbia University Medical Center between 2000 and 2015 to assess complications rates following biopsy or resection using the Glioma Outcomes Project system. We identified predictors of complications and selection for resection. Well-validated scales were used to quantify patients’ baseline clinical characteristics, including functional status, comorbid disease burden, and cardiac risk. The overall complication rate was 17.2% after resection, and 28.2% after biopsy. Cardiac risk (p = 0.047, OR 1.72 [1.01, 2.95]), and comorbid diagnoses (p = 0.004, OR 3.05 [1.42, 6.57]) predicted complications on multivariable regression. Patients who underwent resection had better KPS scores (median 70 v. 80, p = 0.0068, ∆ 10 [0.0, 10.00]), and were less likely to have multiple (46.5% v. 27.6%, p = 0.030, OR 1.42 [1.05, 1.92]) or deep lesions (70.4% v. 39.7%, p = 0.001, OR 1.83 [1.26, 2.65]). Age (p = 0.048, OR 0.75 per 10-year increase [0.56, 1.00]) and deep lesions (p = 0.003, OR 0.29 [0.13, 0.65]) influenced selection for resection on multivariable regression. Surgical resection of PCNSL is safe for select patients, with complication rates comparable to rates for other intracranial neoplasms. Whether there is a clinical benefit to resection cannot be concluded.

Nonadherence to Oral Medications for Chronic Conditions in Breast Cancer Survivors

PURPOSE Nonadherence to oral endocrine therapy is common among women with breast cancer (BC). Less is known about nonadherence to medications for other chronic conditions among survivors of BC. METHODS We used the MarketScan Database to identify women older than 18 years who had nonmetastatic BC diagnosed between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2013. Prescriptions were identified for the following six non-cancer-related conditions: hypertension, thyroid disease, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The study period was defined as 1 year before BC diagnosis (index date) through 1.5 years after the index date, with a 6-month washout period after the index data to control for adherence during the preoperative period and during chemotherapy if necessary. Adherence was defined as a medication possession ratio ≥ 80%. Change in adherence was defined as a 20% decrease in the medication possession ratio from the time before diagnosis compared with after treatment. Factors associated with change in adherence were evaluated in multivariable logistic models. RESULTS Among 36,149 patients diagnosed with BC, the average adherence to these medications before BC was 91.4%. However, after BC treatment, adherence decreased to 77.9% (P < .001). Looking at drugs for each condition, nonadherence ranged from 15.6% to 38% (P < .001). Factors associated with an increase in nonadherence included older age, insurance type, number of medications, and comorbid conditions. CONCLUSION Decreased adherence to medications for chronic diseases was found in the first year after breast cancer treatment. Breast cancer survivors may need additional interventions to improve their adherence to their medications for chronic conditions.

Dietary Inflammatory Index and Risk of Colorectal Adenoma Recurrence: A Pooled Analysis

ABSTRACT No studies have evaluated the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and colorectal adenoma recurrence. DII scores were calculated from a baseline food frequency questionnaire. Participants (n = 1727) were 40–80 years of age, enrolled in two Phase III clinical trials, who had ≥1 colorectal adenoma(s) removed within 6 months of study registration, and a follow-up colonoscopy during the trial. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). No statistically significant associations were found between DII and odds of colorectal adenoma recurrence [ORs (95% CIs) = 0.93 (0.73, 1.18) and 0.95 (0.73, 1.22)] for subjects in the second and third DII tertiles, respectively, compared to those in the lowest tertile (Ptrend = 0.72). No associations were found for recurrent colorectal adenoma characteristics, including advanced recurrent adenomas, large size, villous histology, or anatomic location. While our study did not support an association between a proinflammatory diet and colorectal adenoma recurrence, future studies are warranted to elucidate the role of a proinflammatory diet on the early stages of colorectal carcinogenesis.

Failure to Rescue and Mortality Following Resection of Intracranial Neoplasms

BACKGROUND There is growing recognition that perioperative complication rates are similar between hospitals, but mortality rates are lower at high‐volume centers. This may be due to differences in the ability to rescue patients from major complications. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between hospital caseload and failure to rescue from complications following resection of intracranial neoplasms. METHODS We identified adults in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample diagnosed with glioma, meningioma, brain metastasis, or acoustic neuroma, who underwent surgical resection between 1998 and 2010. We stratified hospitals by low, intermediate, and high surgical volume tertiles and calculated failure to rescue rates (mortality in patients after a major complication). RESULTS A total of 550 054 patients were analyzed. Overall risk‐adjusted complication rates were comparable between low‐ and medium‐volume centers, and slightly lower at high‐volume centers (15.3% [15.2, 15.5] vs 15.7% [15.5, 15.9] vs 14.3% [14.1, 14.6]). Risk‐adjusted mortality decreased with increasing hospital surgical volume (10.3% [10.2, 10.5] vs 9.0% [8.9, 9.1] vs 7.1% [7.0, 7.2]). The overall risk‐adjusted failure to rescue rate also decreased with increasing surgical volume (26.9% [26.3, 27.4] vs 24.8% [24.3, 25.3] vs 20.9% [20.5, 21.5]). CONCLUSION While complication rates were similar between high‐volume and low‐volume hospitals following craniotomy for tumor, mortality rates were substantially lower at high‐volume centers. This appears to be due to the ability of high‐volume hospitals to rescue patients from major perioperative complications.

The modified frailty index and 30-day adverse events in oncologic neurosurgery

The modified frailty index (mFI) is emerging as a leading measure for preoperative risk assessment using routinely available medical record data. Our objective was to determine if mFI predicts morbidity and mortality in the diverse national cohort of patients undergoing neurosurgery for intracranial neoplasms. We identified patients in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program who underwent oncologic neurosurgery procedures between 2008 and 2012. The mFI, ranging from 0 to 1, was calculated as the proportion of 11 possible risk factors present. We assessed the associations between mFI and 30-day mortality, neurologic and medical complications, prolonged length of stay, and unfavorable discharge in univariate and multivariable analyses and compare the index to established risk stratification techniques. A total of 9149 patients were identified. Mortality, severe medical complications, prolonged length of stay, and unfavorable discharge increased incrementally with increasing levels of frailty. Severe neurologic complications were highest in those with low frailty. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, increased frailty increased the odds of all adverse outcomes, including neurologic complications. The mFI increased the ability to predict all outcomes beyond available indices and was the most reliable predictor of neurologic complications. The mFI can be calculated from routinely collected medical record data and is predictive of 30-day adverse outcomes in a wide variety of neurosurgical oncology patients. The index may be a useful component of preoperative risk assessment with implications for shared decision-making, perioperative planning, and risk adjusted outcomes measurement in national quality registries.

Relative Risk Over Time of Donor and Recipient Factors on Kidney Graft Survival

Background The current kidney allocation system (KAS) is based on the Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) and the Estimated Post-Transplant Survival (EPTS), quality-based “longevity matching” strategies that provide only a momentary snapshot of expected outcomes at the time of transplantation. The purpose of our study was to define on a continuous timeline the relative risk as well as the mutual interactions of both donor and recipient characteristics on graft survival after transplantation. Methods 39,108 subjects who underwent kidney transplant between October 25, 1999 and January 1, 2007 were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) dataset. Donor age, height, weight, ethnicity, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, cause of death, serum creatinine, hepatitis C virus status, and donation after circulatory death, were assessed. Recipient variables included age, gender, BMI, history of previous kidney transplant, previous malignancy, peripheral vascular disease, drug-treated COPD, symptomatic cerebrovascular disease, hepatitis C status, dialysis at transplant, diabetes at registration, and education. Kidney recipients younger than 18, with missing age, and those with multiple transplants were excluded. Our primary outcome was graft survival. Results During the first year after transplantation, both donor and recipient models showed identical relevance. From the first to the sixth years, although the two ROC curves were nearly identical, the donor model outweighed the recipient model. Both models intersected again at the sixth year. From that time onward, the ROC curve for recipient characteristics model predominated over the ROC curve for donor characteristics model. The predictive value of the recipient model (AUC=0.752) was greater than that of the donor model (AUC=0.673) Figure. No caption available. Figure. No caption available. Conclusions We propose a predictive model that evaluates the dynamic effect and relevance of both donor and recipient characteristics after transplantation. As opposed to the KDPI tables that use logistic regression analysis assuming a fixed time, our model incorporates the concept of evolving risk over time. We also further define the short, intermediate, and long-term interaction of both donor and recipient characteristics on kidney graft survival. Our model expands the number of variables of the EPTS, and could be applied based on characteristics at the time of the organ offer to avoid continuous deterioration of potential recipients. Although we used the same variables than KDPI, our study had a better predictive value than that of the KDPI. We hope that this model will provide additional guidance and risk stratification to further optimize organ allocation based on the dynamic interaction of both donor and recipient characteristics over time. This work was supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration contract 231–00–0015. The content is the responsibility of the authors alone and does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Effectiveness of perioperative antiepileptic drug prophylaxis for early and late seizures following oncologic neurosurgery: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the impact of perioperative antiepileptic drug (AED) prophylaxis on short- and long-term seizure incidence among patients undergoing brain tumor surgery. It is the first meta-analysis to focus exclusively on perioperative AED prophylaxis among patients undergoing brain tumor surgery.METHODSThe authors searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, clinicaltrials.gov, and the System for Information on Gray Literature in Europe for records related to perioperative AED prophylaxis for patients with brain tumors. Risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Incidence rates for early seizures (within the first postoperative week) and total seizures were estimated based on data from randomized controlled trials. A Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model was used to analyze pooled relative risk (RR) of early seizures (within the first postoperative week) and total seizures associated with perioperative AED prophylaxis versus control.RESULTSFour RCTs involving 352 patients met the criteria of inclusion. The results demonstrated that perioperative AED prophylaxis for patients undergoing brain tumor surgery provides a statistically significant reduction in risk of early postoperative seizures compared with control (RR = 0.352, 95% confidence interval 0.130-0.949, p = 0.039). AED prophylaxis had no statistically significant effect on the total (combined short- and long-term) incidence of seizures.CONCLUSIONSThis meta-analysis demonstrates for the first time that perioperative AED prophylaxis for brain tumor surgery provides a statistically significant reduction in early postoperative seizure risk.

Assessing the safety of craniotomy for resection of primary central nervous system lymphoma: A nationwide inpatient sample analysis

Background Unlike many other central nervous system (CNS) tumors, the surgical management of primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) is traditionally limited by diagnostic biopsy. Studies that predate the use of modern neurosurgical techniques have reported a prohibitive operative morbidity for this surgery. These early experiences have dictated the non-surgical management of PCNSL, whereas resection for cytoreduction is a mainstay of treatment in other CNS malignancies. Recent studies have suggested that craniotomy with the goal of cytoreduction might be associated with a favorable overall and progression-free survival for some patients with PCNSL. To challenge the traditional non-surgical paradigm, it is essential to first investigate the safety of resection for PCNSL. Methods To determine the operative morbidity of resection for this disease, we performed a population-based assessment of complications using the nationwide inpatient sample database for the years 1998–2013 for biopsies and open craniotomies for PCNSL and other brain tumors. Results Among 95 patients who underwent biopsy and 34 patients who underwent craniotomy, we found no significant difference in complication rates between craniotomy for resection and biopsy procedures for PCNSL (23.16 versus 20.59%). The types of complications differ between diagnoses, with the PCNSL cohort suffering mainly medical complications and the non-PCNSL cohort suffering mainly from neurological complications. Conclusion These findings support the safety of craniotomies in PCNSL and help provide a rationale for future prospective studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of resection for this disease.