Katelin A. Mirkin

Utilization and trends in palliative therapy for stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients: a U.S. population-based study

BACKGROUND Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy, with most patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic disease. Palliative therapies comprise an important, but underutilized, aspect of care. This aim of this study was to characterize the trends, factors, and outcomes associated with utilization of palliative therapies. METHODS Patients with stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma from the 2003-2011 U.S. National Cancer Database were identified and stratified by receipt of palliative therapy. Linear regression, multivariable logistic regression, and survival analyses using multivariate proportional hazards models were performed. RESULTS Sixty-eight thousand and seventy-five patients with stage IV disease were identified, of which only 11,449 (16.8%) underwent designated palliative therapy. The majority received systemic chemotherapy (37.2%), followed by surgery (19.0%), pain management alone (15.3%), radiation (8.1%), referral alone (11.7%), or a combination thereof (8.7%). Utilization of palliative therapies increased from 12.9% in 2003 to 19.2% in 2011 (P<0.001). Patients were less likely to undergo palliation when older than 60 (OR 0.89, P<0.001), or of black or Hispanic race (OR 0.83, P<0.001; OR 0.80, P<0.001, respectively, vs. Caucasians). Presence of comorbidities increased the use of palliative therapy (OR 1.16 per comorbidity, P<0.001). Survival was improved in those receiving palliative systemic chemotherapy (HR 0.55, P<0.001) and palliative surgery (HR 0.94, P<0.001), although this may be due to selection bias. CONCLUSIONS Despite the continued dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer, palliation of symptoms remains underutilized in this country, particularly in non-Caucasian, older patients. Increased awareness of palliative options may help increase its utilization.

Sarcopenia related to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and perioperative outcomes in resected gastric cancer: a multi-institutional analysis

BACKGROUND This studys objective was to evaluate the change in sarcopenia score following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and to correlate both sarcopenia and change in score with perioperative outcomes in patients with advanced resected gastric cancer. METHODS Multi-institutional analysis of patients with gastric cancer who underwent NAC and resection from 2000-2015 was performed. Demographic and perioperative data were included. Sarcopenia score was defined as CT measurement of total psoas muscle at L3, stratified by height (m). Sarcopenia was defined as a score <385 mm2/m2 in women and <545 mm2/m2 in men. RESULTS Of 36 patients, 19% were sarcopenic prior to NAC. Following NAC, 31% were sarcopenic, with 14% developing sarcopenia during NAC. One patient (3%) became non-sarcopenic. There were no significant differences in patient, disease, or surgery characteristics between patients who were sarcopenic vs. not. Patients with sarcopenia were more likely to have post-operative complications (P=0.05). There was no significant difference in hospital stay (P=0.7402) or survival (P=0.2317). CONCLUSIONS A significant number of patients with gastric cancer become sarcopenic during NAC. Although patients with sarcopenia were nearly twice as likely to develop post-operative complications, this did not appear to impact length of stay (LOS) or survival.

Risk factors for 30-day readmission in patients with congestive heart failure

Background Risk of readmission is elevated in patients congestive heart failure (CHF), and clinical decision makers need to better understand risk factors for 30‐day readmissions. Objective To identify risk factors for readmission in patients with CHF. Methods We studied all admissions for patients with CHF during 2011 using a statewide discharge data set from Pennsylvania. The primary outcome was readmission to any Pennsylvania hospital within 30 days of discharge. Results Of 155,146 CHF patients admitted, 35,294 (22.8%) were readmitted within 30 days. Male sex, black race, coverage by Medicare, comorbidities, discharge to a skilled nursing facility or with a home nurse, a longer length of stay (LOS), admission from another facility, and emergent admission (all p < 0.001) were significant risk factors. Conclusions Comorbidities, sociodemographic factors including male sex, age, black race and Medicare coverage, and prolonged length of stay are associated with increased risk of readmission in patients with CHF.

Personalized Learning in Medical Education: Designing a User Interface for a Dynamic Haptic Robotic Trainer for Central Venous Catheterization

While Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a viable method for training new medical residents, it has not yet reached all areas of training. One area lacking such development is surgical residency programs where there are large learning curves associated with skill development. In order to address this gap, a Dynamic Haptic Robotic Trainer (DHRT) was developed to help train surgical residents in the placement of ultrasound guided Internal Jugular Central Venous Catheters and to incorporate personalized learning. In order to accomplish this, a 2-part study was conducted to: (1) systematically analyze the feedback given to 18 third year medical students by trained professionals to identify the items necessary for a personalized learning system and (2) develop and experimentally test the usability of the personalized learning interface within the DHRT system. The results can be used to inform the design of VR and personalized learning systems within the medical community.

Improving Medical Education Simulating Changes in Patient Anatomy Using Dynamic Haptic Feedback

Virtual simulation is an emerging field in medical education. Research suggests that simulation reduces complication rates and improves learning gains for medical residents. One benefit of simulators is their allowance for more realistic and dynamic patient anatomies. While potentially useful throughout medical education, few studies have explored the impact of dynamic haptic simulators on medical training. In light of this research void, this study was developed to examine how a Dynamic-Haptic Robotic Trainer (DHRT) impacts medical student self-efficacy and skill gains compared to traditional simulators developed to train students in Internal Jugular Central Venous Catheter (IJ CVC) placement. The study was conducted with 18 third year medical students with no prior CVC insertion experience who underwent a pre-test, simulator training (manikin, robotic, or mixed) and post-test. The results revealed the DHRT as a useful method for training CVC skills and supports further research on dynamic haptic trainers in medical education.

Greater Lymph Node Retrieval Improves Survival in Node-Negative Resected Gastric Cancer in the United States

Purpose Guidelines in western countries recommend retrieving ≥15 lymph nodes (LNs) during gastric cancer resection. This study sought to determine whether the number of examined lymph nodes (eLNs), a proxy for lymphadenectomy, effects survival in node-negative disease. Materials and Methods The US National Cancer Database (2003–2011) was reviewed for node-negative gastric adenocarcinoma. Treatment was categorized by neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) vs. initial resection, and further stratified by eLN. Kaplan-Meier and Weibull models were used to analyze overall survival. Results Of the 1,036 patients who received NAT, 40.5% had ≤10 eLN, and most underwent proximal gastrectomy (67.8%). In multivariate analysis, greater eLN was associated with improved survival (eLN 16–20: HR, 0.71; P=0.039, eLN 21–30: HR, 0.55; P=0.001). Of the 2,795 patients who underwent initial surgery, 42.5% had ≤10 eLN, and the majority underwent proximal gastrectomy (57.2%). In multivariate analysis, greater eLN was associated with improved survival (eLN 11–15: HR, 0.81; P=0.021, eLN 16–20: HR, 0.73; P=0.004, eLN 21–30: HR, 0.62; P<0.001, and eLN >30: HR, 0.58; P<0.001). Conclusions In the United States, the majority of node-negative gastrectomies include suboptimal eLN. In node-negative gastric cancer, greater LN retrieval appears to have therapeutic and prognostic value, irrespective of initial treatment, suggesting a survival benefit to meticulous lymphadenectomy.

Investigating the Effect of Simulator Functional Fidelity and Personalized Feedback on Central Venous Catheterization Training

OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of simulator functional fidelity (manikin vs a Dynamic Haptic Robotic Trainer [DHRT]) and personalized feedback on surgical resident self-efficacy and self-ratings of performance during ultrasound-guided internal jugular central venous catheterization (IJ CVC) training. In addition, we seek to explore how self-ratings of performance compare to objective performance scores generated by the DHRT system. DESIGN Participants were randomly assigned to either manikin or DHRT IJ CVC training over a 6-month period. Self-efficacy surveys were distributed before and following training. Training consisted of a pretest, 22 practice IJ CVC needle insertion attempts, 2 full-line practice attempts, and a posttest. Participants provided self-ratings of performance for each needle insertion and were presented with feedback from either an upper level resident (manikin) or a personalized learning system (DHRT). SETTING A study was conducted from July 2016 to February 2017 through a surgical skills training program at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-six first-year surgical residents were recruited for the study. Individuals were informed that IJ CVC training procedures would be consistent regardless of participation in the study and that participation was optional. All recruited residents opted to participate in the study. RESULTS Residents in both groups significantly improved their self-efficacy scores from pretest to posttest (p < 0.01). Residents in the manikin group consistently provided higher self-ratings of performance (p < 0.001). Residents in the DHRT group recorded more feedback on errors (228 instances) than the manikin group (144 instances). Self-ratings of performance on the DHRT system were able to significantly predict the objective score of the DHRT system (R2 = 0.223, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Simulation training with the DHRT system and the personalized learning feedback can improve resident self-efficacy with IJ CVC procedures and provide sufficient feedback to allow residents to accurately assess their own performance.

Correlation of clinical and pathological staging and response to neoadjuvant therapy in resected pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) has been increasingly employed to optimize outcomes in pancreatic cancer; however, little is known about its pathologic impact. METHODS The National Cancer Data Base (2003-2011) was retrospectively reviewed for patients with pancreatic carcinoma who underwent initial surgery or NAT followed by resection. Response to NAT, determined by comparing clinical and pathologic stage, and survival were evaluated. RESULTS 16,087 patients underwent initial pancreatectomy and 2307 patients received NAT. Clinical stage correlated poorly with pathological stage in patients who received initial surgery (κ = 0.2865, p < 0.001). With NAT, 21.9% were downstaged, 47.9% had no stage change, and 30.3% progressed. In clinical stage II disease, patients downstaged with neoadjuvant chemotherapy or multimodality therapy demonstrated improved survival over patients who did not respond or who progressed (P = 0.0022, P = 0.0012, respectively). This benefit was not preserved in stage III disease (P = 0.7380, P = 0.0726, respectively). In multivariable analysis, downstage in disease was associated with a 19% lower hazard of mortality (HR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.7-0.92, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Clinical stage correlates poorly with pathological stage in resectable pancreatic cancer. The majority of patients do not experience a change in stage with NAT. Those with early stage disease, responsive to NAT, experience a survival benefit.

Prognostic Significance of Tumor Deposits in Stage III Colon Cancer

AbstractBackgroundThe American Joint Committee on Cancer includes extranodal tumor deposits in the tumor–node–metastasis classification of colon cancer. However, it is unclear how tumor deposits compare with lymph node metastases in prognostic significance. This study evaluated the survival impact of tumor deposits relative to lymph node metastases in stage III colon cancer.Methods The US National Cancer Database (2010–2012) was reviewed for resectable stage III adenocarcinoma of the colon, and stratified by presence of tumor deposits and lymph node metastases. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed.ResultsOf 6424, 10.1% had both tumor deposits and lymph node metastases [5-year survival (5YS) 40.2%], 2.5% had tumor deposits alone (5YS 68.1%), and 87.4% had lymph node metastases alone (5YS 55.4%). Patients with lymph node metastases alone tended to have a greater number of lymph nodes retrieved (20.9 versus 18.8, p = 0.0126) and were more likely to receive adjuvant therapy (66.9 vs 58.0%, p = 0.003) than those with only tumor deposits. Patients with both had significantly worse survival at all T stages (p < 0.05, all). There was no significant difference in survival between tumor deposits alone and lymph node metastases alone at any T stage (p > 0.8, all). After controlling for patient, disease, and treatment characteristics, patients with tumor deposits alone [hazard ratio (HR) 0.56, p = 0.001] or only lymph node metastases (HR 0.64, p < 0.001) were associated with improved survival relative to patients with both.ConclusionsConcomitant presence of tumor deposits and lymph node invasion carries poor prognostic significance. Tumor deposits alone appear to have prognostic implications similar to lymph node invasion alone.

Prognostic impact of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level at diagnosis in resected stage I–III pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a U.S. population study

Background Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a highly aggressive cancer, with surgical resection and systemic therapy offering the only hope for long-term survival. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) has been used as a prognostic marker after resection; however, the relationship between survival and pre-treatment CA 19-9 level remains unclear. This study evaluates pre-treatment serum CA 19-9 level as a predictor for long-term survival. Methods The U.S. National Cancer Data Base [2004-2012] was reviewed for patients with clinical stages I-III resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma with recorded pre-treatment CA 19-9 levels (U/mL). Kaplan Meier and Weibull survival analyses were performed. Results Four thousand seven hundred and one patients were included: 12.6% received neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), 27.4% underwent surgery, and 60.1% underwent surgery and adjuvant therapy. Amongst those who underwent initial surgery, there was no association between CA 19-9 levels ≤800 (≤100, 101-300, 301-500, 501-800) with survival (stage I P=0.7592, stage II P=0.5088, stage III P=0.9037). Levels >800 were associated with significantly worse survival in all stages (P≤0.0001, all). Amongst those who received NAT, levels >800 were associated with worse survival in early (stage I P=0.0001), but not advanced stage disease (stage II P=0.1891, stage III P=0.9316). In multivariable analyses, levels >800 demonstrated a 3.29 greater hazard of mortality with respect to patients with levels ≤100 (P<0.0001). Conclusions Pre-treatment CA 19-9 levels >800 appear to be associated with advanced disease, and are negatively associated with long-term survival. However, levels ≤800 had no significant association with survival. Although this study suggests an association, further study is needed to evaluate whether patients with CA 19-9 levels >800 benefit from NAT.