Scholars@Duke
Kristen Rhodin

Kristen Rhodin

House Staff
Surgery

Selected Publications

Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations of Medical Students on Surgical Subinternships: A Modified Delphi Consensus Study.

Journal Article Acad Med · August 1, 2024 PURPOSE: Surgical subinternships are important rotations for students preparing for a career in general surgery; however, these rotations often vary by institution and service. This modified Delphi study was conducted to reach a consensus set of roles, res ... Full text Link to item Cite

Contemporary trends and outcomes after liver transplantation and resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Journal Article J Gastrointest Surg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) has been shown to be superior to resection in highly selected patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), yet has traditionally been contraindicated for intrahepatic CCA (iCCA). Herein, we aimed to examine conte ... Full text Link to item Cite

Simple versus radical cholecystectomy and survival for pathologic stage T1B gallbladder cancer.

Journal Article HPB (Oxford) · April 2024 BACKGROUND: Radical cholecystectomy is recommended for T1B and greater gallbladder cancer, however, there are conflicting reports on the utility of extended resection for T1B disease. Herein, we characterize outcomes following simple and radical cholecyste ... Full text Link to item Cite

Who Benefits? An Assessment of Resident Benefits at Top 50 Academic Institutions.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · March 2024 OBJECTIVE: Residency serves as a crucial time in the professional and personal development of young physicians. Extensive effort is devoted to the clinical training of residents across the country. However, many residents report concerns with compensation, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships and Undergraduate Surgical Education: A Scoping Review and Gap Analysis.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · March 2024 OBJECTIVE: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are an increasingly popular approach to medical student clinical education, and the literature describing them is expanding. Despite this, there is a lack of understanding for how surgery didactics and s ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgical Residents as Clerkship Scholars May Improve Student Perception of the Surgery Clerkship.

Journal Article J Surg Res · February 2024 INTRODUCTION: The surgical clerkship is a formative experience in the medical school curriculum and can leave a lasting impression on students' perception of surgery. Given the historical negative stereotypes of surgeons, the clerkship represents an opport ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of primary tumor resection and metastasectomy among gastroentero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastases only on survival.

Journal Article HPB (Oxford) · January 2024 BACKGROUND: Despite recommendations for primary tumor resection (PTR) with or without liver resection (LR) in the patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) and isolated liver metastases, there are conflicting data for their impa ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Tumor size and survival in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma treated with surgical resection or ablation.

Journal Article J Surg Oncol · December 2023 OBJECTIVES: We performed a retrospective analysis within a national cancer registry on outcomes following resection or ablation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with clinical stage I ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparing Survival After Resection, Ablation, and Radiation in Small Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Journal Article Ann Surg Oncol · October 2023 BACKGROUND: Hepatectomy is the cornerstone of curative-intent treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, in patients unable to be resected, data comparing efficacy of alternatives including thermal ablation and radiation therapy (RT) rem ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Impact of Tumor Size and Management on Survival in Small Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

Journal Article J Gastrointest Surg · October 2023 BACKGROUND: Society guidelines remain inconsistent on the role of endoscopic and radiographic surveillance as an alternative to surgical resection of small gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Herein, we aimed to assess survival among patients ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of surgical approach on short- and long-term outcomes in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas.

Journal Article HPB (Oxford) · October 2023 BACKGROUND: Literature is lacking on the impact of advancements in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) on outcomes for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEP-NECs). Herein, we compared perioperative and oncologic outcomes among pa ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

ASO Author Reflections: It's About Time?

Journal Article Ann Surg Oncol · October 2023 Full text Link to item Cite

Timing of Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Stage III Melanoma, Does it Matter?

Journal Article Ann Surg Oncol · October 2023 BACKGROUND: The optimal time to initiate adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) following resection remains undefined. Herein, we investigated the impact of time to adjuvant ICI on survival in patients with stage III melanoma. METHODS: Patients with r ... Full text Link to item Cite

Revisiting Medical Student Expectations on the Surgery Clerkship.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · October 2023 OBJECTIVE: Medical students frequently report ambiguity of expectations in their feedback of the surgery clerkship. Herein, we aimed to gauge general surgery resident and attending expectations of students on their clerkship. DESIGN: Residents and attendin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Trends in Receipt of Adjuvant Chemotherapy and its Impact on Survival in Resected Biliary Tract Cancers.

Journal Article Ann Surg Oncol · August 2023 BACKGROUND: Resection remains the cornerstone of curative-intent treatment for biliary tract cancers (BTCs). However, recent randomized data also support a role for adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). This study aimed to characterize trends in the use of AC and su ... 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

Multicenter Experience with Neoadjuvant Therapy in Melanoma Highlights Heterogeneity in Contemporary Practice.

Journal Article Ann Surg · June 1, 2023 OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility and impact of neoadjuvant therapy (NT) in patients who present with advanced melanoma amenable to surgical resection. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Given current effective systemic therapy for melanoma, the use of NT is b ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Surgical Subinternship: A Unique Opportunity for Early Leadership Development.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · June 2023 Subinternships are formative rotations in the surgery-bound medical student's journey to surgical training. This experience allows for further exploration of career goals, plays an important evaluative role in the residency selection process, and offers on ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Role for Live-Animal Models in Undergraduate Surgical Education During the Cadaver Shortage.

Journal Article Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches · June 2023 Full text Cite

Primary tumor resection improves survival of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinoma patients with nonresected liver metastases.

Journal Article J Surg Oncol · May 2023 BACKGROUND: The role of primary tumor resection (PTR) in the survival of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinoma (GI-NEC) patients with liver metastases only remains poorly defined. Therefore, we investigated the impact of PTR on the survival of GI-NEC p ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Closed Incision Negative Pressure Therapy to Reduce Surgical Site Infection in High-Risk Gastrointestinal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal Article J Am Coll Surg · April 1, 2023 BACKGROUND: Despite institutional perioperative bundles and national infection prevention guidelines, surgical site infection (SSI) after a major abdominal operation remains a significant source of morbidity. Negative pressure therapy (NPT) has revolutioni ... 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

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

Functional reprogramming of peripheral blood monocytes by soluble mediators in patients with pancreatic cancer and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms.

Journal Article Front Immunol · 2023 BACKGROUND: Monocytes and monocyte-derived tumor infiltrating cells have been implicated in the immunosuppression and immune evasion associated with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Yet, precisely how monocytes in the periphery and tumor microenvironment ... Full text Link to item 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

Patterns and Impact of Fragmented Care in Stage II and III Gastric Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Surg Oncol · September 2022 BACKGROUND: Optimal management of stage II/III gastric cancer requires multidisciplinary care, often necessitating treatment at more than one facility. We aimed to determine patterns of "fragmented" care and its impact on outcomes, including concordance wi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Predictive factors of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma.

Journal Article Hum Vaccin Immunother · May 31, 2022 This review describes the current body of literature and ongoing clinical trials examining neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for patients with resectable stage III and IV melanoma. Based on prior success in treating metastatic melanoma and as ... 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

Oncolytic viruses in melanoma.

Journal Article Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) · February 14, 2022 Malignant melanoma recurrence remains heterogeneous in presentation, ranging from locoregional disease (i.e., local recurrence, satellites, in transit disease) to distant dermal and visceral metastases. This diverse spectrum of disease requires a personali ... Full text Link to item Cite

Spatial biology analysis reveals B cell follicles in secondary lymphoid structures may regulate anti-tumor responses at initial melanoma diagnosis.

Journal Article Front Immunol · 2022 INTRODUCTION: B cells are key regulators of immune responses in melanoma. We aimed to explore differences in the histologic location and activation status of B cell follicles in sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) of melanoma patients. METHODS: Flow cytometry was p ... Full text Link to item Cite

Melanoma lymph node metastases - moving beyond quantity in clinical trial design and contemporary practice.

Journal Article Front Oncol · 2022 The presence of lymph node metastases is a well-studied prognostic factor for cutaneous melanoma. Characterization of melanoma lymph node metastases and their association with survival in multiple, large observational studies has led to recognition of the ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of Surgery in Managing Primary and Metastatic Melanoma

Chapter · January 1, 2022 This chapter describes updates in the surgical management of melanoma including primary melanoma, regional melanoma, and distant metastatic disease. Surgical management is discussed in the context of a multidisciplinary approach. Specifically, surgical the ... Full text Cite

Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Clinical Stage III Melanoma in the Modern Therapeutic Era.

Journal Article Ann Surg Oncol · July 2021 BACKGROUND: Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) can decrease lymph node basin (LNB) recurrences in patients with clinically evident melanoma lymph node (LN) metastases following lymphadenectomy, but its role in the era of modern systemic therapies (ST), immune ... 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

Evolution of minimally invasive surgery for rectal cancer: update from the national cancer database.

Journal Article Surg Endosc · January 2021 BACKGROUND: As the use of minimally invasive techniques in colorectal surgery has become increasingly prevalent, concerns remain about the oncologic effectiveness and long-term outcomes of minimally invasive low anterior resection (MI-LAR) for the treatmen ... 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

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

Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy for glioblastoma: current progress, challenges and future outlook.

Journal Article Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol · October 2020 INTRODUCTION: Despite maximal surgical resection and chemoradiation, glioblastoma (GBM) continues to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Given success in treating multiple other forms of ... 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

The immunotherapeutic landscape in non-small cell lung cancer and its surgical horizons.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · April 2020 Lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite tremendous advances in surgical technique, chemotherapy regimens, radiation, and targeted therapies, survival is <50% at 5 years. Immunotherapy, specifically immune chec ... Full text Link to item Cite

4-1BB Agonism Averts TIL Exhaustion and Licenses PD-1 Blockade in Glioblastoma and Other Intracranial Cancers.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · March 15, 2020 PURPOSE: The success of checkpoint blockade against glioblastoma (GBM) has been disappointing. Anti-PD-1 strategies may be hampered by severe T-cell exhaustion. We sought to develop a strategy that might license new efficacy for checkpoint blockade in GBM. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Targeting PD-L1 Initiates Effective Antitumor Immunity in a Murine Model of Cushing Disease.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · March 1, 2020 PURPOSE: Although pituitary adenoma is classified as benign, Cushing disease is associated with significant morbidity due to the numerous sequelae of elevated cortisol levels. Successful therapy for Cushing disease remains elusive due to high rates of trea ... Full text Link to item Cite

Medical Student Involvement and Learning Objectives in Morbidity and Mortality Conferences: A National Survey of the Association for Surgical Education's Committee of Clerkship Directors.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · 2020 BACKGROUND: Despite implementation of Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Conference across surgical graduate medical education, sparse literature exists regarding the attendance and involvement of medical students. We sought to examine student involvement and l ... Full text Link to item Cite

T-Cell Exhaustion Signatures Vary with Tumor Type and Are Severe in Glioblastoma.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · September 1, 2018 Purpose: T-cell dysfunction is a hallmark of glioblastoma (GBM). Although anergy and tolerance have been well characterized, T-cell exhaustion remains relatively unexplored. Exhaustion, characterized in part by the upregulation of multiple immune checkpoin ... Full text Link to item Cite

T-cell Dysfunction in Glioblastoma: Applying a New Framework.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · August 15, 2018 A functional, replete T-cell repertoire is an integral component to adequate immune surveillance and to the initiation and maintenance of productive antitumor immune responses. Glioblastoma (GBM), however, is particularly adept at sabotaging antitumor immu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Delay in Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Survival Advantage in Stage III Colon Cancer.

Journal Article J Am Coll Surg · April 2018 BACKGROUND: Adjuvant chemotherapy after resection is the standard of care for stage III colon cancer, yet many patients omit chemotherapy. We aimed to describe the impact of delayed chemotherapy on overall survival across multiple time points. STUDY DESIGN ... Full text Link to item Cite

Chronic Periodontitis Genome-wide Association Studies

Journal Article Journal of Dental Research · September 2014 Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of chronic periodontitis (CP) offer rich data sources for the investigation of candidate genes, functional elements, and pathways. We used GWAS data of CP ( n = 4,504) and periodontal pathogen coloniza ... Full text Cite

Initial Management Strategy and Long-Term Outcomes in 186 Cases of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection.

Journal Article Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but important nonatherosclerotic cause of acute coronary syndrome. Indications for revascularization and long-term outcomes of SCAD remain areas of active investigation. We report our experience with ... Full text Link to item Cite