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Objective: To examine the association between Textbook Outcome (TO)-a new composite quality measurement-and long-term survival in gastric cancer surgery., Background: Single-quality indicators do not sufficiently reflect the complex and multifaceted nature of perioperative care in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma., Methods: All patients undergoing gastrectomy for nonmetastatic gastric adenocarcinoma registered in the Population Registry of Esophageal and Stomach Tumours of Ontario (PRESTO) between 2004 and 2015 were included. TO was defined according to negative margins; >15 lymph nodes sampled; no severe complications; no re-interventions; no unplanned ICU admission; length of stay ≤21 days; no 30-day readmission; and no 30-day mortality. Three-year survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A marginal multivariable Cox proportional-hazards model was used to estimate the association between achieving TO metrics and long-term survival. E-value methodology was used to assess for risk of residual confounding., Results: Of the 1836 patients included in this study, 402 (22%) achieved all TO metrics. TO patients had a higher 3-year survival rate compared to non-TO patients (75% vs 55%, log-rank P < 0.001). After adjustments for covariates and clustering within hospitals, TO was associated with a 41% reduction in mortality (adjusted hazards ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.48, 0.72, P < 0.001). These results were robust to potential residual confounding., Conclusions: Achieving TO is strongly associated with improved long-term survival in gastric cancer patients and merits further focus in surgical quality improvement efforts., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The majority of patients with esophagus cancer have advanced-stage disease without curative options. For these patients, treatment is focused on improving symptoms and quality of life. Despite this, little work has been done to quantify symptom burden for incurable patients. We describe symptoms using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) among esophagus cancer patients treated for incurable disease. This retrospective cohort study linked administrative datasets to prospectively collected ESAS data of non-curatively treated adult esophagus cancer patients diagnosed between January 1, 2009 and September 30, 2016. ESAS measures nine common cancer-related symptoms: anxiety, depression, drowsiness, lack of appetite, nausea, pain, shortness of breath, tiredness, and impaired well-being. Frequency of severe symptoms (score ≥ 7/10) was described by month for the 6 months from diagnosis for all patients and by treatment type (chemotherapy alone, radiotherapy alone, both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and best supportive care). A sensitivity analysis limited to patients who survived at least 6 months was performed to assess robustness of the results to proximity to death and resulting variation in follow-up time. Among 2,989 esophagus cancer patients diagnosed during the study period and meeting inclusion criteria, 2,103 reported at least one ESAS assessment in the 6 months following diagnosis and comprised the final cohort. Patients reported a median of three (IQR 2-7) ESAS assessments in the study period. Median survival was 7.6 (IQR 4.1-13.7) months. Severe lack of appetite (53.1%), tiredness (51.1%), and impaired well-being (42.7%) were the most commonly reported symptoms. Severe symptoms persisted throughout the 6 months after the diagnosis. Subgroup analysis by treatment showed no worsening of symptoms over time in those treated by either chemotherapy alone, or both chemotherapy and radiation. Results followed a similar pattern on sensitivity analysis. Patients diagnosed with incurable esophagus cancer experience considerable symptom burden in the first 6 months after diagnosis and the frequency of severe symptoms remains high throughout this period. Patients with this disease require early palliative care and psychosocial support upon diagnosis and support throughout the course of their cancer journey., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Oesophagogastric cancers carry a high mortality, economic burden and rising incidence. There is a need to monitor and improve care for this disease. Pathologic information is a cornerstone of cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Few population-based studies combine pathology information and clinical outcomes. The objective of this study is to develop a clinical and pathological database of oesophagogastric cancers to study practice patterns, resource utilisation and clinical outcomes., Methods and Analysis: The Population Registry of Esophageal and Stomach Tumours in Ontario (PRESTO) will include all patients with oesophagogastric cancer diagnosed from 2002 onwards within the province of Ontario. We estimate that the sample over the first 14 years of the study will include 26 000 patients. Pathologic information from diagnostic procedures, endomucosal resection specimens and surgical resection specimens is being abstracted into a purpose-built database. Pathology information will be linked to administrative data, which capture baseline demographics, patient-reported symptoms, physician billings, hospital visits, hospital characteristics, geography and vital statistics. The registry will be updated prospectively., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Research Ethics Board. The PRESTO database will enable the study of oesophagogastric cancer in Ontario under six themes of inquiry: treatment, surgical outcomes, pathology, survival, health system and resource utilisation and cost. This information will be a valuable addition to the global efforts to understand ways to optimise care for these diseases., Competing Interests: Competing interests: NGC and GED receive salary support from Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To determine the association between gastric cancer surgery case-volume and Textbook Outcome, a new composite quality measurement., Background: Textbook Outcome included (a) negative resection margin, (b) greater than 15 lymph nodes sampled, (c) no severe complication, (d) no re-intervention, (e) no unplanned ICU admission, (f) length of stay of 21 days or less, (g) no 30-day readmission and (h) no 30-day mortality following surgery., Methods: All patients undergoing gastrectomy for non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma registered in the Population Registry of Esophageal and Stomach Tumours of Ontario between 2004 and 2015 were included. We used multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression modelling to estimate the association between gastrectomy volume (surgeon and hospital annual volumes) and Textbook Outcome. Volumes were considered as continuous variables and quintiles., Results: Textbook Outcome was achieved in 378 of 1660 patients (22.8%). The quality metrics least often achieved were inadequate lymph node sampling and presence of severe complications, which occurred in 46.1% and 31.7% of patients, respectively. Accounting for covariates and clustering, neither surgeon volume nor hospital volume were significantly associated with Textbook Outcome. However, hospital volume was associated with adequate lymphadenectomy and fewer unplanned ICU admissions., Conclusions: Higher case volume can impact certain measures of quality of care but may not address all care structures necessary for ideal Textbook recovery. Future quality improvement strategies should consider using case-mix adjusted Textbook Outcome rates as a surgical quality metric.

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) patients experience considerable symptom burden from treatment. This study utilized population-level patient-reported Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) scores collected as part of standard clinical care to describe symptom trajectories and characteristics associated with severe symptoms for patients undergoing curative intent EC treatment., Methods: EC patients treated with curative intent at regional cancer centers and affiliates between 2009 and 2016 and assessed for symptoms in the 12 months after diagnosis were included. The ESAS measures 9 common patient-reported cancer symptoms. The outcome was report of a severe symptom score (score ≥7 our of 10). Multivariable analyses were used to identify characteristics associated with severe symptom scores., Results: A total of 1751 patients reported a median of 7 (interquartile range, 4-12) ESAS assessments in the year after diagnosis, for a total of 14,953 unique ESAS assessments included in the analysis. The most frequently reported severe symptoms were lack of appetite (n = 918, 52%), tiredness (n = 787, 45%), and poor well-being (n = 713, 41%). The highest symptom burden was within the first 5 months after diagnosis, with moderate improvement in symptom burden in the second half of the first year. Characteristics associated with severe scores for all symptoms included female sex, high comorbidity, lower socioeconomic status, urban residence, and symptom assessment temporally close to diagnosis., Conclusions: This study demonstrates a high symptom burden for EC patients undergoing curative intent therapy. Targeted treatment of common severe symptoms and increased support for patients at risk for severe symptoms may enhance patient quality of life., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)