High-volume Facilities Research Articles

Treatment at high-volume facilities and academic centers in relation to overall survival in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer: A National Cancer Database analysis

392 Background: Numerous studies have shown that treatment at a high volume facility (HVF) for patients (pts) with pancreatic cancer is associated with improved outcomes, particularly with pancreatectomy. In fact, a recent study showed that pts undergoing a pancreatectomy at an academic center (AC) is independently associated with improved outcomes. However, the role of chemotherapy (CT) and radiation (RT) in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) at HVF and AC, to our knowledge, has not been studied. Herein, we investigate the benefit of treatment at HVF and AC compared to low volume facilities (LVF) and non-academic centers (NAC) with CT or chemoradiation (CRT) in pts with LAPC. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was utilized to identify LAPC patients treated at all facility types. All patients were treated with CT or CRT. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) Cox regression were performed to identify the impact of HVF and AC on overall survival (OS) when compared to LVF and NAC, respectively. HVF was defined as the top 5% of facilities by number of pts treated. Results: From 2004 – 2014, a total of 10139 pts were identified. The median age was 66 years (range 22-90) with median follow up of 48.8 months (46-52.1 months); 49.9% were male and 50.1% female. All pts had clinical stage 3/T4 disease irrespective of nodal metastases. Of these, 4779 pts were treated at an AC and 5260 were treated at a NAC and 588 were treated at HVF and 9551 were treated at LVF. On UVA, age, high median income, high education level, comorbidities, and recent year of diagnosis were associated with improved OS. ACs were associated with improved OS when compared to non-AC (HR 0.92 95% CI 0.88 – 0.96, p = 0.004), as were HVF when compared to LVH (HR 0.84 95% CI 0.76 – 0.92, p < 0.001). Odds ratio for undergoing surgical resection at HVF and AC was 1.68 and 1.37 (p < 0.001), respectively, when compared to LVF and NAC. Conclusions: The treatment of LAPC patients with CT or CRT at an AC led to significantly improved rate of surgical resection and OS. In the absence of prospective data, these results support the referral of pts with LAPC to HVF and/or AC for evaluation and treatment.

Predictors of rectal cancer resection at high-volume hospitals among Medicare patients.

808 Background: Hospitals that perform high volumes of rectal cancer resections achieve superior rates of sphincter preservation and survival compared to those that do not, but many rectal cancer resections are still performed in low-volume centers. We aimed to determine the patient, provider and pathway characteristics associated with receipt of surgery from high-volume hospitals. Methods: Patient and provider characteristics were extracted from the SEER-Medicare database for Medicare beneficiaries (age 66+) with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma diagnosed 2007-2011 who received rectal cancer-directed surgery. Hospitals were divided into quartiles by volume of rectal cancer resections, and were also classified by NCI cancer center designation. Results: 2056 patients were included, and 57% received surgery in a high-volume hospital or NCI-designated center. Those residing in census tracts classified as rural and having higher median incomes, lower poverty, and higher levels of education more frequently received surgery in high-volume hospitals; there were no differences by age, gender, stage, or co-morbidity status. 55% of patients received surgery at the same facility where they received the colonoscopy that identified their cancer. In multivariate analyses, the strongest predictor of receiving one’s surgery in a high-volume hospital was receipt of colonoscopy at a high-volume facility (OR = 3.75, 95% CI: 2.93-4.79). Those treated in high-volume hospitals more often had guideline-recommended staging (TRUS/MRI) and treatment (neoadjuvant chemoradiation). Conclusions: Rectal cancer patients tended to stay at the facility where their cancer was diagnosed; and did not typically seek out high-volume providers if their colonoscopy was performed in a low-volume facility. This suggests that colonoscopists may have substantial influence over where patients receive surgery. Given that rurality, income and education appear to more strongly predict receipt of surgery at a high-volume hospital compared to clinical characteristics, further research is needed to understand considerations driving patient decisions and referring providers’ recommendations for care.

Loss to follow-up before and after initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV facilities in Lilongwe, Malawi.

IntroductionAlthough several studies have explored factors associated with loss to follow-up (LTFU) from HIV care, there remains a gap in understanding how these factors vary by setting, volume of patient and patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics. We determined rates and factors associated with LTFU in HIV care Lilongwe, Malawi.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of HIV-infected individuals aged 15 years or older at the time of registration for HIV care in 12 ART facilities, between April 2012 and March 2013. HIV-positive individuals who had not started ART (pre-ART patients) were clinically assessed to determine ART eligibility at registration and during clinic follow-up visits. ART-eligible patients were initiated on triple antiretroviral combination. Study data were abstracted from patients’ cards, facility ART registers or electronic medical record system from the date of registration for HIV care to a maximum follow-up period of 24 months. Descriptive statistics were undertaken to summarize characteristics of the study patients. Separate univariable and multivariable poisson regression models were used to explore factors associated with LTFU in pre-ART and ART care.ResultsA total of 10,812 HIV-infected individuals registered for HIV care. Of these patients, 1,907 (18%) and 8,905 (82%) enrolled in pre-ART and ART care, respectively. Of the 1,907 pre-ART patients, 490 (26%) subsequently initiated ART and were included in both the pre-ART and ART analyses. The LTFU rates among patients in pre-ART and ART care were 48 and 26 per 100 person-years, respectively. Of the 9,105 ART patients with reasons for starting ART, 2,451 (27%) were initiated on ART because of pregnancy or breastfeeding (Option B+) status. Multivariable analysis showed that being ≥35 years and female were associated with decreased risk of LTFU in the pre-ART and ART phases of HIV care. However, being in WHO clinical stage 3 (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–1.51) and stage 4 (aRR 1.87, 95% CI: 1.62–2.18), body mass index ≤ 18.4 (aRR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.11–1.39) at ART initiation, poor adherence to clinic appointments (aRR 4.55, 95% CI: 4.16–4.97) and receiving HIV care in rural facilities (aRR 2.32, 95% CI: 1.94–2.87) were associated with increased risk of LTFU among ART patients. Being re-initiated on ART once (aRR 0.20, 95% CI: 0.17–0.22), more than once (aRR 0.06, 95% CI: 0.05–0.07), and being enrolled at a low-volume facility (aRR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.20–0.30) were associated with decreased risk of LTFU from ART care.ConclusionA sizeable proportion of ART LTFU occurred among women enrolled during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Non- compliance to clinic and receiving ART in a rural facility or high-volume facility were associated with increased risk of LTFU from ART care. Developing effective interventions that target high-risk subgroups and contexts may help reduce LTFU from HIV care.

Heuristic Algorithm for a WIP Projection Problem at Finite Capacity in Semiconductor Manufacturing

In this paper, we propose a heuristic approach for fixing work-in-progress (WIP) projection issues in the semiconductor industry especially for high mix low volume facilities. The considered problem consists of estimating the start and end dates for each remaining process step of the production lots in the WIP and anticipating the fab loading taking into account the constraints of the maximum throughput of machines considered as capacity constraints and customer delivery commitments. The objective being to guarantee on-time delivery, we focus on minimizing the total weighted tardiness. We have formulated the problem into a mixed-integer programming and we have empirically shown its computational intractability. Due to the computational intractability using actual production data, a heuristic algorithm is proposed. It is an iterative finite capacity planning system that considers as inputs lots due dates and equipment capabilities and capacities. The performance of the heuristic is assessed using industrial instances. It turns out that it achieves targeted objectives with satisfactory results in terms of quality of the solution and computation time.

Association Between Treatment at High-Volume Facilities and Improved Overall Survival in Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare malignancies that require complex multidisciplinary management. Therefore, facilities with high sarcoma case volume may demonstrate superior outcomes. We hypothesized that STS treatment at high-volume (HV) facilities would be associated with improved overall survival (OS). Patients aged ≥18years with nonmetastatic STS treated with surgery and radiation therapy at a single facility from 2004 through 2013 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Facilities were dichotomized into HV and low-volume (LV) cohorts based on total case volume over the study period. OS was assessed using multivariable Cox regression with propensity score-matching. Patterns of care were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Of 9025 total patients, 1578 (17%) and 7447 (83%) were treated at HV and LV facilities, respectively. On multivariable analysis, high educational attainment, larger tumor size, higher grade, and negative surgical margins were statistically significantly associated with treatment at HV facilities; conversely, black race and non-metropolitan residence were negative predictors of treatment at HV facilities. On propensity score-matched multivariable analysis, treatment at HV facilities versus LV facilities was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.87, 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.95; P = .001). Older age, lack of insurance, greater comorbidity, larger tumor size, higher tumor grade, and positive surgical margins were associated with statistically significantly worse OS. In this observational cohort study using the National Cancer Database, receipt of surgery and radiation therapy at HV facilities was associated with improved OS in patients with STS. Potential sociodemographic disparities limit access to care at HV facilities for certain populations. Our findings highlight the importance of receipt of care at HV facilities for patients with STS and warrant further study into improving access to care at HV facilities.

The Impact of Academic Facility Type and Case Volume on Survival in Patients Undergoing Curative Radiation Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Bladder-preserving curative radiation therapy (RT) has been established as an excellent treatment option for select patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). However, some clinicians have concerns that good outcomes are only achievable at high-volume facilities (HVFs) and academic centers (ACs), questioning successful reproducibility of curative RT at smaller centers. This study sought to determine whether treatment at ACs or HVFs was associated with better overall survival (OS) than treatment at nonacademic centers or lower-volume facilities. We performed a retrospective cohort study of National Cancer Database patients (n=2763) with cT2 to cT4 N0 M0 transitional cell MIBC who received curative RT (60-70Gy) with or without concurrent chemotherapy.Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the instantaneous hazard of death as a function of univariate and multivariate patient characteristics and clinical measures. Univariate analysis showed that academic facility type was significantly associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79-0.98; P=.02) whereas higher case volume was not associated with improved survival (HR, 0.97; 95% CI 0.92-1.01; P=.15). Multivariate analysis showed no differences in OS for treatment at ACs versus nonacademic centers (HR, 0.94; 95% CI 0.84-1.06; P=.31) or HVFs versus lower-volume facilities (HR, 0.99; 95% CI 0.94-1.04; P=.60). The 2-year OS rate was 54.5% (95% CI 52.5%-56.4%), and the 5-year OS rate was 28.9% (95% CI 27.0%-30.8%). Although some providers are cautious about offering curative RT at all centers, this large hospital-based study suggests that facility type and volume are not significantly associated with OS for patients undergoing curative RT after we account for other clinically relevant risk factors. The results of this study demonstrate that curative RT in the treatment of MIBC may be considered for patients regardless of facility type or volume.

Do higher-volume hospitals provide better value in revision hip and knee arthroplasty?

The purpose of this study is to determine if higher volume hospitals have lower costs in revision hip and knee arthroplasty. We questioned the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Inpatient Charge Data and identified 789 hospitals performing a total of 29 580 revision arthroplasties in 2014. Centres were dichotomised into high-volume (performing over 50 revision cases per year) and low-volume. Mean total hospital-specific charges and inpatient payments were obtained from the database and stratified based on Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) codes. Patient satisfaction scores were obtained from the multiyear CMS Hospital Compare database. High-volume hospitals comprised 178 (30%) of the total but performed 15 068 (51%) of all revision cases, including 509 of 522 (98%) of the most complex DRG 466 cases. While high-volume hospitals had higher Medicare inpatient payments for DRG 467 ($21 458 versus $20632, p = 0.038) and DRG 468 ($17 003 versus $16 120, p = 0.011), there was no difference in hospital specific charges between the groups. Higher-volume facilities had a better CMS hospital star rating (3.63 versus 3.35, p < 0.001). When controlling for hospital geographic and demographic factors, high-volume revision hospitals are less likely to be in the upper quartile of inpatient Medicare costs for DRG 467 (odds ratio (OR) 0.593, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.374 to 0.941, p = 0.026) and DRG 468 (OR 0.451, 95% CI 0.297 to 0.687, p<0.001). While a high-volume hospital is less likely to be a high cost outlier, the higher mean Medicare reimbursements at these facilities may be due to increased case complexity. Further study should focus on measures for cost savings in revision total joint arthroplasties. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1611-17.

Incidence and outcomes of thoracic aortic injuries with regionalized care in a mature trauma system

IntroductionThoracic aortic injury is a leading cause of death after blunt trauma, but the effect of trauma system organization on outcomes is undefined. This was an analysis of thoracic aortic injury in a state with a comprehensive trauma system.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of thoracic aortic injury in Maryland between 2009 and 2014 using a statewide inpatient admission database. Presence of thoracic aortic injury and open or endovascular aortic interventions were identified by International Classification of Diseases version 9 codes. Patients were compared by admitting hospital status, categorized as Level I or non-Level I trauma centers. Outcomes were overall inpatient mortality and death after aortic repair.ResultsOf 774,211 injured patients, 168 (0.02%) had thoracic aortic injury. Patients with thoracic aortic injury were younger, more often male, and were more severely injured than patients without thoracic aortic injury. The majority of patients (136, 81%) were admitted to Level I trauma centers; Level I and non-Level I patients had similar characteristics. Most patients (110, 65%) were managed non-operatively, but patients admitted to Level I facilities were more likely to undergo aortic repair. Overall and post-operative mortality rates were lower at Level I hospitals (22% versus 31% and 6% versus 17%, respectively), but these differences did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionThis novel analysis indicates thoracic aortic injury management in Maryland is highly concentrated at Level I trauma centers, which was associated with mortality below previously reported national rates. Although limited by small sample size, these findings suggest a benefit to regionalized care for patients with thoracic aortic injury and support transfer to high-volume facilities for definitive management.

Survival in patients with primary dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: National Cancer Database analysis.

The predictors of mortality, second surgery, and postoperative radiation therapy for treating dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) are not well described. We sought to determine the impact of patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment site and modality on survival after primary DFSP. A retrospective analysis of data from the National Cancer Database was performed for patients diagnosed with DFSP during 2003-2012. A total of 5249 cases were identified. Of these, 3.1% of patients died during an average of 51.4months of follow-up. After adjusting for relevant factors, lack of insurance, Medicaid and Medicare insurance, anaplastic histology, and positive postoperative margins all predicted mortality, while treatment at an Integrated Network Cancer Program predicted survival (P<.05). Higher odds of postoperative radiation therapy were directly associated with large tumor size, anaplastic and poorly differentiated histology, and positive postoperative margins and inversely associated with treatment at high volume facilities, and non-head and neck tumors. Higher second surgery rates were associated with Hispanic ethnicity, and lower rates were associated with female sex. Survival data was not cancer-specific. Better understanding of factors affecting survival outcomes might help improve management of DFSP and delineate other potential causes of increased morbidity and mortality.

Pediatric thyroid cancer patients referred to high-volume facilities have improved short-term outcomes

BackgroundThyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy in children, albeit still rare. This study sought to measure the association between outcomes and case volume of the treatment facility for pediatric patients with thyroid cancer. MethodsThe National Cancer Data Base (1998–2011) was queried for all pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years) with thyroid cancer. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic features were evaluated for all patients. Case volume of the treating facility was defined as the number of pediatric thyroid cancer patients at that facility during the study period. Restricted cubic spline modeling was used to determine a volume threshold associated with decreased risk of 30-day readmission. Patients were assigned to volume groups based on this threshold. Logistic regression was utilized to estimate the effect of volume on 30-day readmission. ResultsIn total, 4,466 patients met inclusion criteria. The majority were girls (79.1%), white (86.1%), and underwent total thyroidectomy (86.9%). Compared with patients treated at the low-volume facilities, those treated at the high-volume facilities were more likely to have medullary thyroid cancer (10.7% versus 3.7%) and undergo total thyroidectomy (90.8% versus 86.3%) (all P < .01). After adjustment, treatment at low-volume facilities was associated with an increased likelihood of readmission after operative treatment (odds ratio = 3.52, P = .01). ConclusionPediatric patients with thyroid cancer treated at low-volume facilities are more likely to be readmitted after thyroid surgery than patients treated at high-volume facilities. Providers should consider the case volume status at the treating facility when referring these children for thyroid surgery.

Association of Treatment at High-Volume Facilities With Survival in Patients Receiving Chemoradiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Using the National Cancer Database, this study examines the association of treatment at high-volume facilities with survival in patients receiving chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer.

Web-Based Tool to Facilitate Shared Decision Making With Regard to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Use in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Level 1 evidence supports the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), but observational data demonstrate that this approach is underused. A barrier to shared decision making is difficulty in predicting and communicating survival estimates after cystectomy with or without NAC. We included patients with MIBC from the National Cancer Database treated with cystectomy. A state-transition model was constructed for calculating 5-year death risk using baseline patient-, tumor-, and facility-level variables. Internal-external cross-validation by geographic region was performed. The effect of NAC was integrated using a literature-derived hazard ratio. Bladder cancer-specific and other-cause mortality was estimated from all-cause mortality rates from US life tables. From the state-transition model, a Web-based tool was developed and pilot usability testing performed. A total of 9,824 patients with MIBC who underwent cystectomy were eligible for inclusion. Median overall survival was 39.6 months (95% CI, 37.4 to 42.4 months). Increasing age, higher clinical T stage, higher comorbidity index, and black race were associated with shorter survival. Private insurance, higher income, and cystectomy at a high-volume facility were associated with longer survival. The prediction model was well calibrated across geographic regions, with observed-to-predicted 5-year death risks ranging from 0.85 to 1.17. Absolute risk reductions with NAC varied from 8.6% to 10.1%. The Web-based tool allowed input of the predictor variables and a user-defined hazard ratio associated with the effect of NAC to generate individualized survival estimates. The tool demonstrated good usability with clinicians. A Web-based tool was developed to individualize outcome prediction and communication in patients with MIBC treated with cystectomy with or without NAC to facilitate shared decision making.

How Kabarole Hospital in western Uganda saved mothers’ lives through team-based problem-solving

Globally, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has declined in recent years, with 99% of maternal deaths occurring in developing countries. Most (75%) maternal deaths are due to severe bleeding, infections, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, complications of obstructed and prolonged labour, and unsafe abortions.1 In 2013 in Uganda, the MMR was 360 per 100 000 live births compared with 210 per 100 000 live births globally.2 3 Kabarole Hospital, a private, not-for-profit general hospital in Kabarole District, was among the high-volume facilities prioritised by the United States Agency for International Development Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems Project for a maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) quality improvement (QI) initiative in four districts of Western Uganda. The aim of the initiative was to contribute to a reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity by 50% in four districts of western Uganda including Kabarole Hospital. In May 2013, maternity staff at Kabarole Hospital were trained in QI methods applied to maternal and newborn care. In June 2013, a QI team of 10 members was formed, composed of the head of nursing (responsible for resource allocation), the medical officer assigned to the MNCH Department (provided technical oversight), the head of the MNCH Department (leader of the MNCH QI team), five midwives (provided MNCH services), the records officer (conducted data analysis and reporting), the laboratory technician (conducted laboratory investigations) and the storekeeper responsible for ordering allocation of drugs and supplies. This team started analysing their processes of care using data summarised from the maternity and antenatal registers and client charts onto a weekly summary sheet developed by the improvement team. The summary sheet contained variables such as number of clients seen per week, number of clients with obstetric complications, management of these complications and the outcome of each obstetric complication. The team recognised …

The Association between Mortality and Distance to Treatment Facility in Patients with Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Regionalization of bladder cancer treatment is suggested to improve quality of care. As an unintended consequence some patients travel farther for care with unknown implications on outcomes. We characterized the relationship between distance and overall mortality in patients with invasive bladder cancer and those who underwent radical cystectomy. We performed a retrospective cohort study using NCDB (National Cancer Database) from 2004 to 2012 to identify patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (cT2a-T4 N0 M0). We also extracted a subgroup of patients who underwent radical cystectomy. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed in each group, controlling for demographic, clinical, hospital and geographic factors. For 34,729 patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer traveling farther for treatment was associated with a lower probability of overall mortality (referent less than 12.5 miles, 12.5 to 49.9 miles HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.99 and 50 to 249.9 miles HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.96). This was significant for patients with cT2 disease and those treated at academic centers (p ≤0.05). For 11,059 patients who underwent radical cystectomy this trend did not reach significance. However, longer distance was associated with surgery at a high volume institution and receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (each p <0.001). Patients who traveled farther for bladder cancer treatment did not experience inferior survival outcomes and traveling to academic institutions was associated with reduced mortality. For patients who undergo cystectomy this relationship was equivocal, although longer distance was associated with receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy or surgery at a high volume facility. These findings may reflect a complex association of regionalization of bladder cancer care with patient individual health and health care seeking behavior.

Ninety-Day Morbidity and Mortality in Risk-Screened and Optimized Patients Undergoing Two-Team Fast-Track Simultaneous Bilateral TKA Compared With Unilateral TKA—A Prospective Study

BackgroundSimultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SBTKA) offers significant socioeconomic benefits. However, retrospective studies and public health data show increased mortality and morbidity rates in patients undergoing SBTKA compared with those undergoing unilateral TKA (UTKA), and there have been recommendations against the use of SBTKA. High-volume centers, which feature careful patient selection and fast-tracked surgery, continue to perform SBTKA and have published their results in favor of the procedure. However, the quality of evidence remains poor. MethodsWe prospectively examined 90-day morbidity and mortality of SBTKA compared with UTKA in risk-screened and optimized patients in our high-volume joint replacement facility. A total of 1200 consecutive patients were recruited in each arm. ResultsNinety-day mortality was higher in SBTKA patients than in UTKA patients (0.58% vs 0.42%, respectively; P = .5646). Overall procedure-related complications were significantly higher in the SBTKA group (7.25% vs 4.42%, respectively; P = .0034). The relative risk of cardiovascular complications in SBTKA patients was 6.5 times higher than that in UTKA patients (1.08% vs 0.17%, respectively; P = .0136). Neurological complications were 9.5 times more common in the SBTKA group (1.58% vs 0.17%, respectively; P = .0024). All other complications were comparable in the 2 groups. ConclusionRisk screening and preoperative optimization reduce mortality and overall complication rates in SBTKA patients; however, overall procedure-related complications, specifically cardiovascular and neurological, remain significantly high in SBTKA patients, for which a guarded approach is recommended.

Effects of Facility Volume on Pathologic Complete Response and Overall Survival in Patients With Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Receiving Trimodality Therapy

The standard of care for resectable locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma is tri-modality therapy. We hypothesize that centers with more expertise in delivering all aspects of neoadjuvant treatment consisting of chemoradiation followed by surgical resection at the same high volume facility may have improved outcomes, potentially through an increase in rates of pathologic complete response (pCR). The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients undergoing tri-modality therapy at a single institution from 2004-2014. These patients received multiagent chemotherapy and radiation followed by surgery at the same Commission on Cancer facility. Facility volume was categorized into halves, as either a high (HVC) or low volume center (LVC), based on the treatment incidence and unique facility identifiers. Predictors of overall survival (OS) were analyzed with univariate and multivariate methods using Kaplan-Meier (compared via log-rank) and Cox proportional hazards analysis. We identified 2268 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma in the NCDB. Median follow-up was 25.6 months. Patients who underwent tri-modality therapy at HVCs had an improvement in 3 year OS (53% vs. 46%) and estimated median survival (41 vs. 31 months, p=0.006), when compared to LVCs on univariate analysis (UVA). On multivariate analysis (MVA), HVC continued to predict for OS (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.48-0.81, p<0.001). Other factor significantly affecting OS on MVA included female gender (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.70, p<0.001). There was a trend towards improved survival for patients treated at Comprehensive Community Cancer Centers (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.10-1.00, p=0.052) and Academic Comprehensive Cancer Centers (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.11-1.13, p=0.080). pCR was significantly associated with survival on UV (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.61, p<0.001) and MV analysis (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.36-0.60, p<0.001). Patients with a pCR had improvement in their 3 year OS (60% vs. 36%) and estimated median survival (61 vs. 25 months) on UVA (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in percentage of patients with pCR based on high vs. low facility volume, 38.0% and 37.7% respectively (p=0.931). There was no significant difference in 30 or 90 day mortality after surgery between high and low volume centers (p=0.210 and p=0.080). This NCDB analysis is the first of its kind in esophageal adenocarcinoma to demonstrate significant effect on facility volume of tri-modality therapy on overall survival. High volume centers are associated with a significantly improved overall survival. This survival difference is not explained by a difference in pathologic complete response rates or 30 and 90 day post-surgery mortality.

The Survival Impact of Treatment at High-Volume Facilities for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

The Survival Impact of Treatment at High-Volume Facilities for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Facility Volume and Survival in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Definitive treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is challenging owing to its rarity, complicated regional anatomy, and the intensity of therapy. In contrast to other head and neck cancers, the effect of facility volume has not been well described for NPC. The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with stage II-IVB NPC diagnosed from 2004 to 2014 and treated with definitive radiation. Patients with incomplete staging, unknown receipt or timing of treatment, unknown follow-up duration, incomplete socioeconomic information, or treatment outside the reporting facility were excluded. High-volume facilities (HVFs) were defined as the top 5% of facilities according to the annual facility volume. The present analysis included 3941 NPC patients treated at 804 facilities with a median follow-up duration of 59.4 months, including 1025 patients (26.0%) treated at HVFs. Treatment at HVFs was associated with significantly improved overall survival (OS) on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.69-0.90; P=.001). In propensity score-matched cohorts, 5-year OS was 69.1% versus 63.3% at HVFs versus lower volume facilities (LVFs), respectively (P=.003). Similar results were seen when facility volume was analyzed as a continuous variable. The effect of facility volume on survival varied by academic status (P=.002 for interaction). At academic centers, the propensity score-matched cohorts had 5-year OS of 71.4% compared with 62.4% (P<.001) at HVFs and LVFs, respectively. In contrast, the 5-year OS was 63.5% versus 67.9% (P=.68) in propensity score-matched patients at nonacademic HVFs and LVFs. Treatment at HVFs was associated with improved OS for patients with NPC, with the effect exclusively seen at academic centers.

Gaps in monitoring systems for Implanon NXT services in South Africa: An assessment of 12 facilities in two districts

Background. Implanon NXT, a long-acting subdermal contraceptive implant, was introduced in South Africa (SA) in early 2014 as part of an expanded contraceptive method mix. After initial high levels of uptake, reports emerged of frequent early removals and declines in use. Monitoring of progress and challenges in implant service delivery could identify aspects of the programme that require strengthening. Objectives. To assess data management and record keeping within implant services at primary care facilities. Methods. We developed a checklist to assess the tools used for monitoring implant services and data reporting to district offices. The checklist was piloted in seven facilities. An additional six high-volume and six low-volume implant insertion clinics in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), Gauteng Province, and the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, North West Province, were selected for assessment. Results. All 12 facilities completed a Daily Head Count Register, which tallied the number of clients attending the clinic, but not information about implant use. A more detailed Tick Register recorded services that clinic attendees received, with nine documenting number of implant insertions and six implant removals. A more specific tool, an Insertion Checklist, collected data on insertion procedures and client characteristics, but was only used in CoJ (five of six facilities). Other registers, which were developed de novo by staff at individual facilities, captured more detailed information about insertions and removals, including reasons. Five of six low-volume insertion facilities used these registers, but only three of six high-volume facilities. No facilities used the form specifically developed by the National Department of Health for implant pharmacovigilance. Nine of 12 clinics reported data on numbers of insertions to the district office, six reported removals and none provided data on reasons for removals. Conclusion. For data to inform effective decision-making and quality improvement in implant services in SA, standardised reporting guidelines and data collection tools are needed, reinforced by staff training and quality assessment of data collection. Staff often took the initiative to fill gaps in reporting systems. Current systems are unable to accurately monitor uptake or discontinuation, or identify aspects of services requiring strengthening. Lack of pharmacovigilance data is especially concerning. Deficiencies noted in these monitoring systems may be common to family planning services more broadly, which warrants investigation.

Variation in the use of active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer.

This study assessed the use of active surveillance in men with low-risk prostate cancer and evaluated institutional factors associated with the receipt of active surveillance. A retrospective, hospital-based cohort of 115,208 men with low-risk prostate cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 was used. Multivariate and mixed effects models were used to examine variation and factors associated with active surveillance. During the study period, the use of active surveillance increased from 6.8% in 2010 to 19.9% in 2014 (estimated annual percentage change, +28.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], + 19.6% to + 38.7%; P = .002). The adjusted probability of active-surveillance receipt by institution was highly variable. Compared with patients treated at comprehensive community cancer centers, patients treated at community cancer programs (odds ratio [OR], 2.00; 95% CI, 1.50-2.67; P < .001) and academic institutions (OR, 2.47; 95%, CI, 1.81-3.37; P < .001) had higher odds of receiving active surveillance. Compared with patients treated at very low-volume facilities, patients treated at very high-volume facilities had higher odds of receiving active surveillance (OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 1.94-6.55; P < .001). Patient and hospital characteristics accounted for 60.2% of the overall variation, whereas the treating institution accounted for 91.5% of the unexplained variability. Within this hospital-based cohort, the use of active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer increased significantly over time. Significant variation was found in the use of active surveillance. Most of the variation was attributable to facility-related factors such as the facility type, facility volume, and institution. Policies to achieve consistent and higher rates of active surveillance, when appropriate, should be a priority of professional societies and patient advocacy groups. Cancer 2018;124:55-64. © 2017 American Cancer Society.