Trauma patients in a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center may undergo CT of the abdomen and pelvis with concurrent radiograph during initial evaluation in an attempt to diagnose injury. To determine if plain digital radiograph of the pelvis adds additional information in the initial trauma evaluation when CT of the abdomen and pelvis is also performed, trauma patients who presented to an urban Level I Pediatric Trauma Center between 1 January 2010 and 7 February 2017 in whom pelvic radiograph and CT of the abdomen and pelvis were performed within 24 hours of each other were analyzed. A total of 172 trauma patients had pelvic radiograph and CT exams performed within 24 hours of each other. There were 12 cases in which the radiograph missed pelvic fractures seen on CT and 2 cases in which the radiograph suspected a fracture that was not present on subsequent CT. Furthermore, fractures in the pelvis were missed on pelvic radiographs in 12 of 35 cases identified on CT. Sensitivity of pelvic radiograph in detecting fractures seen on CT was 65.7% with a 95% confidence interval of 47.79-80.87%. Results suggest that there is no added diagnostic information gained from a pelvic radiograph when concurrent CT is also obtained, a practice which exposes the pediatric trauma patient to unnecessary radiation.
year of diagnosis, and absense of LVI predicted for pCR. Using PSM in the subset of patients with adenocarcinoma, the rate of pCR was higher with 50.4 Gy vs. 41.4 Gy (HR 2.1 [95% CI 1.2 e 3.7], pZ0.01).There was no difference in pCR by dose for SCC. No differences in OS were identified between dose cohorts. The median OS increased to 63 mo with pCR vs 33 mo without (p<0.01). Conclusion: Utilization of 41.4 Gy for neoadjuvant CRT increased following publication of the CROSS trial, although rates remain low. 50.4 Gy was associated with higher pCR rate for esophageal adenocarcinoma compared to 41.4 Gy. Prospective studies will be needed to elucidate the optimal radiation dose in this setting.
Purpose/Objective(s): Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine malignancy of the skin with a predilection for aggressive behavior. Previous studies evaluating sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in MCC have shown positivity rates typically ranging from 22% to 48% in clinically N0 patients. The benefit of SLNB has also been well established in other similarly aggressive tumors, such as melanoma. As a result, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is currently recommended for all clinically N0 patients, though its impact remains unclear. The aim of this review was to evaluate for a survival benefit in clinically N0 patients undergoing SLNB. Materials/Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify patients diagnosed with MCC from 2003 through 2012 with skin as the primary site. Patients up to age 75 years were included, provided they underwent a cancer-directed surgery. Patients with positive lymph nodes or distant disease were excluded. Cause-specific survival was then compared in patients who underwent SLNB as opposed to no pathologic nodal evaluation. Results: A total of 603 patients were identified who met the above criteria. Patients undergoing SLNB had a median age of 65 years with a range of 38-75, 59% were male, and 95% were white. With regard to tumor size: 57% were 2 cm, 13% were 2-5 cm, and 30% were >5 cm. In all, 52% of patients received radiation. Patients with no pathologic nodal evaluation had a median age of 68 years with a range of 37-75, 60% were male, and 94% were white. With regard to tumor size, 34% were 2 cm, 19% were 2-5 cm, and 47% were >5 cm. A total of 48% of patients received radiation. Patients undergoing SLNB had an improved 5-year CSS of 91.3% (95% CI 86.4-94.5%) compared to the nonpathologic nodal evaluation group, with a 5-year CSS of 72.5% (95% CI 65.4-78.4%). When analyzing tumors 2cm, the improved outcome was maintained for SLNB patients vs nonpathologic the nodal evaluation group with a 5-year CSS of 94.70% (95% CI 88.4-97.6) compared to 79.3% (95% CI 66.6-87.6%). Conclusion: A CSS advantage was found for patients undergoing SLNB. This advantage remained significant when stratifying for tumors <2 cm. The reason for this advantage is not fully clear but could be in part from decreased false negatives for nodal staging, therapeutic effect of the SLNB, or a result of more complete care. While prospective data are needed to confirm these findings, the rare nature of these tumors renders this a clinical challenge. Regardless, our current findings support the standard of care of SLNB in clinically N0 patients.
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