Scholars@Duke
Betty Caroline Tong

Betty Caroline Tong

Associate Professor of Surgery
Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
betty.tong@duke.edu
Box 3531MED Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
Room 3589, Duke South - White Zone, Durham, NC 27710

Selected Publications

The American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable strategic plan: Provider engagement and outreach.

Journal Article Cancer · September 20, 2024 The American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable strategic plan for provider engagement and outreach addresses barriers to the uptake of lung cancer screening, including lack of provider awareness and guideline knowledge about screening, concern ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Report of Salaries of Academic Cardiothoracic Surgeons Based on Race and Ethnicity.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · September 2024 BACKGROUND: Diversity in the physician workforce improves patient care, physician well-being, and innovation. Workforce diversity is dependent on fair compensation that is unbiased by race or ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a ... Full text Link to item Cite

The STS 2024 Risk Models for Lung Cancer Resection: Continued Refinement and Improved Outcomes.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · August 26, 2024 BACKGROUND: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) has been used to develop risk models for patients undergoing pulmonary resection for cancer. Leveraging a contemporary and more inclusive cohort, we sought to refine ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparative effectiveness of perioperative physical activity in older adults with lung cancer and their family caregivers: design of a multicenter pragmatic randomized trial.

Journal Article BMC Cancer · August 8, 2024 BACKGROUND: With a median age at diagnosis of 70, lung cancer remains a significant public health challenge for older Americans. Surgery is a key component in treating most patients with non-metastatic lung cancer. These patients experience postoperative p ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lung Cancer Screening in Clinical Practice: A 5-Year Review of Frequency and Predictors of Lung Cancer in the Screened Population.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · May 2024 PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to evaluate (1) frequency, type, and lung cancer stage in a clinical lung cancer screening (LCS) population and (2) the association between patient characteristics and Lung CT Screening Reporting & Data System (Lung-RAD ... Full text Link to item Cite

Historical Perspective on Lung Cancer Screening.

Journal Article Thorac Surg Clin · November 2023 Lung cancer represents a large burden on society with a staggering incidence and mortality rate that has steadily increased until recently. The impetus to design an effective screening program for the deadliest cancer in the United States and worldwide beg ... Full text Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Incidentally Detected Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodule.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · November 2023 Incidental pulmonary nodules are common. Although the majority are benign, most are indeterminate for malignancy when first encountered making their management challenging. CT remains the primary imaging modality to first characterize and follow-up inciden ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Thoracic Surgery Medical Student Association: Understanding the needs of medical students pursuing cardiothoracic surgery in the United States.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · July 2023 OBJECTIVE: Founded in 2020, the Thoracic Surgery Medical Student Association is the first national organization dedicated to supporting medical students interested in pursuing cardiothoracic surgery. Our inaugural survey aimed to describe their basic chara ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Effect of Center Esophagectomy Volume on Outcomes in Clinical Stage I to III Esophageal Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Surg · July 1, 2023 OBJECTIVE: To determine the threshold annualized esophagectomy volume that is associated with improved survival, oncologic resection, and postoperative outcomes. BACKGROUND: Esophagectomy at high-volume centers is associated with improved outcomes; however ... Full text Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Lung Cancer Screening: 2022 Update.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · May 2023 Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality for men and women in the United States. Screening for lung cancer with annual low-dose CT is saving lives, and the continued implementation of lung screening can save many more. In 2015, the ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Impact of Adjuvant Hemithoracic Radiation on Outcomes in Patients With Stage I-III Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Dual Registry Analysis.

Journal Article Ann Surg · March 1, 2023 BACKGROUND: The outcomes associated with receipt of adjuvant radiation in patients after surgery for MPM are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to use 2 registries to compare the outcomes of patients receiving adjuvant radiation ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgical Evaluation in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · February 2023 BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is used to treat stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in nonsurgical candidates, although guidelines specify that inoperability be determined in multidisciplinary fashion. We characterized NSCLC ... Full text Link to item Cite

Multi-institutional Care in Clinical Stage II and III Esophageal Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · February 2023 BACKGROUND: Management of clinical stage II or III esophageal cancer requires multidisciplinary care. Multi-institutional care has been associated with worse survival in other malignant diseases. This study aimed to determine the impact of multi-institutio ... Full text Link to item Cite

Development of a multi-feature-combined model: proof-of-concept with application to local failure prediction of post-SBRT or surgery early-stage NSCLC patients.

Journal Article Front Oncol · 2023 OBJECTIVE: To develop a Multi-Feature-Combined (MFC) model for proof-of-concept in predicting local failure (LR) in NSCLC patients after surgery or SBRT using pre-treatment CT images. This MFC model combines handcrafted radiomic features, deep radiomic fea ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lung cancer screening and prevention

Chapter · January 1, 2023 Lung cancer mortality has been declining since the 1990s largely due to decreases in smoking, yet it remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. While effective screening tests have been available for the three other cancers with hi ... Full text Cite

Tumor Size, Histology, and Survival After Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy and Sublobar Resection in Node-negative Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Surg · December 1, 2022 BACKGROUND: Although SABR is increasingly emerging as an alternative to surgery for node-negative non-small cell lung cancer, there is poor understanding of patients who may most benefit SABR compared to surgery. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relation ... Full text Link to item Cite

Consensus for Thoracoscopic Lower Lobectomy: Essential Components and Targets for Simulation.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · November 2022 BACKGROUND: Despite demonstration of its clear benefits relative to open approaches, a video-assisted thoracic surgery technique for pulmonary lobectomy has not been universally adopted. This study aims to overcome potential barriers by establishing the es ... Full text Link to item Cite

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Lung Cancer Screening, Version 1.2022.

Journal Article J Natl Compr Canc Netw · July 2022 The NCCN Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening recommend criteria for selecting individuals for screening and provide recommendations for evaluation and follow-up of lung nodules found during initial and subsequent screening. These NCCN Guidelines Insights ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Relationship Between Lymph Node Ratio and Survival Benefit With Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Node-positive Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Journal Article Ann Surg · March 1, 2022 BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the ratio of positive lymph nodes to total assessed lymph nodes (LNR) is an indicator of cancer burden in esophageal adenocarcinoma and may identify patients who may most benefit from AC. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study wa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of Time to Endoscopic Resection on Outcomes for Stage I Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2022 BACKGROUND: Endoscopic resection (ER) is the preferred treatment for superficial esophageal cancer; however, a safe time frame for performing ER has not been established. This study evaluated the period in which ER can be performed for patients with stage ... Full text Link to item Cite

2020 Women in Thoracic Surgery Update on the Status of Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2022 BACKGROUND: Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) has previously reported on the status of women in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. We sought to provide a 10-year update on women in CT surgery. METHODS: An anonymous research electronic data capture survey link was ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Impact of Adjuvant Therapy on Survival After Esophagectomy for Node-negative Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Journal Article Ann Surg · February 1, 2022 OBJECTIVE: Determine whether adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with a survival benefit in high risk T2-4a, pathologically node-negative distal esophageal adenocarcinoma. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There is minimal literature to substantiate the NCCN gui ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perioperative outcomes of pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · February 2022 OBJECTIVES: Pembrolizumab is a programmed death receptor-1 masking antibody approved for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. This Phase 2 study (NCT02818920) of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in non-small cell lung cancer had a primary end point of safety an ... Full text Link to item Cite

Social Disparities in Lung Cancer Risk and Screening.

Journal Article Thorac Surg Clin · February 2022 Significant disparities exist in lung cancer incidence and screening. Geographic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic disparities affect lung cancer incidence. As the leading cause of lung cancer, smoking varies among different racioethnic groups, genders, a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Postoperative changes in cognition and cerebrospinal fluid neurodegenerative disease biomarkers.

Journal Article Ann Clin Transl Neurol · February 2022 OBJECTIVE: Numerous investigators have theorized that postoperative changes in Alzheimer's disease neuropathology may underlie postoperative neurocognitive disorders. Thus, we determined the relationship between postoperative changes in cognition and cereb ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Comparison of Forceps, Cryoprobe, and Thoracoscopic Lung Biopsy for the Diagnosis of Interstitial Lung Disease - The CHILL Study.

Journal Article Respiration · 2022 RATIONALE: Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) has emerged as a less invasive method to obtain a tissue diagnosis in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The diagnostic yield of TBLC compared to surgical lung biopsy (SLB) remains uncertain. OBJ ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk for non-home discharge following surgery for ischemic mitral valve disease.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · December 2021 OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency and risk factors for non-home discharge (NHD) and its association with clinical outcomes and quality of life (QOL) at 1 year following cardiac surgery in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). METHODS: Dis ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perioperative neurocognitive and functional neuroimaging trajectories in older APOE4 carriers compared with non-carriers: secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study.

Journal Article Br J Anaesth · December 2021 BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction after surgery is a major issue in older adults. Here, we determined the effect of APOE4 on perioperative neurocognitive function in older patients. METHODS: We enrolled 140 English-speaking patients ≥60 yr old scheduled fo ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Definition and assessment of high risk in patients considered for lobectomy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer: The American Association for Thoracic Surgery expert panel consensus document.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · December 2021 OBJECTIVE: Lobectomy is a standard treatment for stage I non-small cell lung cancer, but a significant proportion of patients are considered at high risk for complications, including mortality, after lobectomy and might not be candidates. Identifying who i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Discussion.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · November 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

Commentary: Channeling Goldilocks.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · September 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

Cardiovascular Risk in the Lung Cancer Screening Population: A Multicenter Study Evaluating the Association Between Coronary Artery Calcification and Preventive Statin Prescription.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · September 2021 OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a marker of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the leading cause of death in individuals receiving lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose CT. Our purpose was to determine the proportion of t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility and Use: A Population Health Perspective of One Community.

Journal Article North Carolina medical journal · September 2021 BACKGROUND Low-dose chest CT (LDCT) is the only effective screening test for lung cancer. Annual lung cancer screening (LCS) is recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for individuals at high risk for primary lung neoplasm.M ... Full text Cite

Consensus for Thoracoscopic Left Upper Lobectomy-Essential Components and Targets for Simulation.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · August 2021 BACKGROUND: Simulation-based training is a valuable component of cardiothoracic surgical education. Effective curriculum development requires consensus on procedural components and focused attention on specific learning objectives. Through use of a Delphi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Initial and Longitudinal Cost of Surgical Resection for Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · June 2021 BACKGROUND: The longitudinal cost of treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing surgical resection has not been evaluated. We describe initial and 4-year resource use and cost for NSCLC patients aged 65 years of age or greater who ... Full text Link to item Cite

Costs Associated With Lobectomy for Lung Cancer: An Analysis Merging STS and Medicare Data.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · June 2021 BACKGROUND: Costs related to care of patients who undergo lobectomy for lung cancer may vary depending on patient, disease, and treating facility characteristics. We aimed to identify underlying case mix factors that contribute to variability of 90-day cos ... Full text Link to item Cite

The effect of extent of resection on outcomes in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer.

Conference J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · April 2021 BACKGROUND: There is poor understanding of the comparative effectiveness of lobar and sublobar resections for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We analyzed the National Cancer Database to examine the outcomes of patients undergoing wedge resecti ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of Age on Surgical Outcomes for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2021 BACKGROUND: Older patients are often considered high-risk surgical candidates for locally advanced esophageal cancer, and the benefit of surgery in this population is unclear. This national analysis examines the effect of age on esophagectomy outcomes and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Commentary: Safety first!

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · March 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

The Critical Portions of Carpal Tunnel Surgery: A Comparison Between Opinions of Surgeons and the General Public.

Journal Article J Hand Surg Am · March 2021 PURPOSE: Attending surgeons must participate in critical and key portions of procedures and otherwise be immediately available. However, surgeon-defined standards of the critical and key portions of surgery have been questioned, potentially affecting train ... Full text Link to item Cite

Immunomodulatory lipid mediator profiling of cerebrospinal fluid following surgery in older adults.

Journal Article Sci Rep · February 4, 2021 Arachidonic acid (AA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) derived lipids play key roles in initiating and resolving inflammation. Neuro-inflammation is thought to play a causal role in perioperative neurocognitive disorders, yet th ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Magnetic Resonance Lymphangiography of the Central Lymphatic System: Technique and Clinical Applications.

Journal Article J Magn Reson Imaging · February 2021 Magnetic resonance lymphangiography (MRL) is a noninvasive imaging technique that can be used in the management of lymphatic disorders to delineate the central lymphatic system for treatment planning. This article reviews the MRL technique, its advantages, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patterns of Use of Induction Therapy for T2N0 Esophageal Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · February 2021 BACKGROUND: Induction therapy for patients with cT2N0M0 esophageal cancer is controversial. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of the National Cancer Database to examine the patterns of use of induction therapy for this population. METHODS: The N ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Effect of Tumor Size and Histologic Findings on Outcomes After Segmentectomy vs Lobectomy for Clinically Node-Negative Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Chest · January 2021 BACKGROUND: The interaction between tumor size and the comparative prognosis of lobar and sublobar resection has been defined poorly. RESEARCH QUESTION: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between tumor size and the receipt of se ... Full text Link to item Cite

Response.

Journal Article Chest · January 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome Changes in Older Non-Cardiac Surgical Patients with Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction.

Journal Article J Alzheimers Dis · 2021 BACKGROUND: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), a syndrome of cognitive deficits occurring 1-12 months after surgery primarily in older patients, is associated with poor postoperative outcomes. POCD is hypothesized to result from neuroinflammation; ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Equivalent Survival Between Lobectomy and Segmentectomy for Clinical Stage IA Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2020 BACKGROUND: The oncologic efficacy of segmentectomy is controversial. We compared long-term survival in clinical stage IA (T1N0) Medicare patients undergoing lobectomy and segmentectomy in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. METHODS: The Society of ... Full text Link to item Cite

Effect of Lymph Node Assessment on Outcomes in Surgery for Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2020 BACKGROUND: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend surgery for limited stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, there is no literature on minimum acceptable lymph node retrieval in surgery for SCLC. METHODS: The National Cancer ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patterns of Care in Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Node-Positive Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2020 BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to examine the factors associated with use of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCR) for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer and to evaluate the effect of NCR on survival. METHODS: The 2004 to 2015 National ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Resectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma-An Institutional and National Analysis.

Journal Article J Natl Cancer Inst · November 1, 2020 BACKGROUND: There is no standard of care with respect to the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We performed an intention-to-treat analysis with data from a single institution and the National Cancer D ... Full text Link to item Cite

Utilization of Lung Cancer Screening in the Medicare Fee-for-Service Population.

Journal Article Chest · November 2020 BACKGROUND: A number of organizations, including the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), recommend lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose CT (LDCT) imaging for high-risk current and former smokers. In 2015, Medicare issued a decision to cover LC ... Full text Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Blunt Chest Trauma-Suspected Cardiac Injury.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · November 2020 Blunt cardiac injuries range from myocardial concussion (commotio cordis) leading to fatal ventricular arrhythmias to myocardial contusion, cardiac chamber rupture, septal rupture, pericardial rupture, and valvular injuries. Blunt injuries account for one- ... Full text Link to item Cite

Stellate Ganglion Blockade: an Intervention for the Management of Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Journal Article Curr Hypertens Rep · October 23, 2020 PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To highlight the indications, procedural considerations, and data supporting the use of stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) for management of refractory ventricular arrhythmias. RECENT FINDINGS: In patients with refractory ventricular arrhy ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Resection of the irradiated esophagus: the impact of lymph node yield on survival.

Journal Article Dis Esophagus · October 12, 2020 There is debate surrounding the appropriate threshold for lymph node harvest during esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer, specifically for those receiving preoperative radiation. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of lymph no ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Effect of Timing of Adjuvant Therapy on Survival After Esophagectomy.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · September 2020 BACKGROUND: Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) after esophagectomy improves survival in esophageal cancer when induction therapy is not given; however, the optimal timing for initiation of AC is poorly characterized. We aimed to determine the impact of timing of A ... Full text Link to item Cite

Implementation of a Surgical Oncology Disparities Curriculum for Preclinical Medical Students.

Journal Article J Surg Res · September 2020 BACKGROUND: Underinsured and uninsured surgical-oncology patients are at higher risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality. Curricular innovation is needed to train medical students to work with this vulnerable population. We describe the implementation ... Full text Link to item Cite

Disparities in guideline-concordant treatment for node-positive, non-small cell lung cancer following surgery.

Conference J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · July 2020 OBJECTIVES: To examine guideline concordance across a national sample and determine the relationship between socioeconomic factors, use of recommended postoperative adjuvant therapy, and outcomes for patients with resected pN1 or pN2 non-small cell lung ca ... Full text Link to item Cite

A protocol to reduce self-reported pain scores and adverse events following lumbar punctures in older adults.

Journal Article J Neurol · July 2020 OBJECTIVE: Lumbar punctures (LPs) are important for obtaining CSF in neurology studies but are associated with adverse events and feared by many patients. We determined adverse event rates and pain scores in patients prospectively enrolled in two cohort st ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cost-effectiveness of coronary artery bypass grafting plus mitral valve repair versus coronary artery bypass grafting alone for moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · June 2020 OBJECTIVE: The Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network reported that left ventricular reverse remodeling at 2 years did not differ between patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation randomized to coronary artery bypass grafting plus mitral valve r ... Full text Link to item Cite

VATS and Minimally Invasive Resection in Early-Stage NSCLC.

Journal Article Semin Respir Crit Care Med · June 2020 Lung carcinoma widely affects men and women in the sixth and seventh decades of life. Thorough workup with radiographic imaging, pathologic diagnosis, and cardiopulmonary functional assessment is key to successful treatment. Accurate staging is essential f ... Full text Link to item Cite

The influence of adjuvant therapy on survival in patients with indeterminate margins following surgery for non-small cell lung cancer.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · May 2020 BACKGROUND: The significance of indeterminate margins following surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown. We evaluated the influence of adjuvant therapy on survival in patients whose cancer showed indeterminate margins. METHODS: Patients w ... Full text Link to item Cite

Definitive Radiotherapy for Inoperable Stage IIB Non-small-cell Lung Cancer: Patterns of Care and Comparative Effectiveness.

Journal Article Clin Lung Cancer · May 2020 BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze practice patterns and perform comparative effectiveness of definitive radiotherapy techniques for inoperable stage IIB (American Joint Committee on Cancer eighth edition) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCL ... Full text Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Occupational Lung Diseases.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · May 2020 Ordering the appropriate diagnostic imaging for occupational lung disease requires a firm understanding of the relationship between occupational exposure and expected lower respiratory track manifestation. Where particular inorganic dust exposures typicall ... Full text Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · May 2020 Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is the clinical entity that occurs with compression of the brachial plexus, subclavian artery, and/or subclavian vein at the superior thoracic outlet. Compression of each of these structures results in characteristic symptoms ... Full text Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Hemoptysis.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · May 2020 Hemoptysis, the expectoration of blood, ranges in severity from nonmassive to massive. This publication reviews the literature on the imaging and treatment of hemoptysis. Based on the literature, the imaging recommendations for massive hemoptysis are both ... Full text Link to item Cite

Stellate Ganglion Blockade for the Treatment of Refractory Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Journal Article JACC Clin Electrophysiol · May 2020 OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe our institutional experience with establishing a neurocardiology service in an attempt to provide autonomic modulation as a treatment for ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). BACKGROUND: Treatment-refractory VAs are comm ... Full text Link to item Cite

Gender Bias Affects Assessment of Frailty and Recommendations for Surgery.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2020 BACKGROUND: Physician gender bias in surgical treatment recommendations is recognized but not well understood. This study hypothesized that gender differences may exist in interpretation of patients' physical behaviors and that these differences may be ass ... Full text Link to item Cite

Vocal Fold Paralysis/Paresis as a Marker for Poor Swallowing Outcomes After Thoracic Surgery Procedures.

Journal Article Dysphagia · December 2019 (1) To examine the association between vocal fold paresis/paralysis (VFP) and poor swallowing outcomes in a thoracic surgery cohort at the population level, and (2) to assess utilization of ENT/speech-language pathology intervention in these cases. The Nat ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

A Geospatial Analysis of Factors Affecting Access to CT Facilities: Implications for Lung Cancer Screening.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · December 2019 OBJECTIVE: The association between access to CT facilities for lung cancer screening and population characteristics is understudied. We aimed to determine the relationship between census tract-level socioeconomic characteristics (SEC) and driving distance ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes for Surgery in Large Cell Lung Neuroendocrine Cancer.

Journal Article J Thorac Oncol · December 2019 INTRODUCTION: There are limited small, single-institution observational studies examining the role of surgery in large cell neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC). We investigated the outcomes of surgery for stage I to IIIA LCNEC by using the National Cancer Databa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes of surgery versus chemoradiotherapy in patients with clinical or pathologic stage N3 non-small cell lung cancer.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · December 2019 BACKGROUND: Because surgery is rarely recommended, there is minimal literature comparing the outcomes of surgery and chemoradiation in stage N3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the outcomes of definitive chemoradiation versus multimodality t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Flow Cytometry Characterization of Cerebrospinal Fluid Monocytes in Patients With Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Pilot Study.

Journal Article Anesth Analg · November 2019 Animal models suggest postoperative cognitive dysfunction may be caused by brain monocyte influx. To study this in humans, we developed a flow cytometry panel to profile cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected before and after major noncardiac surgery ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Acute Respiratory Illness in Immunocompromised Patients.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · November 2019 The immunocompromised patient with an acute respiratory illness (ARI) may present with fever, chills, weight loss, cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain. The number of immunocompromised patients continues to rise with medical advances including solid o ... Full text Link to item Cite

Adjuvant Therapy for Patients With Early Large Cell Lung Neuroendocrine Cancer: A National Analysis.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · August 2019 BACKGROUND: Current guidelines do not routinely recommend adjuvant therapy for resected stage I large cell lung neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC). However, data regarding the role of adjuvant therapy in early LCNEC are limited. This National Cancer Database (N ... Full text Link to item Cite

Intravenous Lidocaine Does Not Improve Neurologic Outcomes after Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal Article Anesthesiology · June 2019 BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline after cardiac surgery occurs frequently and persists in a significant proportion of patients. Preclinical studies and human trials suggest that intravenous lidocaine may confer protection in the setting of neurologic injury. I ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Carinal surgery: A single-institution experience spanning 2 decades Discussion

Journal Article JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY · May 1, 2019 Link to item Cite

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Noninvasive Clinical Staging of Primary Lung Cancer.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · May 2019 Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women. The major risk factor for lung cancer is personal tobacco smoking, particularly for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and squamous cell lung cancers, but other significant risk fa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Right-Sided Versus Left-Sided Pneumonectomy After Induction Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · April 2019 BACKGROUND: A right-sided pneumonectomy after induction therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been shown to be associated with significant perioperative risk. We examined the effect of laterality on long-term survival after induction therapy a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lack of correlation between short- and long-term performance after lung cancer surgery.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · April 2019 OBJECTIVE: Outcomes for lung cancer surgery are currently measured according to perioperative morbidity and mortality. However, the oncologic efficacy of the surgery is reflected by long-term survival. We examined correlation between measures of short-term ... Full text Link to item Cite

The INTUIT Study: Investigating Neuroinflammation Underlying Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction.

Journal Article J Am Geriatr Soc · April 2019 BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Every year, up to 40% of the more than 16 million older Americans who undergo anesthesia/surgery develop postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) or delirium. Each of these distinct syndromes is associated with decreased quality of ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Penetration, Completeness, and Representativeness of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database for Lobectomy.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2019 BACKGROUND: Not all surgeons performing lobectomy in the United States report outcomes to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD). We examined penetration, completeness, and representativeness of the STS GTSD for lobec ... Full text Link to item Cite

Increasing PET Use in Small Cell Lung Cancer: Survival Improvement and Stage Migration in the VA Central Cancer Registry.

Journal Article J Natl Compr Canc Netw · February 2019 Background: Accurate staging for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is critical for determining appropriate therapy. The clinical impact of increasing PET adoption and stage migration is well described in non-small cell lung cancer but not in SCLC. The objectiv ... Full text Link to item Cite

A National Analysis of Long-term Survival Following Thoracoscopic Versus Open Lobectomy for Stage I Non-small-cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Surg · January 2019 OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the long-term survival of open versus thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). BACKGROUND: Data from national studies on long-term survival for VATS versus open ... Full text Link to item Cite

Geographic Access to CT for Lung Cancer Screening: A Census Tract-Level Analysis of Cigarette Smoking in the United States and Driving Distance to a CT Facility.

Journal Article J Am Coll Radiol · January 2019 PURPOSE: Spatial access to health care resources is a requisite for utilization. Our purpose was to determine, at a census tract level, the geographic distribution of US smokers and their driving distance to an ACR-accredited CT facility. METHODS: The numb ... Full text Link to item Cite

Recurrent Extradural Myxopapillary Ependymoma With Oligometastatic Spread.

Journal Article Front Oncol · 2019 Myxopapillary ependymomas are a slow-growing, grade I type glial tumor in the lumbosacral region. More rarely, they can present as extradural, subcutaneous sacrococcygeal, or perisacral masses, and it is under these circumstances that they are more likely ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prevalence and resource utilization for vocal fold paralysis/paresis after esophagectomy.

Journal Article Laryngoscope · December 2018 OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Vocal fold paralysis/paresis (VFP) is an uncommon but serious complication following esophagectomy. The objectives of this study were to: 1) identify the prevalence of VFP and associated complications after esophagectomy in the Unite ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Higher Use of Surgery Confers Superior Survival in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · November 2018 BACKGROUND: Lobar resection is the gold standard therapy for medically fit patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, considerable variability exists in the use of surgical therapy. This study tested the hypothesis that center-based ... Full text Link to item Cite

Stereotactic body radiation therapy versus sublobar resection for stage I NSCLC.

Journal Article Lung Cancer · November 2018 PURPOSE: To compare sublobar resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Patients undergoing sublobar resection or SBRT for stage I NSCLC from 2007 to 2014 at Duke Universit ... Full text Link to item Cite

Minimally Invasive Lung Cancer Surgery Performed by Thoracic Surgeons as Effective as Thoracotomy.

Journal Article J Clin Oncol · August 10, 2018 Purpose The prevalence of minimally invasive lung cancer surgery using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has increased dramatically over the past decade, yet recent studies have suggested that the lymph node evaluation during VATS lobectomy is inadequ ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pulmonary blastomycosis presenting as primary lung cancer.

Journal Article BMC Infect Dis · July 18, 2018 BACKGROUND: Blastomycosis is an endemic mycosis in North America that is caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. The illness is a systemic disease with a wide variety of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. The initial presentatio ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Conjoint Analysis of Treatment Preferences for Nondisplaced Scaphoid Fractures.

Journal Article J Hand Surg Am · July 2018 PURPOSE: We used conjoint analysis to assess the relative importance of factors that influence a patient's decision between surgical or nonsurgical management of a nondisplaced scaphoid fracture. Our hypothesis was that out-of-pocket costs will have a grea ... Full text Link to item Cite

Progress in the Management of Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in 2017.

Journal Article J Thorac Oncol · June 2018 The landscape of care for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer continues to evolve. While some of the developments do not seem as dramatic as what has occurred in advanced disease in recent years, there is a continuous improvement in our ability to diagn ... Full text Link to item Cite

Secondary surgical-site infection after coronary artery bypass grafting: A multi-institutional prospective cohort study.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · April 2018 OBJECTIVE: To analyze patient risk factors and processes of care associated with secondary surgical-site infection (SSI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: Data were collected prospectively between February and October 2010 for consenti ... Full text Link to item Cite

18F-florbetapir Positron Emission Tomography-determined Cerebral β-Amyloid Deposition and Neurocognitive Performance after Cardiac Surgery.

Journal Article Anesthesiology · April 2018 BACKGROUND: Amyloid deposition is a potential contributor to postoperative cognitive dysfunction. The authors hypothesized that 6-week global cortical amyloid burden, determined by F-florbetapir positron emission tomography, would be greater in those patie ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lung Cancer Screening, Version 3.2018, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Journal Article J Natl Compr Canc Netw · April 2018 Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and worldwide. Early detection of lung cancer is an important opportunity for decreasing mortality. Data support using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) of the chest to scr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Differential effects of operative complications on survival after surgery for primary lung cancer.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · March 2018 OBJECTIVE: Complications adversely affect survival after lung cancer surgery. We tested the hypothesis that effects of complications after lung cancer surgery on survival vary substantially across the spectrum of postoperative complications. METHODS: The S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgical Outcomes After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Ipilimumab for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2018 BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus ipilimumab followed by surgery as a treatment strategy for stage II-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: From 2013 to 2017, posto ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgery versus stereotactic body radiation therapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer: A comprehensive review.

Journal Article Cancer · February 15, 2018 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. With the implementation of lung cancer screening, the number and proportion of patients diagnosed with early-stage disease are anticipated to increase. Su ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lung cancer screening: No more excuses.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · January 2018 Full text Link to item Cite

Prediction of Long-Term Survival After Lung Cancer Surgery for Elderly Patients in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · January 2018 BACKGROUND: Prior risk models using the STS General Thoracic Surgery database (STS-GTSD) have been limited to 30-day outcomes. We have now linked STS data to Medicare data and sought to create a risk prediction model for long-term mortality after lung canc ... Full text Link to item Cite

Immune Activation in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Plus Ipilimumab.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · December 15, 2017 Purpose: To determine the immunologic effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus ipilimumab in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.Experimental Design: This is a single-arm chemotherapy plus phased ipilimumab phase II study of 24 treatmen ... Full text Link to item Cite

Rationale and Design of the Lung Cancer Screening Implementation. Evaluation of Patient-Centered Care Study.

Journal Article Ann Am Thorac Soc · October 2017 Screening for lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography has been demonstrated to reduce lung cancer-related mortality and is being widely implemented. Further research in this area is needed to assess the impact of screening on patient-centered outcom ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Platelet Counts and Postoperative Stroke After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery.

Journal Article Anesth Analg · October 2017 BACKGROUND: Declining platelet counts may reveal platelet activation and aggregation in a postoperative prothrombotic state. Therefore, we hypothesized that nadir platelet counts after on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery are associated w ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Induction chemotherapy for T3N0M0 non-small-cell lung cancer increases the rate of complete resection but does not confer improved survival.

Journal Article Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · August 1, 2017 OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes of induction therapy prior to an operation in patients with cT3 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with cT3N0M0 NSCLC from 2006 to 2011 in the National Cancer Dat ... Full text Link to item Cite

In the eye of the beholder.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · August 2017 Full text Link to item Cite

Patterns of Failure After Surgery for Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer Invading the Chest Wall.

Journal Article Clin Lung Cancer · July 2017 INTRODUCTION: The patterns of failure after resection of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) invading the chest wall are not well documented, and the role of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) is unclear, prompting the present analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgery Versus Optimal Medical Management for N1 Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · June 2017 BACKGROUND: Adjuvant chemotherapy has been demonstrated to improve the outcomes of patients with N1 non-small cell lung cancer. It is unknown whether patients previously thought to have unresectable small cell lung cancer (SCLC) may have tumors amenable to ... Full text Link to item Cite

Less is more.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · January 2017 Full text Link to item Cite

Intraoperative Frontal Alpha-Band Power Correlates with Preoperative Neurocognitive Function in Older Adults.

Journal Article Front Syst Neurosci · 2017 Each year over 16 million older Americans undergo general anesthesia for surgery, and up to 40% develop postoperative delirium and/or cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Delirium and POCD are each associated with decreased quality of life, early retirement, incr ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

A Risk Score to Assist Selecting Lobectomy Versus Sublobar Resection for Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2016 BACKGROUND: The long-term survival benefit of lobectomy over sublobar resection for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer must be weighed against a potentially increased risk of perioperative mortality. The objective of the current study was to create a r ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patient Preferences in Treatment Choices for Early-Stage Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2016 BACKGROUND: Decision-making for lung cancer treatment can be complex because it involves both provider recommendations based on the patient's clinical condition and patient preferences. This study describes the relative importance of several considerations ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes of Major Lung Resection After Induction Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · September 2016 BACKGROUND: This study analyzes the impact of age on perioperative outcomes and long-term survival of patients undergoing surgery after induction chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: Short- and long-term outcomes of patients with non-small ... Full text Link to item Cite

Induction Chemotherapy is Not Superior to a Surgery-First Strategy for Clinical N1 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · September 2016 BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend primary surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with clinical N1 disease and adjuvant chemotherapy if nodal disease is confirmed after resection. We tested the hypothesis that induction chemothera ... Full text Link to item Cite

TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · August 2016 [Image: see text] Multidisciplinary teams contribute to managing complex complications of esophagectomy. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Long-term survival following open versus thoracoscopic lobectomy after preoperative chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Journal Article Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · June 2016 OBJECTIVES: Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy is increasingly accepted for the management of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its role for locally advanced cancers has not been as well characterized. We compared outcomes of p ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of patient selection and treatment strategies on outcomes after lobectomy for biopsy-proven stage IIIA pN2 non-small cell lung cancer.

Journal Article Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · June 2016 OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the impact of patient selection and treatment strategies on long-term outcomes of patients who had lobectomy after induction therapy for stage IIIA pN2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The impact of various patient sele ... Full text Link to item Cite

Role of Adjuvant Therapy in a Population-Based Cohort of Patients With Early-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article J Clin Oncol · April 1, 2016 PURPOSE: Data on optimal adjuvant therapy after complete resection of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) are limited, and in particular, there have been no studies evaluating the role of adjuvant chemotherapy, with or without prophylactic cranial irradiation, r ... Full text Link to item Cite

Use and Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Lobectomy for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the National Cancer Data Base.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2016 BACKGROUND: Previous studies have raised concerns that video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy may compromise nodal evaluation. The advantages or limitations of robotic lobectomy have not been thoroughly evaluated. METHODS: Perioperative outcomes and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Preoperative Evaluation and Indications for Pulmonary Metastasectomy.

Journal Article Thorac Surg Clin · February 2016 Most patients with pulmonary metastases will not be candidates for pulmonary metastasectomy. Preoperative evaluation determines whether a patient is both fit enough for surgery and has disease that is actually resectable. Both components are necessary for ... Full text Link to item Cite

A stitch (or scan) in time saves nine.

Other J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · September 2015 Full text Link to item Cite

Wedge Resection vs Segmentectomy for Patients with T1A N0 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Journal Article JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY · September 1, 2015 Link to item Cite

Impact of Pulmonary Function Measurements on Long-Term Survival After Lobectomy for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · July 2015 BACKGROUND: Pulmonary function tests predict respiratory complications after lobectomy. We evaluated the impact of pulmonary function measurements on long-term survival after lobectomy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: The relationship betwe ... Full text Link to item Cite

Imagine all the people...

Other J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · June 2015 Full text Link to item Cite

Invited commentary.

Other Ann Thorac Surg · November 2014 Full text Link to item Cite

Tumor acquisition for biomarker research in lung cancer.

Journal Article Cancer Invest · July 2014 The biopsy collection data from two lung cancer trials that required fresh tumor samples be obtained for microarray analysis were reviewed. In the trial for advanced disease, microarray data were obtained on 50 patient samples, giving an overall success ra ... Full text Link to item Cite

Thoracoscopic superior segmentectomy.

Journal Article Ann Cardiothorac Surg · March 2014 Full text Link to item Cite

Computed tomography screening for lung cancer: where are we now?

Journal Article N C Med J · 2013 Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening has been shown to result in detection of earlier-stage lung cancers, with a 20% reduction in cancer-related deaths. LDCT screening offers significant potential benefits to selected patients; however, many quest ... Link to item Cite

Weighting composite endpoints in clinical trials: essential evidence for the heart team.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2012 BACKGROUND: Coronary revascularization trials often use a composite endpoint of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The usual practice in analyzing data with a composite endpoint is to assign equal weights to each of the individual MA ... Full text Link to item Cite

Thoracoscopic lobectomy has increasing benefit in patients with poor pulmonary function: a Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database analysis.

Journal Article Ann Surg · September 2012 OBJECTIVE: Using a national database, we asked whether video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is beneficial in high-risk pulmonary patients. BACKGROUND: Single-institution series demonstrated benefit of VATS lobectomy over lobectomy via thor ... Full text Link to item Cite

Needs assessment for an errors-based curriculum on thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · August 2012 BACKGROUND: Research suggests a benefit from a skills curriculum emphasizing error prevention, identification, and management. Our purpose was to identify common errors committed by trainees during simulated thoracoscopic lobectomy for use in developing an ... Full text Link to item Cite

Validation of a thoracoscopic lobectomy simulator.

Journal Article Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · August 2012 OBJECTIVES: Although simulation is considered integral to general surgery training, its role has only recently been recognized in thoracic surgical education, perhaps due to a lack of widely available, validated simulators for advanced thoracic procedures. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes after surgical management of synchronous bilateral primary lung cancers.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · April 2012 BACKGROUND: Distinguishing between synchronous primary lung cancers and metastatic disease in patients with bilateral lung masses is often difficult. The objective of this study is to examine outcomes associated with a strategy of performing staged bilater ... Full text Link to item Cite

Feasibility of hybrid thoracoscopic lobectomy and en-bloc chest wall resection.

Journal Article Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · April 2012 OBJECTIVES: Lobectomy with an en-bloc chest wall resection is an effective but potentially morbid treatment of lung cancer invading the chest wall. Minimally invasive approaches to lobectomy have reduced morbidity compared with thoracotomy for early stage ... Full text Link to item Cite

Molecular prognostication of lung cancer

Chapter · February 13, 2012 Cite

The Role of Thoracic Surgery in Palliative Care: A Review

Journal Article Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine · 2012 Full text Cite

Molecular markers for incidence, prognosis, and response to therapy.

Journal Article Surg Oncol Clin N Am · January 2012 Lung cancer is the most common malignancy in the United States and worldwide. In 2011, it is estimated that more than 221,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer of the lung and bronchus. For patients with early-stage disease, 5-year ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perioperative management of patients on clopidogrel (Plavix) undergoing major lung resection.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2011 BACKGROUND: Management of patients requiring antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel (Plavix) and major lung resection must balance the risks of bleeding and cardiovascular events. We reviewed our experience with patients treated with clopidogrel perioperati ... Full text Link to item Cite

Incorporating research into thoracic surgery practice.

Journal Article Thorac Surg Clin · August 2011 The incorporation of research into a career in thoracic surgery is a complex process. Ideally, the preparation for a career in academic thoracic surgery begins with a research fellowship during training. In the academic setting, a research portfolio might ... Full text Link to item Cite

Utility of a simple algorithm to grade diastolic dysfunction and predict outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · June 2011 BACKGROUND: Inclusion of a measure of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) may improve risk prediction after cardiac surgery. Current LVDD grading guidelines rely on echocardiographic variables that are not always available or aligned to allow gra ... Full text Link to item Cite

A model for morbidity after lung resection in octogenarians.

Journal Article Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · June 2011 OBJECTIVE: Age is an important risk factor for morbidity after lung resection. This study was performed to identify specific risk factors for complications after lung resection in octogenarians. METHODS: A prospective database containing patients aged 80 y ... Full text Link to item Cite

A comprehensive evaluation for aspiration after esophagectomy reduces the incidence of postoperative pneumonia.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · December 2010 OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the effect of using a comprehensive swallowing evaluation before starting oral feedings on aspiration detection and pneumonia occurrence after esophagectomy. METHODS: The records of all patients undergoing esophagectomy betwe ... Full text Link to item Cite

Invited commentary.

Other Ann Thorac Surg · November 2010 Full text Link to item Cite

Aspergillus niger: an unusual cause of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Journal Article J Med Microbiol · July 2010 Infections due to Aspergillus species cause significant morbidity and mortality. Most are attributed to Aspergillus fumigatus, followed by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus terreus. Aspergillus niger is a mould that is rarely reported as a cause of pneumo ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Pulmonary function tests do not predict pulmonary complications after thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · April 2010 BACKGROUND: Pulmonary function tests predict respiratory complications and mortality after lung resection through thoracotomy. We sought to determine the impact of pulmonary function tests upon complications after thoracoscopic lobectomy. METHODS: A model ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · January 2010 BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical decortication (VATSD) is widely used for treatment of early empyema and hemothorax, but conversion to open thoracotomy for decortication (OD) is more frequent in the setting of complex, chronic empyema. Thi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk factors for morbidity after lobectomy for lung cancer in elderly patients.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · October 2009 BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating risk factors for complications after lobectomy in elderly patients have not adequately analyzed the effect of using minimally invasive approaches. METHODS: A model for morbidity including published preoperative risk factors a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Quality of life outcomes are equivalent after lobectomy in the elderly.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · September 2008 OBJECTIVE: Prospective analyses of quality of life in elderly patients after lobectomy are limited, yet surgeons often recommend suboptimal therapy to these patients on the basis of the belief that lobectomy is poorly tolerated. Surgical decision making in ... Full text Link to item Cite

Audit, quality control, and performance in thoracic surgery: a North American perspective.

Journal Article Thorac Surg Clin · August 2007 Although difficult to precisely define, health care quality is often measured by components of structure, outcomes, and process. One way for thoracic surgeons to evaluate their practices is to compare themselves with evidence-based national guidelines. Out ... Full text Link to item Cite

Molecular margin analysis predicts local recurrence after sublobar resection of lung cancer.

Journal Article Int J Cancer · March 1, 2005 Sublobar resection for early-stage lung cancer has been used for patients who are not candidates for lobar resection. However, sublobar resection is associated with high local recurrence rates in the context of tumor-free parenchymal margins. The mechanism ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cellular and physiological effects of arginine.

Journal Article Mini Rev Med Chem · October 2004 Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid that is required during periods of maximal growth, severe stress, and injury. Arginine is a substrate for protein synthesis but also modulates cellular biochemical functions via conversion to a number of biologically ... Full text Link to item Cite

Use of single nucleotide polymorphism arrays to identify a novel region of loss on chromosome 6q in squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity.

Journal Article Head Neck · April 2004 BACKGROUND: A subset of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma(SCC), often of young age yet lacking a history of carcinogen exposure, has been identified, with no clear etiology for tumor development. METHODS: To identify somatic genetic alterat ... Full text Link to item Cite

Methylation of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor gene in epithelial thyroid tumors: a marker of malignancy and a cause of gene silencing.

Journal Article Cancer Res · May 1, 2003 Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) expression is frequently silenced in epithelial thyroid cancers associated with decreased or absent TSH-promoted iodine uptake. To study the underlying molecular mechanism of decreased TSHR expression, we examine ... Link to item Cite

Mitochondrial DNA alterations in thyroid cancer.

Journal Article J Surg Oncol · March 2003 BACKGROUND: Alterations in mitochondrial DNA have been identified in a number of solid tumor types, including gastric, head and neck, breast, colorectal, lung, and bladder carcinomas. Recently, a homopolymeric C stretch (D310) located within the noncoding ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mitochondrial C-tract alteration in premalignant lesions of the head and neck: a marker for progression and clonal proliferation.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · July 2002 PURPOSE: Although mitochondrial DNA mutations have been described recently in many different tumor types, the nature and timing of such alterations remain unclear. In an effort to further examine the role of mitochondrial DNA mutations in carcinogenesis, w ... Link to item Cite

Bladder carcinoma in a transplant recipient: evidence to implicate the BK human polyomavirus as a causal transforming agent.

Journal Article Transplantation · June 27, 2002 The BK polyomavirus (BKV) infects most of the human population, but clinically relevant infections are mostly limited to individuals who are immunosuppressed. In transplant recipients, BKV has been associated with ureteral stenosis, interstitial nephritis, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Real-time quantitative PCR demonstrates low prevalence of human papillomavirus type 16 in premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · May 2002 PURPOSE: Human papillomavirus (HPV) type-16 has been associated with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. This study examines the role of HPV-16 in the progression of oral head and neck cancer by determining the quantity of HPV-16 DNA in ... Link to item Cite

Mutation of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene is not a feature of ovarian cancers.

Journal Article Gynecol Oncol · July 1998 OBJECTIVE: The PTEN tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 10q23 undergoes inactivating mutations in several types of malignancies including glioblastomas and prostate and endometrial carcinomas. The aim of this study was to determine if mutation of the PTEN ... Full text Link to item Cite

TGF-β Promotes the Growth of Bovine Chondrocytes in Monolayer Culture and the Formation of Cartilage Tissue on Three-Dimensional Scaffolds

Journal Article Tissue Engineering · September 1, 1995 We have investigated the ability of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) to promote the growth and differentiation of chondrocytes in monolayer and on three-dimensional scaffolds. Treatment of chondrocytes with TGF-β and ascorbate individually stimulated t ... Full text Cite