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BACKGROUND: Colonoscopic screening has increased detection of malignant colonic polyps (MPs). The goal of this study was to analyze trends and patterns in the surgical treatment of MPs and to assess outcomes as measured by lymph node retrieval and patient survival. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry was queried to identify 19,743 patients with MPs from 1988 to 2003. RESULTS: The majority of MPs were present in the sigmoid and descending colon (54%), and 38% were tubular, 40% were tubulovillous, and 22% were villous. During the study period, the incidence of MPs increased from 29% to 42% and surgical resection (SR) was increasingly used for treatment, from 54% to 70%. Predictors of SR were aged <70 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.2-1.4), high-grade tumors (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.9), diagnosis in 1999 through 2003 (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.5-1.9), villous subtype (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 2.0-2.6), and right colon location (OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 7.0-9.4). In patients undergoing SR, the mean and median number of lymph nodes was only 4 and 1, respectively. A significant percentage of patients (49%) had no lymph nodes retrieved and a worse overall survival at 5 years compared with patients who had at least 1 lymph node examined (64% vs 74%; P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: MPs appear to be increasing in incidence, and there is a trend toward increased use of SR for treatment. However, patients undergoing SR for MPs undergo suboptimal assessment of lymph nodes, with a detrimental impact on survival. Adequate lymphadenectomy and lymph node evaluation are crucial to improve outcomes in patients with these potentially curable lesions. Cancer 2011;117:931-7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Little is known about how cancer physicians communicate with limited English proficient (LEP) patients. We studied physician-reported use and availability of interpreters. Data Sources. A 2004 survey was fielded among physicians identified by a population-based sample of breast cancer patients. Three hundred and forty-eight physicians completed mailed surveys (response rate: 77 percent) regarding the structure and organization of care. Study Design and Settings. We used logistic regression to analyze use and availability of interpreters. Principal Findings. Most physicians reported treating LEP patients. Among physicians using interpreters within the last 12 months, 42 percent reported using trained medical interpreters, 21 percent telephone interpreter services, and 75 percent reported using untrained interpreters to communicate with LEP patients. Only one-third of physicians reported good availability of trained medical interpreters or telephone interpreter services when needed. Compared with HMO physicians, physicians in solo practice and single-specialty medical groups were less likely to report using trained medical interpreters or telephone interpreter services, and they were less likely to report good availability of these services. Conclusions. There were important practice setting differences predicting use and availability of trained medical interpreters and telephone interpretation services. These findings may have troubling implications for effective physician–patient communication critically needed during cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Careful selection of bariatric patients is critical for successful outcomes. In 1991, the NIH first established patient selection guidelines; however, some surgeons operate on individuals outside of these criteria, i.e., extreme age groups. We developed appropriateness criteria for the spectrum of patient characteristics including age, BMI, and severity of eight obesity-related comorbidities. Candidate criteria were developed using combinations of patient characteristics including BMI: ≥40 kg/m2, 35–39, 32–34, 30–31, <30; age: 12–18, 19–55, 56–64, 65+ years old; and comorbidities: prediabetes, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, venous stasis disease, chronic joint pain, and gastroesophageal reflux (plus severity level). Criteria were formally validated on their appropriateness of whether the benefits of surgery clearly outweighed the risks, by an expert panel using the RAND/UCLA modified Delphi method. Nearly all comorbidity severity criteria for patients with BMI ≥40 kg/m2 or BMI = 35–39 kg/m2 in intermediate age groups were found to be appropriate for surgery. In contrast, patients in the extreme age categories were considered appropriate surgical candidates under fewer conditions, primarily the more severe comorbidities, such as diabetes and hypertension. For patients with a BMI of 32–34, only the most severe category of diabetes (Hgb A1c >9, on maximal medical therapy), is an appropriate criterion for those aged 19–64, whereas many mild to moderate severity comorbidity categories are “inappropriate.” There is overwhelming agreement among the panelists that the current evidence does not support performing bariatric surgery in lower BMI individuals (BMI <32). This is the first development of appropriateness criteria for bariatric surgery that includes severity categories of comorbidities. Only for the most severe degrees of comorbidities were adolescent and elderly patients deemed appropriate for surgery. Patient selection for bariatric procedures should include consideration of both patient age and comorbidity severity.Obesity (2009) 17 8, 1521–1527. doi:10.1038/oby.2009.78 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on a study which examined the use of laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) in overweight adults in the U.S. According to the authors, there is a potential for bias in the current study. They note the intensiveness of the follow-up schedule compared to the usual post-LAGB care. The authors suggest further study on the long-term benefits and risks of LAGB in lower weight persons. They also point out the need for selective use of LAGB in overweight persons.