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OBJECTIVES The benefits of neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgery for patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer have been well established by multiple trials. However, there may be socioeconomic barriers impacting equitable administration. We aim to identify whether disparities exist in the uptake of neoadjuvant therapy among patients with loco-regional oesophageal cancer. METHODS We queried the National Cancer Database to identify patients with clinical stage II–III oesophageal cancer who underwent surgical resection (2006–2020). Logistic regression was performed to identify associations between sociodemographic factors and uptake of neoadjuvant therapy. In propensity score-matched groups, survival was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method. RESULTS Among 19 748 clinical stage II–III patients, 85% (n  = 16 781) received neoadjuvant therapy and 15% (n  = 2967) underwent upfront surgery. Rates of neoadjuvant uptake increased over time. On multivariable analysis after adjusting by clinical stage, factors associated with lower rates of neoadjuvant therapy included older age (age ≥ 70, adjusted odds ratio 0.52; 95% confidence interval 0.47–0.57; P < 0.001), female sex (0.76; 0.69–0.85; P < 0.001), Black race (0.77; 0.63–0.94; P  = 0.009), more comorbidities (0.76; 0.65–0.85; P < 0.001) and government rather than private insurance (0.84; 0.76–0.93; P < 0.001). In a propensity-matched cohort accounting for these variables, neoadjuvant treatment was associated with improved 5-year overall survival compared to upfront surgery (41.1% vs 35.4%, P  < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Several sociodemographic factors are associated with the delivery of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with oesophageal cancer, including age, sex, race, and insurance status. Interventions can be put into place to target vulnerable patients and ensure equitable delivery of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES Although surgery is considered the standard of care for early-stage lung cancer, there has been increased use of stereotactic radiotherapy for operable patients in recent years. Given that this modality may be perceived as a more practical treatment, we hypothesized that it might be more often delivered to patients who experience barriers to care. METHODS The National Cancer Database (2018–2020) was queried for patients with clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer treated with surgery or stereotactic radiotherapy (48–60 Gy, 3–5 fractions), excluding patients with contraindications to surgery. Patients who had all the following characteristics were categorized as experiencing 'high barriers' to treatment: income below median national levels, lack of private insurance, treatment at a community facility and residence in non-metropolitan areas. Using multivariable logistic regression, the association between high barriers to treatment and stereotactic radiotherapy use was estimated. RESULTS A total of 60 829 patients were included, of whom 3382 (5.6%) experienced high barriers to treatment. Among them, 13 535 (22.3%) underwent stereotactic radiotherapy and 47 294 (77.7%) underwent surgery. Overall, more patients undergoing stereotactic radiotherapy faced high barriers to treatment compared to those who received surgery (8.6% vs 4.7%, P  < 0.001). Geographic region was associated with the delivery of stereotactic radiotherapy (P  < 0.001). The magnitude of such association was stronger among those who faced high barriers. In multivariable analysis, experiencing high barriers to treatment remained associated with receiving stereotactic radiotherapy (OR: 1.46, 95% CI 1.35–1.58). CONCLUSIONS The use of stereotactic radiotherapy is more prevalent among patients facing barriers to care. Further research is needed to clarify the role of this treatment modality in early-stage lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Local therapy for the primary tumor is postulated to remove resistant cancer cells as well as immunosuppressive cells from the tumor microenvironment, potentially improving response to systemic therapy (ST). We sought to determine whether resection of the primary tumor was associated with overall survival (OS) in a multicentric cohort of patients with single-site synchronous oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Using the National Cancer Database (2018 to 2020), we evaluated patients with clinical stage IVA disease who received ST and stratified the cohort based on receipt of surgery for the primary tumor (S). We used multivariable and propensity score-matched analysis to study factors associated with S (logistic regression) and OS (Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier), respectively. RESULTS: Among 12,215 patients identified, 2.9% (N = 349) underwent S and 97.1% (N = 11,886) ST (chemotherapy or immunotherapy) without surgery. Patients who underwent S were younger, more often White, had higher income levels, were more likely to have private insurance, and were more often treated at an academic facility. Among those who received S, 22.9% (N = 80) also underwent resection of the distant metastatic site. On multivariable analysis, metastasis to bone, N+ disease, and higher T-stages were independently associated with less S. On Cox regression, S and resection of the metastatic site were associated with improved survival (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.80 and hazard ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.88, respectively). After propensity matching, OS was improved in patients undergoing S (median 36.8 vs 20.8 months, log-rank p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Advances in ST for non-small cell lung cancer may change the paradigm of eligibility for surgery. This study demonstrates that surgical resection of the primary tumor is associated with improved OS in selected patients with single-site oligometastatic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES CALGB140503, in which nodal sampling was mandated, reported non-inferior disease-free survival for patients undergoing sublobar resection (SLR) compared to lobectomy (L). Outside of trial settings, the adequacy of lymphadenectomy during SLR has been questioned. We sought to evaluate whether SLR is associated with suboptimal lymphadenectomy, differences in pathologic upstaging and survival in patients with 1.5- to 2.0-cm tumours using real-world data. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the National Cancer Database(2018–2019), we evaluated patients with 1.5- to 2.0-cm non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent resection (sublobar versus lobectomy). We studied factors associated with nodal upstaging (logistic regression) and survival (Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier method) after propensity matching to adjust for differences among groups. RESULTS Among 3196 patients included, SLR was performed in 839 (26.3%) (of which 588 were wedge resections) and L was performed in 2357 (73.7%) patients. More patients undergoing SLR (21.7%) compared to L (2.1%) had no lymph nodes sampled (P  < 0.001). Those undergoing SLR had fewer total lymph nodes examined (4 vs 11, P  < 0.001) and were less likely to have pathologic nodal metastases (4.7% vs 9%, P  < 0.001) compared to L. Multivariable analysis identified L [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.21, 95% confidence interval, 1.47–3.35] to be independently associated with pathologic N+ disease. Overall survival was not associated with the type of procedure but was significantly decreased in those with N+ disease. CONCLUSIONS Despite comparable overall survival to L, SLR is associated with suboptimal lymphadenectomy in patients with 1.5–2.0 cm non-small-cell lung cancer. Surgeons should be careful to perform adequate lymphadenectomy when performing SLR to mitigate nodal under-staging and to identify appropriate patients for systemic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duplication of the vas deferens is a rare congenital anomaly that has been encountered during inguinal hernia repair, orchidopexy, varicocelectomy, vasectomy, and radical prostatectomy. Identification of the duplicated vas deferens is crucial intraoperatively to avoid iatrogenic injury to the structure and the risks that come with failure to correctly distinguish the structure. We report a case of duplicated vas deferens and incarcerated urinary bladder during a laparoscopic converted to open left direct inguinal hernia repair., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Jindani et al.)