Gender-related differences have been found among invited speakers in select professional and medical societies. We examined whether similar disparities existed among keynote speakers, plenary ...speakers, and invited lecturers in a broad range of medical specialty conferences from 2013 to 2017.
A cross-sectional study was performed on 27 U.S. medical specialty conferences for which data were available on plenary speakers, keynote speakers, and/or invited lecturers. For each speaker, gender and degree(s) were determined. Fisher's exact test was performed to compare proportions of women among speakers to Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) physician workforce data on gender distribution.
In aggregate, we identified 246 women among 984 speakers, significantly lower than expected when compared with 2015 AAMC data (25.0% vs. 34.0%;
< 0.00001). Compared with AAMC data reported in 2013, 2015, and 2017, women were significantly underrepresented in 2013 (
= 0.0064) and 2015 (
= 0.00004). In 2017, the proportion of women among invited speakers trended lower than AAMC active women physicians but did not reach significance (
= 0.309). Analysis of individual conference data stratified by year indicated that, while the representation of women among all speakers improved between 2015 and 2017, the representation of women among keynote speakers, plenary speakers, and invited lectureships was variable (including zero levels some years during the study period) and remained lower than expected as compared with workforce data for specific medical specialties.
Evaluating for and improving disparities is recommended to ensure gender equity among invited speakers across all medical specialty conferences.
The survival rates from breast cancer in Africa are poor and yet the incidence rates are on the rise. In this study, we hypothesized that, in Africa, a continent with great disparities in ...socio-economic status, race, tumor biology, and cultural characteristics, the survival rates from breast cancer vary greatly based on region, tumor biology (hormone receptor), gender, and race. We aimed to conduct the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on region, gender, tumor-biology and race-specific 5-year breast cancer survival rates in Africa and compared them to 20-year survival trends in the United States.
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library to identify studies on breast cancer survival in African published before October 17, 2018. Pooled 5-year survival rates of breast cancer were estimated by random-effects models. We explored sources of heterogeneity through subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regression. Results were reported as absolute difference (AD) in percentages. We compared the survival rates of breast cancer in Africa and the United States.
There were 54 studies included, consisting of 18,970 breast cancer cases. There was substantial heterogeneity in the survival rates (mean 52.9%, range 7-91%, I2 = 99.1%; p for heterogeneity <0.0001). Meta-regression analyses suggested that age and gender-adjusted 5-year survival rates were lower in sub-Saharan Africa compared to north Africa (AD: -25.4%; 95% CI: -34.9 - -15.82%), and in predominantly black populations compared to predominantly non-black populations (AD: -25.9%; 95% CI: 35.40 - -16.43%). Survival rates were 10 percentage points higher in the female population compared to male, but the difference was not significant. Progesterone and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer subtypes were positively associated with survival (r = 0.39, p = 0.08 and r = 0.24, p = 0.29 respectively), but triple-negative breast cancer was negatively associated with survival. Survival rates are increasing over time more in non-black Africans (55% in 2000 versus 65% in 2018) compared to black Africans (33% in 2000 versus 40% in 2018); but, the survival rates for Africans are still significantly lower when compared to black (76% in 2015) and white (90% in 2015) populations in the United States.
Regional, sub-regional, gender, and racial disparities exist, influencing the survival rates of breast cancer in Africa. Therefore, region and race-specific public health interventions coupled with prospective genetic studies are urgently needed to improve breast cancer survival in this region.
Problem
Demands placed on resident physicians can make it difficult to keep up with personal needs, often affecting well-being. For military pilots, confidential and nonpunitive human factors boards ...(HFBs) identify pilots’ human factors (personal or professional problems that might interfere with the ability to perform effectively) and make recommendations for support. The authors sought to determine the feasibility of establishing an HFB for resident physicians and its utility for general surgery residents.
Approach
Publicly available information on HFBs was reviewed and translated to the structure of a general surgery residency. An HFB consisting of a faculty member, resident representative, and neutral third party was established for the general surgery residency program (consisting of 42 residents during the study period) at Penn State Health. From January 1 to July 1, 2020, the HFB responded to human factors needs of general surgery residents. Residents could make requests for themselves or another resident. If all HFB members were in agreement that a request was reasonable, the appropriate resource was directed to the requesting resident and funding was disbursed (if applicable) by the third party.
Outcomes
From January 1 to July 1, 2020, 14 requests were made. Of these, 3 (21%) were made for another resident and 12 (86%) were fulfilled through resources arranged by the HFB. All requests occurred between January 1 and April 1, 2020, likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall cost of the program was $932.80.
Next Steps
The HFB represents an adaptable tool that can meet residents’ specific needs as they arise and a mechanism through which residents can receive a tangible response to human factors. Formal feedback is needed to identify areas that could be improved. This structure could be generalized to other graduate medical education programs and physicians at all levels.
To evaluate factors contributing to positive surgical margins associated with reflector guidance for patients undergoing breast conserving therapy for malignancy.
A retrospective IRB-approved review ...of our institutional database was performed for malignant breast lesions preoperatively localized from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. The following data was recorded using electronic medical records: lesion type and grade, lesion location, reflector and wire placement modality, use of intraoperative ultrasound, margin status, patient age, family history, BMI, and final pathology. Statistical analysis was performed with univariate summary statistics and logistic regression. P < .05 was significant.
A total of 606 image-guided pre-surgical localizations were performed for lumpectomies of breast malignancies. A total of 352 of 606 (58%) wire localizations and 254 of 606 (42%) SCOUT reflector localizations were performed. Sixty out of 352 (17%) of wire-localized patients had positive surgical margins, whereas forty-eight out of 254 (19%) of reflector-localized patients had positive surgical margins. (OR = 1.12, P value: .59). For reflector guided cases, the use of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) was associated with decreased positive margin status (OR = 0 .28, 95% CI = 0.14, 0.58) while in situ disease was associated with increased positive margin status (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.05, 3.75). No association between modality used for localization (mammography vs. ultrasound) and positive margin status was observed (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.33, 1.19). No association between positive margins and age, family history, tumor location and BMI was observed.
For reflector guided surgeries, the use of IOUS was associated with decreased positive margins, by contrast the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ was associated with increased positive margins. There was no statistically significant difference in surgical outcomes for reflector-guided localization compared to wire localizations of the breast.
The aim of this study is to evaluate factors contributing to positive surgical margins associated with reflector guidance for patients undergoing breast conserving therapy for malignancy. We retrospectively reviewed 254 cases of Scout device pre-surgical localizations. There is a statistically significant decrease in the positive surgical margins with concomitant use of intraoperative ultrasound but increase in positive margins with the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ. These results add new information with regard to achieving better surgical outcomes for breast conserving surgery to treat breast cancer.
We investigate the clinical history, past medical history, and risk status in women with benign intraductal papillomas(IDP). We observed an upgrade rate of 3.9% to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and ...upgrade rate of 10.7% to a high‐risk lesion. Prior or concurrent atypia or cancer and high‐risk status had a significant increase risk of upgrade. Surgical excision of papillomas is recommended especially in high‐risk patients and women with concurrent or history of atypia or malignancy.
Many states have mandated breast density notification and insurance coverage for additional screening; yet, the association between such legislation and stage of diagnosis for breast cancer is ...unclear. This study investigates this association and examines the differential impacts among different age and race/ethnicity subgroups.
The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried to identify patients with breast cancer aged 40–74 years diagnosed between 2005 and 2016. Using a difference-in-differences multinomial logistic model, the odds of being diagnosed at different stages of cancer relative to the localized stage depending on legislation and individual characteristics were examined. Analyses were conducted in 2020–2021.
The study included 689,641 cases. Overall, the impact of notification legislation was not significant, whereas insurance coverage legislation was associated with 6% lower odds (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.91, 0.96) of being diagnosed at the regional stage. The association between insurance coverage legislation and stage of diagnosis was even stronger among women aged 40–49 years, with 11% lower odds (OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.82, 0.96) of being diagnosed at the regional stage and 12% lower odds (OR=0.88, 95% CI=0.81, 0.96) of being diagnosed at the distant stage. Hispanic women benefited from notification laws, with 11% lower odds (OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.82, 0.97) of being diagnosed at distant stage. Neither notification nor supplemental screening insurance coverage legislation showed a substantial impact on Black women.
The findings imply that improving insurance coverage is more important than being notified overall. Raising awareness is important among Hispanic women; improving communication about dense breasts and access to screening might be more important than legislation among Black women.
Objective
Five-year overall survival rate of breast cancer in low-income countries (LICs) is significantly lower than in high-resource countries. This study explored clinical and pathological factors ...influencing mortality in the Eastern region of Ghana.
Methods
We performed a retrospective medical chart review for patients undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer at a regional hospital in Ghana from January 2014 to January 2017. Descriptive and survival analysis was done.
Results
One hundred and twenty-nine patients were included in the study. The median age at presentation was 51 years. Sixty percent of patients presented with poorly differential histological grade III. The most common histological type was invasive ductal carcinoma (83%). Based on stage assessment using only tumor size and lymph node status, 60% presented at stage 3. Only 25% were tested for hormone receptor proteins and HER2 status. Of these, 57% had triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The 3-year overall survival rate was only 52%.
Conclusion
The cumulative 3-year survival was 52%. Despite success in reducing cancer mortality in northern Africa, survival in sub-Saharan Africa remains poor. A significantly higher percentage of GIII and TNBC is found in breast cancers seen in Ghana. When combined with limited capacity for accurate diagnosis, cancer subtype analysis, adequate therapy, and follow-up, late-stage presentation leads to poor outcomes. Future studies should emphasize the identification of barriers to care and opportunities for cost-effective and sustainable improvements in diagnosing and treating breast cancer in LICs.
The clinical decision to excise intraductal papilloma (IDP) without atypia diagnosed on biopsy remains controversial. We sought to establish clinical and histologic predictors (if any) which may ...predict upgrade in IDP. 296 biopsies (in 278 women) with histologic diagnosis of IDP without atypia were retrospectively identified and placed into Incidental (no corresponding imaging correlate), or Non-incidental (positive imaging correlate) groups. 253/296 (85.5%) cases were non-incidental, and 43/296 (14.5%) were incidental. 73.1% (185/253) non-incidental and 48.8% (21/43) incidental cases underwent excision. 12.4% (23/185) non-incidental cases underwent an upgrade to cancer or high-risk lesion; namely 8-Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), 8-atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), 6-lobular neoplasia, and 1-flat epithelial atypia. There was no histopathologic feature on the biopsy in the non-incidental group which predicted upgrade; however a past history of atypia was significantly associated with upgrade. 2 of the 21 incidental cases upgraded (1 to ADH and 1 to lobular neoplasia); the former had a past history of ADH. Both incidental upgrades were >1 mm in size, and were not completely excised on the biopsy. None of the incidental cases which appeared completely excised on biopsy upgraded, irrespective of the size on biopsy. These findings suggest that all non-incidental IDPs should be considered candidates for surgical excision, given the 12.4% upgrade rate and no definitive histologic predictors of upgrade. Patients with incidental IDPs (if <1 mm, completely excised on biopsy and with no history of high risk breast lesion) can be spared excision.
•Non-incidental papillomas without atypia should undergo surgical excision.•No histologic features predict upgrade in non-incidental IDPs.•Significant breast history predicts upgrade in non-incidental IDPs.•Incidental IDP (<1 mm, completely excised, no breast history) may be spared excision.•“Completely excised or not” to be reported on biopsy for all incidental IDPs.
•The role and efficacy of chemotherapy in angiosarcoma treatment remains uncertain.•Doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cisplatin may be an effective alternative to surgery.•Chemotherapy may limit the need ...for debilitating, radical excision in extremity.•Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may increase chances of curative surgery in the breast.
Angiosarcoma is a rare soft tissue malignancy of endothelial cells, generally associated with a poor prognosis. Due to its rarity, randomized trials are difficult to conduct and a consensus on the treatment of angiosarcoma has not been reached. The role, efficacy, and timing of chemotherapy in AS treatment remain uncertain, and as stated, no large-scale trials have been able to establish definitive recommendations.
Here we describe the successful use of chemotherapy followed by radiation for a case of lower extremity angiosarcoma, and a case of breast angiosarcoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection. Systemic therapy consisted of weekly doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cisplatin. This regimen resulted in a full clinical remission in the first patient and a pathologic complete response in the second.
These cases suggest that the use of the doxorubicin, cisplatin and paclitaxel combination could be an effective alternative to radical surgical excision in extremity sarcomas, and an effective adjuvant treatment to mastectomy in cutaneous radiation-associated angiosarcoma of the breast due to their independent efficacy against angiosarcoma. A randomized trial utilizing neoadjuvant combined doxorubicin, paclitaxel and cisplatin followed by either surgery or radiation, with endpoints assessing pathologic and overall response as well as progression free survival is warranted based on these cases.
The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of angiosarcoma should be reconsidered considering its ability to provide important prognostic information and improve the likelihood of curative surgery.
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