Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:Prior studies demonstrated that older adults tend to undergo less surgery for thyroid cancer. Our objective was to use a discrete choice experiment to identify factors influencing surgical decision-making for older adults with thyroid cancer. METHODS:Active and candidate members of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons were invited to participate in a web-based survey. Multinomial logistic regression was utilized to assess patient and surgeon factors associated with treatment choices. RESULTS:Complete survey response rate was 25.7%. Most respondents were high-volume surgeons (88.5%) at academic centers (76.9%). Multinomial logistic regression demonstrated that patient age was the strongest predictor of management. Increasing age and comorbidities were associated with the choice for active surveillance (P = .000), not performing a lymphadenectomy in patients with nodal metastases (relative-risk ratio: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4-4.2, P = .002 and relative-risk ratio: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1, P = .004, respectively), and recommending hemithyroidectomy versus total thyroidectomy for a cancer >4 cm (relative-risk ratio: 4.4, 95% CI: 2.5-7.9, P = .000 and relative-risk ratio: 3.4, 95% CI: 2.3-5.1, P = .000, respectively). Surgeons with ≥10 years of experience (relative-risk ratio: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.1-10.3, P = .039) favored total thyroidectomy for a cancer <4 cm, and nonfellowship trained surgeons (relative-risk ratio: 7.3, 95% CI: 1.3-42.2, P = .027) opted for thyroidectomy without lymphadenectomy for lateral neck nodal metastases. CONCLUSION:This study highlights the variation in surgical management of older adults with thyroid cancer and demonstrates the influence of patient age, comorbidities, surgeon experience, and fellowship training on management of this population.

BACKGROUND:Fine particulate matter (particulate matter with diameter <2.5 µm [PM2.5]) is associated with CKD progression and may impact the health of patients living with kidney failure. While older (aged ≥65 years) adults are most vulnerable to the impact of PM2.5, it is unclear whether older patients on dialysis are at elevated risk of mortality when exposed to fine particulate matter. METHODS:Older adults initiating dialysis (2010-2016) were identified from US Renal Data System (USRDS). PM2.5 concentrations were obtained from NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Application Center (SEDAC) Global Annual PM2.5 Grids. We investigated the association between PM2.5 and all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazard models with linear splines [knot at the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 of 12 μg/m3] and robust variance. RESULTS:For older dialysis patients who resided in areas with high PM2.5, a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with 1.16-fold (95% CI: 1.08-1.25) increased risk of mortality; furthermore, those who were female (aHR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.13-1.42), Black (aHR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.09-1.59), or had diabetes as a primary cause of kidney failure (aHR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.13-1.38) were most vulnerable to high PM2.5. While the mortality risk associated with PM2.5 was stronger at higher levels (aHR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.08-1.32), at lower levels (≤12 μg/m3), PM2.5 was significantly associated with mortality risk (aHR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.00-1.07) among patients aged ≥75 years (Pslope difference = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS:Older adults initiating dialysis who resided in ZIP codes with PM2.5 levels >12 μg/m3 are at increased risk of mortality. Those aged >75 were at elevated risk even at levels below the EPA Standard for PM2.5.