Editor's Note Preliminary research shows removing breasts or ovaries can significantly improve survival and reduce recurrence risk in young breast cancer patients with BRCA mutations, HealthDay reported December 13. The findings were presented this week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. According to the article, researchers analyzed data from…

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Editor's Note Findings from The ARRC II study show using advanced recovery room care (ARRC) for medium-risk surgical patients significantly reduces 18-month postoperative mortality compared to standard ward care. As detailed in a December 11 research letter in JAMA Surgery, this benefit appears linked to minimizing early postoperative complications, which…

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Editor's Note Bariatric surgery programs nationwide have reported a 20-25% decline in surgical volumes over the past year amid the rising use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications for obesity, OR Management News reported Dec 2. Although the connection between the decline and the popularity of the drugs cannot be definitively…

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Editor's Note Older cancer patients undergoing major abdominal procedures at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island, significantly benefitted from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program, Medical Xpress reported December 10. Citing a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons,…

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Editor's Note A 53-year-old woman with end-stage kidney failure became the first living person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney in a milestone surgery at NYU Langone Health, NPR reported December 17. Although the experimental procedure marks significant progress toward addressing organ shortages, it also drew commentary on ongoing…

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Editor's Note The Leapfrog Group has announced its 2024 Top Hospital and Top Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Award recipients December 17, honoring facilities for standout performance in patient safety and care quality. This year, the national employer watchdog organization named 134 hospitals and 31 ASCs as winners of the national…

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Editor's Note Active monitoring for certain breast cancer patients offers similar outcomes to surgery with fewer side effects, according to research detailed in a December 16 article from Oncology News Central. Presented at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published in JAMA, The COMET trial supports the safety…

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Editor's Note Skipping sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with clinically node-negative early breast cancer provides noninferior outcomes compared to undergoing the procedure, MedPage Today reported December 13. Presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the INSEMA trial found…

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Editor's Note Perioperative immunotherapy is reshaping treatment strategies for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable mutations, according to Dr. Roy S. Herbst of Yale Cancer Center. In a recent interview with OncLive, the oncology expert highlighted the promise of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies to improve outcomes for these…

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Editor's Note Efforts to reduce the risk of postoperative delirium in older patients should focus on preoperative evaluation, anesthesia choices, and medication management, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Designed specifically for treating adults aged 65 and older undergoing inpatient surgery, these new, evidence-based recommendations are presented in…

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