The Role of Gender-Concordant Mentorship in Women Premedical Students' Perception and Pursuit of Surgical Careers

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the impact of a 6-month structured mentorship program between women premedical student mentees paired with women medical students and surgical residents on mentees' interests and perceptions of surgical careers.

DESIGN

Prospective qualitative and quantitative study.

SETTING

This study took place at the Boston University School of Medicine, a single institution tertiary care hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Self-identified women premedical students at Boston University were eligible for inclusion in this program (n=90). Participants were recruited and grouped with self-identified women medical student (n=52) and resident (n=19) mentors. Participants were provided with a monthly curriculum to guide discussions. Mentees completed pre- and postprogram surveys with 5-point Likert scale questions regarding interest and exposure to surgery, role models and mentorship, and effect of COVID-19 on their career interests. Pre- and postprogram responses were compared using a Wilcoxon rank sum test.

RESULTS

Of the 90 mentees, 63 (70%) completed preprogram surveys, and 53 (59%) completed postprogram surveys. Survey respondents indicated statistically significant increased exposure to positive role models (preprogram mean 3.15, postprogram mean 4.06, p=0.0003), increased exposure to women role models (preprogram 2.30, postprogram 3.79, p<0.0001), increased access to dedicated mentors (preprogram 2.11, postprogram 3.75, p<0.0001), and increased availability of support persons to answer their questions and concerns about careers in surgery (preprogram 3.03, postprogram 3.85, p=0.001). There was also a statistically significant increase in the reported effect that exposure to gender-concordant role models in surgery had on participants' decisions to consider a surgical career (preprogram 3.58, postprogram 4.23, p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

This 6-month structured mentorship program for undergraduate premedical students increased mentees' exposure to positive women role models and mentors, and increased mentee's interest in pursuing a surgical career. This emphasizes the need for structured gender-concordant mentorship programs early in women's careers to encourage pursuit of surgical careers in an otherwise men-dominated field.

Frailty Index is Associated with Treatment Decisions for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer at a High-Burden Safety-Net Hospital

BACKGROUND

Lobectomy remains the cornerstone of care for stage I NSCLC while sublobar resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are reserved for patients with smaller tumors and/or poor operative risk. Herein, we investigate the effect of patient frailty on treatment modality for stage I NSCLC at a safety-net hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed of stage I NSCLC patients between 2006 and 2015. Demographics, patient characteristics, and treatment rates were compared to a National Cancer Database cohort of stage 1 NSCLC patients. Patient frailty was assessed using the MSK-FI.

RESULTS

In our cohort of 304 patients, significantly fewer patient were treated via lobectomy compared to national rates (P < .001). Advanced age (P = .02), lower FEV1 (P < .001) and DLCO (P < .001), not socioeconomic factors, were associated with higher utilization of non-lobectomy (sublobar resection or SBRT). Patients with lower MSK-FI were more likely to receive any surgical treatment (P = .01) and lobectomy (P = .03). Lower MSK-FI was an independent predictor for use of lobectomy over other modalities (OR 0.75, P = .04). MSK-FI (OR 0.64, P = .02), and FEV1 (OR 1.03, P < .001) were independently associated with use of SBRT over any surgery.

CONCLUSION

Our safety-net hospital performed fewer lobectomies and lung resections compared to national rates. Patient frailty and clinical factors were associated with use of SBRT or sublobar resection suggesting that the increased illness burden of a safety-net population may drive the lower use of lobectomy. The MSK-FI may help physicians stratify patient risk to guide stage I NSCLC management.

Joint 2022 European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and The American Association for Thoracic Surgery guidelines for the prevention of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism in thoracic surgery

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a potentially fatal but preventable postoperative complication. Thoracic oncology patients undergoing surgical resection, often after multimodality induction therapy, represent among the highest risk groups for postoperative VTE. Currently there are no VTE prophylaxis guidelines specific to these thoracic surgery patients. Evidenced-based recommendations will help clinicians manage and mitigate risk of VTE in the postoperative period and inform best practice.

OBJECTIVE

These joint evidence-based guidelines from The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons aim to inform clinicians and patients in decisions about prophylaxis to prevent VTE in patients undergoing surgical resection for lung or esophageal cancer.

METHODS

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons formed a multidisciplinary guideline panel that included broad membership to minimize potential bias when formulating recommendations. The McMaster University GRADE Centre supported the guideline development process, including updating or performing systematic evidence reviews. The panel prioritized clinical questions and outcomes according to their importance for clinicians and patients. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used, including GRADE Evidence-to-Decision frameworks, which were subject to public comment.

RESULTS

The panel agreed on 24 recommendations focused on pharmacological and mechanical methods for prophylaxis in patients undergoing lobectomy and segmentectomy, pneumonectomy, and esophagectomy, as well as extended resections for lung cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The certainty of the supporting evidence for the majority of recommendations was judged as low or very low, largely due to a lack of direct evidence for thoracic surgery. The panel made conditional recommendations for use of parenteral anticoagulation for VTE prevention, in combination with mechanical methods, over no prophylaxis for cancer patients undergoing anatomic lung resection or esophagectomy. Other key recommendations include: conditional recommendations for using parenteral anticoagulants over direct oral anticoagulants, with use of direct oral anticoagulants suggested only in the context of clinical trials; conditional recommendation for using extended prophylaxis for 28 to 35 days over in-hospital prophylaxis only for patients at moderate or high risk of thrombosis; and conditional recommendations for VTE screening in patients undergoing pneumonectomy and esophagectomy. Future research priorities include the role of preoperative thromboprophylaxis and the role of risk stratification to guide use of extended prophylaxis.

Joint 2022 European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and The American Association for Thoracic Surgery guidelines for the prevention of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism in thoracic surgery

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a potentially fatal but preventable postoperative complication. Thoracic oncology patients undergoing surgical resection, often after multimodality induction therapy, represent among the highest risk groups for postoperative VTE. Currently there are no VTE prophylaxis guidelines specific to these thoracic surgery patients. Evidenced-based recommendations will help clinicians manage and mitigate risk of VTE in the postoperative period and inform best practice.

OBJECTIVE

These joint evidence-based guidelines from The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons aim to inform clinicians and patients in decisions about prophylaxis to prevent VTE in patients undergoing surgical resection for lung or esophageal cancer.

METHODS

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons formed a multidisciplinary guideline panel that included broad membership to minimize potential bias when formulating recommendations. The McMaster University GRADE Centre supported the guideline development process, including updating or performing systematic evidence reviews. The panel prioritized clinical questions and outcomes according to their importance for clinicians and patients. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used, including GRADE Evidence-to-Decision frameworks, which were subject to public comment.

RESULTS

The panel agreed on 24 recommendations focused on pharmacological and mechanical methods for prophylaxis in patients undergoing lobectomy and segmentectomy, pneumonectomy, and esophagectomy, as well as extended resections for lung cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The certainty of the supporting evidence for the majority of recommendations was judged as low or very low, largely due to a lack of direct evidence for thoracic surgery. The panel made conditional recommendations for use of parenteral anticoagulation for VTE prevention, in combination with mechanical methods, over no prophylaxis for cancer patients undergoing anatomic lung resection or esophagectomy. Other key recommendations include: conditional recommendations for using parenteral anticoagulants over direct oral anticoagulants, with use of direct oral anticoagulants suggested only in the context of clinical trials; conditional recommendation for using extended prophylaxis for 28 to 35 days over in-hospital prophylaxis only for patients at moderate or high risk of thrombosis; and conditional recommendations for VTE screening in patients undergoing pneumonectomy and esophagectomy. Future research priorities include the role of preoperative thromboprophylaxis and the role of risk stratification to guide use of extended prophylaxis. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022;▪:1-31).

Well-being of Cardiothoracic Surgeons in the Time of COVID-19: A Survey by the Wellness Committee of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery

The prevalence of burnout among physicians has been increasing over the last decade, but data on burnout in the specialty of cardiothoracic surgery are lacking. We aimed to study this topic through a well-being survey. A 54-question well-being survey was developed by the Wellness Committee of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and sent by email from January through March of 2021 to AATS members and participants of the 2021 annual meeting. The 5-item Likert-scale survey questions were dichotomized, and associations were determined by Chi-square tests or independent samples t-tests, as appropriate. The results from 871 respondents (17% women) were analyzed. Many respondents reported at least moderately experiencing: 1) a sense of dread coming to work (50%), 2) physical exhaustion at work (58%), 3) a lack of enthusiasm at work (46%), and 4) emotional exhaustion at work (50%). Most respondents (70%) felt that burnout affected their personal relationships at least "some of the time," and many (43%) experienced a great deal of work-related stress. Importantly, most respondents (62%) reported little to no access to workplace resources for emotional support, but those who reported access reported less burnout. Most respondents (57%) felt that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected their well-being. On a positive note, 80% felt their career was fulfilling and enjoyed their day-to-day job at least "most of the time." Cardiothoracic surgeons experience high levels of burnout, similar to that of other medical professionals. Interventions aimed at mitigating burnout in this profession are discussed.

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in an Underrepresented Safety-Net Screening Cohort

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

The USPSTF (United States Preventive Services Task Force) guidelines suggest criteria centering on smoking status and age to select patients for lung cancer screening. Despite the significant advances in screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), cancer detection rate is low (1.1%), highlighting the need to investigate possible ways to refine the current lung cancer screening strategy. Our aim was to determine clinical risk factors predictive of lung cancer in an urban safety-net hospital.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of 2847 patients who received LDCT screening for lung cancer between 3/1/2015 and 12/31/2019. Patient demographics and medical history were collected. A bivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of lung cancer.

RESULTS

Compared to the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST) population, our screening cohort had significantly more African Americans (38.2% vs. 4.5%, P < .0001), more obesity (32.7% vs. 28.3%, P < .0001), and higher rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (45.9% vs. 5.0%, P < .0001). The strongest predictors of lung cancer were COPD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14, P < .0001) and a family history of lung cancer (OR = 2.77, P < .0001). Age (OR = 1.04, P< .001) and pack years (OR = 1.01, P< .001) were less predictive.

CONCLUSION

A diagnosis of COPD and family history of lung cancer were most predictive of lung cancer in a screening cohort at our urban safety-net hospital. Future studies should focus on whether inclusion of these additional risk-factors improves proportion of lung cancer detected via screening.

Challenges in the Methodology for Health Disparities Research in Thoracic Surgery

Research on health disparities in thoracic surgery is based on large population-based studies, which is associated with certain biases. Several methodological challenges are associated with these biases and warrant review and attention. The lack of standardized definitions in health disparities research requires clarification for study design strategy. Further inconsistencies remain when considering data sources and collection methods. These inconsistencies pose challenges for accurate and standardized downstream data analysis and interpretation. These sources of bias should be considered when establishing the infrastructure of health disparities research in thoracic surgery, which is in its infancy and requires further development.

Redlining, structural racism, and lung cancer screening disparities

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to understand the effect of historical redlining (preclusion from home loans and wealth-building for Black Americans) and its downstream factors on the completion of lung cancer screening in Boston.

METHODS

Patients within our institution were identified as eligible for lung cancer screening on the basis of the United State Preventive Service Task Force criteria and patient charts were reviewed to determine if patients completed low-dose computed tomography screening. Individual addresses were geocoded and overlayed with original 1930 Home Owner Loan Corporation redlining vector files. Structural equation models were used to estimate the odds of screening for Black and White patients, interacted with sex, in redlined and nonredlined areas.

RESULTS

Black patients had a 44% lower odds of screening compared with White (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.52-0.85). With race as a mediator, Black patients in redlined areas were 61% less likely to undergo screening than White patients (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.24-0.64). Similarly, in redlined areas Black women had 61% (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.21-0.73) and Black men 47% (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.29-0.98) lower odds of screening compared with White men in redlined areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite higher rates of lung cancer screening in redlined areas, Black race mediated worse screening rates in these areas, suggesting racist structural factors contributing to the disparities in lung cancer screening completion among Black and White patients. Furthermore, these disparities were more apparent in Black women, suggesting that racial and gender intersectional discrimination are important in lung cancer screening completion.

The critical role of learning from investigating and debriefing adverse events

Debriefing after and learning from adverse surgical events is becoming an integral component of our clinical practices and hospital systems. Morbidity and mortality conferences have been the foundation for this process; however, the approach has evolved to be more constructive with root cause analyses and identification of action items to prevent future adverse events. Additional quality improvement resources include the voluntary National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) databases, which provide seeds for a systematic process of improving patient care. With large databases come not only a route for studying outcome expectedness but also an objective numeric source for development of risk scores to stratify patients and assist with shared decision making. There is also recognition of the collateral damage of adverse events, which, includes the second victims defined as the individuals other than the patient. After an adverse event the second victim can either thrive, just survive or drop-out, and institutional systems should be in place to care for this victim and prevent their travel down the road to burnout. As a contemporaneous topic, burnout impacts not only surgeon wellness but also negatively affects the clinical workforce, which includes nurses in addition to physicians. “To err is human” but to care is ethereal.

Lung Cancer Risk in Suspicious Lung Nodules With Negative Positron Emission Tomography Scan

BACKGROUND

Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System (LungRADS) Category 4 represents lung nodules with the highest likelihood of cancer. For LungRADS-4 lesions, if positron emission tomography (PET) is negative, there currently exists no uniform guideline on subsequent follow-up, particularly whether the surveillance interval can be extended. We sought to investigate the incidence of cancer, our surveillance practice and any clinical factors associated with cancer in this patient subset.

METHODS

We retrospectively stratified LungRADS-4 patients screened at our institution from March 2015 to February 2019 into subgroups: PET-positive, PET-negative, and no PET performed. PET negativity was defined as the absence of a radiologist's suspicion, or a maximum standardized uptake value at or below the mediastinal value.

RESULTS

Of the 191 LungRADS-4 patients identified, 67 (35.1%) met criteria for PET negativity. Cancer was diagnosed in 28.8% (55/191) of the entire cohort, 77.8% (35/45) of the PET-positive subgroup, 22.4% (15/67) of the PET-negative subgroup, and 6.3% (5/79) of the no PET subgroup. The most common follow-up modality after a negative PET scan was a CT scan (47/67, 70.1%), with a median interval of 3.1 months. Clinical variables including nodule location/size, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, family history of lung cancer, pack-years, and number of years quit in former smokers were not significantly associated with greater cancer risk among PET-negatives.

CONCLUSION

For LungRADS-4/PET-negative lesions, the cancer risk remained high despite lack of activity on PET. As such, we believe the current surveillance practice of continuing to follow LungRADS-4/PET-negative patients as LungRADS-4 patients is appropriate.

The Impact of Residential Racial Segregation on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment and Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Despite decreases in lung cancer incidence, racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment persist. Residential segregation and structural racism have effects on socioeconomic status for black people, affecting healthcare access. This study aims to determine the impact of residential segregation on racial disparities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment and mortality.

METHODS

Patient data were obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database for black and white patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2004-2016 in the 100 most populous counties. Regression models were built to assess outcomes of interest - stage at diagnosis and surgical resection of disease. Predicted margins assessed impact of index of dissimilarity (IoD) on these disparities. Competing risk regressions for black and white patients in highest and lowest quartiles of IoD were used to assess cancer-specific mortality.

RESULTS

Our cohort had 193,369 white and 35,649 black patients. Black patients were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stage than white patients with increasing IoD. With increasing IoD, black patients were less likely to undergo surgical resection than white. Disparities were eliminated at low IoD. Black patients at high IoD had lower cancer-specific survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Black patients were more likely to present at advanced disease, were less likely to receive surgery for early stage, and had higher cancer-specific mortality at higher IoD. Our findings highlight the impact of structural racism and residential segregation on NSCLC outcomes. Solutions to these disparities must come from policy reforms to reverse residential segregation and deleterious socioeconomic effects of discriminatory policies.

Reducing delays to lung cancer treatment through systematic consult scheduling: A multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative at a safety-net hospital

e18640

Background: Delays in diagnosis and treatment have been identified as practice gaps in lung cancer management. At our large safety-net hospital, 2016-2018 data provided by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) indicated that 58-66% of lung cancer patients began treatment > 30 days after their diagnosis, compared to a median of 30 days for CoC-accredited hospitals. A quality improvement (QI) project was performed to identify causes for treatment delays, and to implement changes to reduce the median time from diagnosis to treatment to < 30 days. Methods: Root cause analysis was performed on a cohort of lung cancer patients identified and abstracted by the CoC Registry with diagnosis in October 2018-September 2019, to provide more recent data on treatment delays and to identify actionable interventions. Subsequently, a multidisciplinary QI initiative through Thoracic Surgery, Hematology Oncology, and Radiation Oncology was implemented using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) tool. The initiative was tracked for 6 months starting in August 2020, with time from referral to consult and time from diagnosis to treatment calculated via chart review. Results: For the root cause analysis, 36 patients were identified. Eleven cases were excluded as they did not receive treatment at our institution. For the remaining 25 patients, the median time from referral to consult across all three oncology specialties was 13 days. The most common barriers to initiating treatment were appointment scheduling delays (37.5%), patient factors including synchronous malignancies or insurance, geographic or cultural barriers (31.3%), and multiple factors including appointment scheduling delays (25%). Median time from diagnosis to treatment was 31 days, with 36% (N = 9) starting treatment in < 30 days. While appointment scheduling delays included both work-up (imaging, procedures) and consults as well as follow-ups, multidisciplinary discussions identified time from referral to consult as the most actionable QI initiative. With support from Patient Navigation, the three oncology specialties jointly implemented a system whereby suspected or confirmed new lung cancer patients were scheduled for consult ideally in < 7 days, and no more than 14 days from the referral date. Of 28 new lung cancer patients who started treatment after the QI intervention, median time from referral to consult decreased to 7 days. Median time from diagnosis to treatment decreased to 26.5 days, with 53.6% (N = 15) of patients starting treatment in < 30 days. Conclusions: By decreasing time from referral to consult, this multidisciplinary QI intervention facilitated earlier initiation of treatment for lung cancer patients. Similar actions to decrease other scheduling delays and mitigate the impact of social determinants of health could further promote improvements in timely patient care.

Pulmonary Adenocarcinomas of Low Malignant Potential: Proposed Criteria to Expand the Spectrum Beyond Adenocarcinoma In Situ and Minimally Invasive Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer screening has improved mortality among high-risk smokers but has coincidentally detected a fraction of nonprogressive adenocarcinoma historically classified as bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC). In the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) the majority of BAC-comprising 29% of computed tomography-detected stage I lung adenocarcinoma-were considered overdiagnosis after extended follow-up comparison with the control arm. In the current classification, adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma have replaced BAC but together comprise only ∼5% of stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Lepidic and subsets of papillary and acinar adenocarcinoma also infrequently recur. We, therefore, propose criteria for low malignant potential (LMP) adenocarcinoma among nonmucinous adenocarcinoma measuring ≤3 cm in total, exhibiting ≥15% lepidic growth, and lacking nonpredominant high-grade patterns (≥10% cribriform, ≥5% micropapillary, ≥5% solid), >1 mitosis per 2 mm2, angiolymphatic or visceral pleural invasion, spread through air spaces or necrosis. We tested these criteria in a multi-institutional cohort of 328 invasive stage I (eighth edition) and in situ adenocarcinomas and observed 16% LMP and 7% adenocarcinoma in situ/minimally invasive adenocarcinoma which together (23%) approximated the frequency of overdiagnosed stage I BAC in the NLST. The LMP group had 100% disease-specific survival. The proposed LMP criteria, incorporating multiple histologic parameters, may be a clinically useful "low-grade" prognostic group. Validation of these criteria in additional retrospective cohorts and prospective screen-detected cohorts should be considered.

68Ga-DOTATATE-avid pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma in a man of North African descent: Case report, imaging findings and pathology

Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) is a benign tumor originating from primitive respiratory epithelium which tends to present as an asymptomatic solitary lesion in the periphery of the lung. It primarily occurs in women, with a 5:1 ratio of female to male, and in East Asian populations. We describe a rare case of a gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga)-DOTATATE avid PSP in a middle-aged man of North African ancestry. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed an enhancing ovoid 2-cm solid lesion within the periphery of the left upper lobe abutting the superior portion of the lateral left ventricular wall. A fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) demonstrated low-level FDG uptake, but a ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT showed avid tracer uptake, concerning for a carcinoid tumor. The lesion was surgically excised, and the histopathologic analysis revealed the typical morphologic and histochemical markers of a PSP. We conclude that, although rare, PSP can be a differential consideration when evaluating a ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE-avid solitary lung nodule concerning for carcinoid tumor, in all genders and in ethnicities other than East Asian.

Venous thromboembolism in benign esophageal surgery patients: potential cost effectiveness of Caprini risk stratification

BACKGROUND

The Caprini risk assessment model (RAM) stratifies surgical patients for prescription of post-discharge extended heparin prophylaxis to reduce post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE) events. The average cost for treatment of a VTE event is $15,123. The 30-day post-operative VTE rate after benign esophageal procedures is < 0.8% per the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. We hypothesized that the financial cost of selective extended prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery for benign esophageal disease would exceed the cost of treating these rare events and therefore use of risk stratification for extended prophylaxis would not be beneficial.

METHODS

All patients undergoing operations for benign esophageal pathology from July 2014 to May 2019 were reviewed. Patients designated as moderate or high risk for VTE were prescribed a 10- or 30-day post-operative course of extended prophylaxis with low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH). VTE and adverse bleeding events were recorded for the 60-day post-operative period. The cost of LMWH was provided by the institution pharmacy.

RESULTS

Records from 154 patients were eligible for review. Caprini RAM was used for all patients with the following distribution of risk categories: low = 64.9% (100/154); moderate = 31.8% (49/154); and high = 3.2% (5/154). The average cost of extended prophylaxis at discharge for the moderate-risk group was $121.23, while the high-risk group was $446.46. There were no 60-day VTE or adverse bleeding events recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of patients undergoing surgical therapy were at low risk of post-operative VTE event, with only 35% requiring extended VTE prophylaxis at time of discharge. When compared with the average cost of treatment for a VTE event, the cost of extended prophylaxis per patient in moderate or high-risk groups is substantially lower. In the era of cost-containment, risk stratification and extended prophylaxis may reduce healthcare costs and warrant future investigations.

The national and global impact of "Women in Thoracic Surgery"

Women in thoracic surgery in the United States are a diverse group with a variety of backgrounds and important expertise. Although the presence of women thoracic surgeons is growing, there remains a large gap, with women making up just under 4% of all board-certified thoracic surgeons in the United States. Currently, 22% of thoracic surgery residents are women, while 3% of Department of Surgery Chairs are women. Significant strides have been made in recent decades to recruit and promote women in thoracic surgery, but clearly there remains more work to be done. The Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) organization was created in 1986 for the purpose of facilitating the mutual support and professional advancement of women in the field, and its development and influence as a society has grown exponentially since then. The WTS mission statement includes enhancing the care and education provided to our patients as well as focusing on the development of women thoracic surgeons through mentoring and educational programs. In addition, the WTS creates opportunities to promote the visibility of women, and documents these accomplishments to shape our identity in the world's view. Here, we review some of the landmark achievements of the society and its members as well as goals for the future.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with failure of non-operative treatment for sternoclavicular joint infection

Background

A standardized treatment algorithm for sternoclavicular joint infection management is lacking in the literature. While major risk factors for sternoclavicular joint infection, including immunosuppression, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, indwelling catheters, and intravenous drug use have been identified, clear association with treatment outcome has not been established. As our safety net hospital treats a patient population with high incidence of intravenous drug use, we sought to identify risk factors associated with failure of non-operative management of sternoclavicular joint infection.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, reviewing charts of patients diagnosed with sternoclavicular joint infection between January 2001 and December 2017 to collect demographic information as well as clinical risk factors and treatment patterns. A chi-square test was performed to determine any association between clinical variables and management, as well as relation to treatment outcome.

Results

The study cohort consisted of 35 patients with diagnosis of sternoclavicular joint infection and complete follow-up. Intravenous drug use was prevalent, seen in 45.6% (16/35) of subjects, though there was no association with failure of non-operative management (P=0.50). Operative management was the initial treatment for 25.7% (9/35) of subjects and was associated with abscess on presentation (P=0.03). Failure of non-operative management was seen in 26.9% (7/26). Type 2 diabetes was associated with failed initial non-operative management, present in 42.9% (3/7) of patients (P=0.03) experiencing failure.

Conclusions

This study constitutes the largest series of sternoclavicular joint infection with intravenous drug use. While intravenous drug use was not associated with failure of non-operative management, we observed that type 2 diabetes is associated with failure of non-operative management and could be considered in determining management of sternoclavicular joint infection patients.

Prevention of Postoperative Prolonged Air Leak After Pulmonary Resection

Postoperative prolonged air leaks (PALs) occur after thoracic surgery in which lung parenchyma is resected, divided, or manipulated. These air leaks can place patients at risk for intensive care unit readmissions, longer hospital length of stay, and infectious complications. Studies have been conducted to identify patients who are at risk for air leak and several methods have been examined for the prevention and treatment of PALs. A standard method of air leak prevention or treatment has not been established. This article discusses the prophylactic measures that have been studied for the prevention of PALs following lung surgery.

Delayed lung expansion after decortication in a case of trapped lung resulting from catamenial haemothorax

Herein, we report the case of a 35-year-old female with a trapped right lung secondary to catamenial haemothorax. Following surgical decortication, re-expansion of the lung was not observed until postoperative day 81. This delay represents a heretofore unencountered complication that should be considered in the surgical management of catamenial haemothorax due to thoracic endometriosis syndrome.

Age, Race, and Income Are Associated With Lower Screening Rates at a Safety Net Hospital

BACKGROUND

While lung cancer screening improves cancer-specific mortality and is recommended for high-risk patients, barriers to screening still exist. We sought to determine our institution's (an urban safety net hospital) screening rate and to identify socioeconomic barriers to lung cancer screening.

METHODS

We identified 8935 smokers 55 to 80 years of age evaluated by a primary care physician between March 2015 and March 2017 at our institution. We randomly selected one-third of these (n = 2978) to review for eligibility using the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force criteria for lung cancer screening. Using our institution's Lung Cancer Screening Program clinical tracking database, we identified patients who were screened from March 2015 to March 2017. We collected demographic information (race, primary language, education status, and median income) and evaluated possible associations with screening.

RESULTS

Among our institution population, 99 patients meeting U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening criteria underwent screening computed tomography, whereas 516 eligible patients were not screened, making our institution's estimated screening rate 16.1%. Comparing the unscreened population with those who received screening at our institution, the unscreened population was significantly older (median age of screened patients was 63 years, of unscreened patients was 66 years; P < .001). African Americans had a lower screening rate (37.6% of the screened population and 47.5% of the unscreened population; P < .001). Unscreened patients had a lower annual household income.

CONCLUSIONS

The lung cancer screening rate at our hospital is 16.1%. Unscreened patients were older, were more likely to be African American, and had a lower median income. These findings highlight possible screening barriers and potential areas for targeted strategies to decrease disparities in lung cancer screening.

Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Vulnerable Populations With Esophageal Cancer Treated at a Safety-Net Hospital

Social determinants of health have been associated with poor outcomes in esophageal cancer. Primary language and immigration status have not been examined in relation to esophageal cancer outcomes. This study aims to investigate the impact of these variables on stage of presentation, treatment, and outcomes of esophageal cancer patients at an urban safety-net hospital. Clinical data of patients with esophageal cancer at our institution between 2003 and 2018 were reviewed. Demographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics were obtained. Outcomes included median overall survival, stage-specific survival, and utilization of surgical and perioperative therapy. Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact tests, Kaplan-Meier method, and logistic regression. There were 266 patients; 77% were male. Mean age was 63.9 years, 23.7% were immigrants, 33.5% were uninsured/Medicaid, and 16.2% were non-English speaking. Adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 55.3% and squamous cell in 41.0%. More patients of non-Hispanic received esophagectomies when compared to those of Hispanic origin (64% vs 25%, P = 0.012). Immigrants were less likely to undergo esophagectomy compared to US-born patients (42% vs 76%, P = 0.001). Patients with adenocarcinoma were more likely than squamous cell carcinoma patients to undergo esophagectomy (odds ratio = 4.40, 95% confidence interval 1.61-12.01, P = 0.004). More commercially/privately insured patients (75%) received perioperative therapy compared to Medicaid/uninsured (54%) and Medicare (49%) patients (P = 0.030). There was no association between demographic factors and the utilization of perioperative chemoradiation for patients with operable disease. Approximately 23% of patients with operable disease were too frail or declined to undergo surgical intervention. In this small single-center study, race and primary language were not associated with median survival for patients treated for esophageal cancer. US-born patients experienced higher surgical utilization and privately insured patients were more likely to receive perioperative therapy. Many patients with operable cancer were too frail to undergo a curative surgery. Studies should expand on the relationships between social determinants of health and nonclinical services on delivery of care and survival of vulnerable populations with esophageal cancer.