Raikot, Swathi R.

BACKGROUND: Children continue to undergo right hemicolectomy (RHC) for neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of the appendix based on adult guidelines. Appendectomy alone is recommended for the pediatric population; however, there are no data on safety of this approach in the setting of positive margins. This study aimed to determine the association between tumor characteristics and survival in a national cohort, hypothesizing that survival would be excellent despite high-risk features including positive margins on appendectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Patients 18 years of age or younger with NET of the appendix were identified in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2022 using ICD-O-3 codes. Characteristics of patients who underwent definitive appendectomy vs RHC were compared using chi-square tests. Five-year survival was determined for appendectomy patients with and without high-risk size, margin, and lymph node (LN) features. RESULTS: Of 1,339 patients, 1,156 (86%) underwent appendectomy and 183 (14%) RHC. Median age in both groups was 15 (13 to 17) years. Patients who underwent RHC had larger tumors (24% vs 4%, greater than 2 cm, p < 0.001), more lymphovascular invasion (31% vs 10%, p < 0.001), and were more likely to undergo LN assessment (82% vs 10%, p < 0.001) with a higher LN positivity rate (31% vs 16%, p = 0.006). There was no difference in margins status (p = 0.76). The 5- and 10-year survival was excellent regardless of tumor characteristics for patients overall (99.9% and 99.4%, respectively) and for those who underwent definitive appendectomy (99.9% and 99.2%). CONCLUSIONS: These data further support appendectomy as definitive management for children with appendiceal NET. Additional resection does not confer a survival benefit even in the setting of positive margins.

Background: Bar stabilization during minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair (MIRPE) is critical to avoid dislodgement. Multiple techniques are described including stabilizers, wires, and sutures. This retrospective study compared bar movement and outcomes between existing techniques and ZipFix™, a biocompatible cable tie. Methods: Patients ≤20 years of age who underwent MIRPE with ZipFix between January 2021 and September 2022 were compared with historical controls who underwent repair by same surgeons between January 2018 and December 2020 using stabilizers or polydioxanone suture (PDS). Demographics, clinical details, and outcomes were compared using Kruskal–Wallis and chi-square tests. Results: Of the 116 patients who underwent repair, 45 had bars secured with ZipFix (39%) and 71 (61%) were historical controls (35 stabilizer, 36 PDS). Median (interquartile range) age was 15 (14–16) years and Haller index was 3.9 (3.6–4.5). Nine (8%) patients required two bars. Haller index and use of second bar were comparable between stabilization techniques ( P > .05). In total, 49 patients (40%) reported any pain at 1 month and this was similar between stabilization techniques ( P = .45). Median bar movement was greater for bars secured with PDS than with ZipFix or stabilizers at 1 month (5.5 versus 2.3 versus 3.3°, P = .010) and last follow-up (6.5 versus 2.1 versus 3.6°, P < .001). One patient whose bar was secured with PDS required revision for dislodgement. Conclusion: Pectus bar stabilization with ZipFix is a safe alternative to metal stabilizers and both techniques are superior to suture stabilization alone. The use of ZipFix may be preferred given its lower cost and ease of use.

Histology is an important predictor of the behavior of breast cancer. We aim to study the impact of histology on the overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients. We studied 11,085 breast cancer patients diagnosed with T1–T2 tumors, clinically node-negative and non-metastatic, from 2004 to 2019 included in the National Cancer Database. Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank tests and Cox regression models were used to study the impact of histology and other variables on OS. In our patient population, 8678 (78.28%) had ductal cancer (IDC), while 2407 (21.71%) had lobular cancer (ILC). ILC patients were significantly more likely to be older, Caucasian, have a lower grade at diagnosis and be hormone receptor-positive compared to IDC patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the 5-year OS of early stage ductal (16.8%) and lobular cancer patients (16.7%) (p = 0.200). Patients of Hispanic and African American origin had worse OS rates compared to non-Hispanic and Caucasian patients, respectively. For node-positive disease, HER2+ tumors and triple-negative tumors, chemotherapy had a positive influence on OS (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77–0.93, p = 0.0012). Histology did not have a significant impact on the 5-year OS of early stage breast cancer patients.