Citations

Objective: Here, we describe a systematic approach to design, implement, and assess a robotic surgery curriculum for surgical residents. By describing our process, including identifying and addressing institutional challenges, we illustrate successful development of a robust curriculum. Summary Background Data: As robotic-assisted surgeries increase, educational challenges have emerged and illustrate an alarming impact on medical training. Robotic curricula are frequently grounded in the industry’s educational materials resulting in a variety of existing resident curricula that lack cognitive components and critical evaluation. As such, surgical educators struggle to identify the curricular restructuring needs that likely accompany emerging technologies. It is essential to develop a curricular framework for the surgical education community to approach the ongoing and inevitable integration of new technologies. Methods: Our process parallels the widely accepted approach to curricular development in medical education described by Kern et al. Using this 6-step model, we describe derivation of a curriculum that was data driven, features multimodal educational strategies, and provides documentation methods that allow for continued evaluation and assessment at the individual and departmental level. Results: This study highlights the systematic process of design, implementation and assessment of a robotic surgery curriculum for surgical residents. Built on a robust national and local needs assessment, and further strengthened by preemptive identification of institutional challenges, this curricular model includes a structured documentation system that allows for ongoing evaluation, assessment, and monitoring of curricular progress. Conclusions: We illustrate a robustly built curricular structure that can be adopted, adapted, and successfully implemented at other training institutions around the world.

PURPOSE To evaluate the use of early assessment of chemotherapy responsiveness by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to tailor therapy in patients with esophageal and esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma. METHODS After baseline PET, patients were randomly assigned to an induction chemotherapy regimen: modified oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and fluorouracil (FOLFOX) or carboplatin-paclitaxel (CP). Repeat PET was performed after induction; change in maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) from baseline was assessed. PET nonresponders (< 35% decrease in SUV) crossed over to the alternative chemotherapy during chemoradiation (50.4 Gy/28 fractions). PET responders (≥ 35% decrease in SUV) continued on the same chemotherapy during chemoradiation. Patients underwent surgery at 6 weeks postchemoradiation. Primary end point was pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in nonresponders after switching chemotherapy. RESULTS Two hundred forty-one eligible patients received Protocol treatment, of whom 225 had an evaluable repeat PET. The pCR rates for PET nonresponders after induction FOLFOX who crossed over to CP (n = 39) or after induction CP who changed to FOLFOX (n = 50) was 18.0% (95% CI, 7.5 to 33.5) and 20% (95% CI, 10 to 33.7), respectively. The pCR rate in responders who received induction FOLFOX was 40.3% (95% CI, 28.9 to 52.5) and 14.1% (95% CI, 6.6 to 25.0) in responders to CP. With a median follow-up of 5.2 years, median overall survival was 48.8 months (95% CI, 33.2 months to not estimable) for PET responders and 27.4 months (95% CI, 19.4 months to not estimable) for nonresponders. For induction FOLFOX patients who were PET responders, median survival was not reached. CONCLUSION Early response assessment using PET imaging as a biomarker to individualize therapy for patients with esophageal and esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma was effective, improving pCR rates in PET nonresponders. PET responders to induction FOLFOX who continued on FOLFOX during chemoradiation achieved a promising 5-year overall survival of 53%.

3588 Background: Growing data suggest dietary factors are associated with survival among pts with non-metastatic CRC. However, data on diet and survival among pts with advanced or metastatic disease are very limited. Methods: We prospectively examined dietary fat intake assessed at initiation of treatment for advanced or metastatic CRC in relation to OS and PFS. This analysis was conducted among 1,149 pts in the CALGB 80405 randomized controlled trial who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire. We examined intakes of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated (total n-3, long-chain n-3, and total n-6) fats as well as animal and vegetable fats. Based on data from non-metastatic CRC and other cancers, we hypothesized that higher intakes of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and vegetable fats would be associated with longer OS and PFS and higher intakes of saturated fat and animal fat would be associated with shorter OS and PFS. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Over a median follow-up of 6.1 years [y; interquartile range (IQR): 5.3, 7.2 y], we observed 974 deaths and 103 events of progression without death during follow-up. Participants in this analysis had a median age of 59 y (IQR: 51 to 67 y); 41% were female and 86% identified as white. We observed no statistically significant associations between any type of dietary fat and OS. However, vegetable fat was non-linearly associated with longer PFS (HR comparing 4th to 1st quartile: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.96; p-trend: 0.10). We also observed a linear association between continuous saturated fat and PFS (HR per 5% kcal/d: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.42; p-value: 0.02), perhaps driven by pts with high saturated fat intake. Conclusions: We observed no statistically significant associations between types of dietary fat and OS among pts with advanced or metastatic CRC. However, a healthy diet that includes vegetable fat and is modest in saturated fat may be associated with longer PFS. Future studies to replicate these findings and examine diet in relation to cancer survival in racially/ethnically diverse populations are needed. Support: K07CA197077, U10CA180821, U10CA180882, https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org . Clinical trial information: NCT00265850.

3568 Background: Diets inducing an elevated insulin response have been associated with increased recurrence and mortality in patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer, but it remains unknown if postprandial hyperinsulinemia also affects progression and mortality in mCRC patients. The goal of this study was to assess the influence of dietary insulin load (DIL) and dietary insulin index (DII) on survival of mCRC patients. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 1,177 patients with previously untreated mCRC enrolled in a phase III trial of systemic chemotherapy plus biologics who reported dietary intake within one month after chemotherapy initiation. DIL was calculated as a function of food insulin index and the energy content of individual foods reported on a food frequency questionnaire. DII was calculated by dividing DIL by total energy intake. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The primary statistical test was a test for trend, which was performed using the median value for each quintile of dietary insulin score as a continuous variable. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for potential confounders including assigned treatment arm, known prognostic factors, comorbidities, body mass index, and physical activity. Results: Higher DIL was significantly associated with worse OS (ptrend = 0.04); patients in the highest quintile survived 34.1 months, compared to 27.7 months in the lowest quintile (Cox hazard ratio [HR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99 - 1.51). Higher DII was non-significantly associated with worse OS (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.94 - 1.48, ptrend = 0.09). There was no significant association between dietary insulin scores and PFS. The influence of dietary insulin scores on survival did not differ significantly by various molecular markers involved in the insulin signaling pathway, including C-peptide, adiponectin, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and IGFBP-7. Higher dietary insulin scores were significantly associated with greater risk of any TRAE. Those with a DIL greater than the median had a 75.4% rate of any TRAE, compared to 70.8% in those with a DIL less than or equal to the median (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.38, p=0.02); the most significant associations were with neutropenia (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.61, p=0.01) and diarrhea (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.00 - 2.06, p=0.05). Conclusions: Higher DIL was significantly associated with worse OS, and both higher DIL and DII were significantly associated with increased TRAEs, in patients with previously untreated mCRC. These findings may inform future dietary recommendations for patients with mCRC. Further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations is warranted. Clinical trial information: NCT00265850.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of inserting epidemiological information into lumbar spine imaging reports on subsequent nonsurgical and surgical procedures involving the thoracolumbosacral spine and sacroiliac joints. Design Analysis of secondary outcomes from the Lumbar Imaging with Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE) pragmatic stepped-wedge randomized trial. Setting Primary care clinics within four integrated health care systems in the United States. Subjects 238,886 patients ≥18 years of age who received lumbar diagnostic imaging between 2013 and 2016. Methods Clinics were randomized to receive text containing age- and modality-specific epidemiological benchmarks indicating the prevalence of common spine imaging findings in people without low back pain, inserted into lumbar spine imaging reports (the “LIRE intervention”). The study outcomes were receiving 1) any nonsurgical lumbosacral or sacroiliac spine procedure (lumbosacral epidural steroid injection, facet joint injection, or facet joint radiofrequency ablation; or sacroiliac joint injection) or 2) any surgical procedure involving the lumbar, sacral, or thoracic spine (decompression surgery or spinal fusion or other spine surgery). Results The LIRE intervention was not significantly associated with subsequent utilization of nonsurgical lumbosacral or sacroiliac spine procedures (odds ratio [OR] = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93–1.09; P = 0.79) or any surgical procedure (OR = 0.99, 95 CI 0.91–1.07; P = 0.74) involving the lumbar, sacral, or thoracic spine. The intervention was also not significantly associated with any individual spine procedure. Conclusions Inserting epidemiological text into spine imaging reports had no effect on nonsurgical or surgical procedure utilization among patients receiving lumbar diagnostic imaging.

377 Background: Neoadjuvant therapy has been associated with a median overall survival (OS) of 18 – 23 months (mo) in patients (pts) with BR pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To establish reference regimens to which novel treatments can be compared in future studies, we evaluated neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX with or without RT in BR PDAC in a phase II National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) trial. Methods: Pts with ECOG PS 0-1 and BR PDAC confirmed by central real-time radiographic review after pre-registration were randomized to either arm A: 8 cycles of neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, irinotecan 180 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2 and infusional 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46 hours), or arm B: 7 cycles of mFOLFIRINOX followed by stereotactic body RT (SBRT, 33-40 Gy in 5 fractions [fx]) or hypofractionated image guided RT (HIGRT, 25 Gy in 5 fx). Pts in either arm without disease progression underwent pancreatectomy, then 4 cycles of adjuvant mFOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2 and infusional 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46 hours). The primary endpoint, 18-mo OS rate, of each arm was compared to a historical control of 50%. Planned interim analysis mandated closure of either arm in which <11 of first 30 accrued pts underwent R0 resection. Results: 155 pts pre-registered and 126 pts were enrolled to arm A (N=70; 54 randomized, 16 following closure of arm B) or arm B (N=56; closed at interim analysis, all pts randomized prior to closure). Median age (A: 63y, B: 67y), median CA 19-9 level (A: 171 U/ml, B: 248 U/ml) and ECOG PS (A: 51% PS 0, B: 57% PS 0) of registered pts were similar between arms (p > 0.05). Treatment detailed in Table. The 18-mo OS rate based on Kaplan Meier estimates was 67.9% (95%CI: 54.6 – 78.0) in arm A and 47.3% (95%CI: 33.7 – 59.7) in arm B. Among pts who underwent pancreatectomy, 18-mo OS rate was 93.1% (95%CI: 84.3 – 100) and 78.9% (95%CI: 62.6 – 99.6) in arm A and B, respectively. With median follow-up of 27 and 31 mo, median OS was 31.0 (95%CI: 22.2 – NE) mo and 17.1 (95%CI: 12.8 – 24.4) mo in arm A and B, respectively. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX was associated with favorable OS relative to historical data in pts with BL PDAC in this phase II NCTN trial. mFOLFIRINOX with hypofractionated RT did not improve OS compared to historical data. mFOLFIRINOX represents a reference regimen in this setting and a backbone on which to add novel agents. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, U24CA196171; https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org Clinical trial information: NCT02839343. [Table: see text]

361 Background: Assessment of tumor response in extrapancreatic NETs with metastases can be very challenging. Previous studies suggest a high degree of discordance between local and central imaging reviews, which has implications for clinical practice and trial design. Methods: Serial images archived from a randomized phase II trial (A021202) of pazopanib vs placebo in progressive non-pancreatic NETs were evaluated by central review, with real-time review conducted at the time of locally interpreted progressive disease (PD). The primary endpoint of the trial was progression-free survival (PFS) by central review. Discordances between central (Alliance Imaging Core Laboratory) and local (investigator-reported) reviews were assessed. Scan-level and pt-level results across both treatment arms were evaluated. Kappa tests were used to test concordance based on source of review. Results: 151 pts had a total of 724 scans with response adjudication by both local and central RECIST review. Discordance was observed in both directions. Overall, 20% of scans (143/724) had discordant classifications. The most common discordances were: stable disease (SD) on local vs. PD on central review (82/143=57%), and PD on local vs. SD on central review (32/143=22%). On a pt level, 78 of 151 pts (52%) had discordant reviews; 8 had >1 type of discordance. Overall, 30% of pts (N=45) had a determination of PD on central review, but SD or better on local review, potentially resulting in excessive exposure to therapy. In contrast, 20% (N=30) were classified as PD on local read but SD or better on real-time central review (which did not necessarily translate into an abbreviated course of treatment). Cohen’s kappa statistics revealed only moderate concordance between local and central reviewers both at the scan (K=0.48, 95% CI: 0.42 – 0.55) and pt (K=0.41, 95% CI: 0.32 – 0.5) levels, with no significant influence by treatment arm, primary tumor site, tumor functionality, histology, differentiation or primary disease spread. Conclusions: Discordance was observed in both directions, where 30% of pts were potentially kept on study drug too long (based on central read), and 20% would have been taken off study treatment early for local PD were it not for real-time central review. Although this bidirectional discordance did not affect the overall findings of the PFS outcome between arms in the trial, these analyses highlight the high prevalence of discordance, the potential to negatively influence treatment duration in both directions, and the need for more straightforward methods of assessing treatment response in carcinoid. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, U24CA196171; NETRF Investigator Award; https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org Clinical trial information: NCT01841736.