Speaking of SurgOnc

Speaking of SurgOnc has a new home! New episodes can now be found under the Society of Surgical Oncology's podcast, SurgOnc Today, available on all major podcast platforms. Subscribe today to receive updates on new episode releases.  In this new episode of Speaking of SurgOnc, Dr. Rick Greene discusses with Dr. Michael Bouvet and Dr. Kristin Cox the applicability of M5A-IR800 to target human gastric cancer, as reported in their article, "Targeting Patient-Derived Orthotopic Gastric Cancers with a Fluorescent Humanized Anti-CEA Antibody."

Dr. Rick Greene discusses with Dr. Heather Neuman and Dr. Alyssa Wiener the results of a randomized trial of topical pain approaches for radiotracer injections for breast cancer sentinel lymph node mapping, as reported in her article, "A Four-Arm Randomized Clinical Trial of Topical Pain Control for Sentinel Node Radiotracer Injections in Patients with Breast Cancer.”

Dr. Rick Greene discusses with Dr. Dana Dominguez the association of adjuvant chemoradiation in resected biliary cancer with improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone, as reported in her article, "Adjuvant Chemoradiation in Resected Biliary Adenocarcinoma: Evaluation of SWOG S0809 with a Large National Database.” Article: Adjuvant Chemoradiation in Resected Biliary Adenocarcinoma: Evaluation of SWOG S0809 with a Large National Database | Annals of Surgical Oncology (springer.com)

Dr. Rick Greene discusses with Dr. Alexandra Hernandez the role of social support and neighborhood disadvantage on cortisol, a physiologic marker of stress in patients with breast cancer, as reported at the 2024 SSO Meeting in her abstract, "Lower Social Support Predicts Higher Cortisol for Breast Cancer Patients in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods.”

Dr. Rick Greene discusses with Dr. Timothy Pawlik and Dr. Diamantis Tsilimigras the assessment of perioperative mortality and serious complications among patients undergoing complex cancer surgery by surgical oncology fellowship graduates across different career stages. Dr. Pawlik and Dr. Tsilimigras are co-authors of "Practice Patterns and Outcomes Among Surgical Oncology Fellowship Graduates Performing Complex Cancer Surgery in the United States Across Different Career Stages."

Dr. Rick Greene discusses with Dr. Brett Ecker the association between extent of resection and disease-specific survival  in mucinous and non-mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinomas as reported in his article, "Extent of Resection and Long-Term Outcomes for Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma: a SEER Database Analysis of Mucinous and non-Mucinous Histologies.” https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-024-15233-9

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Lorenzo Ferri, MD, PhD, the long-term survival outcomes of patients with esophageal and junctional adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel-based chemotherapy and en bloc transthoracic esophagectomy. Dr. Ferri is author of, "Docetaxel-Based Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by En Bloc Resection for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: A 15-Year Retrospective Analysis from a Regional Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Network." Dr. Ferri is Professor of Surgery and Oncology, McGill University; David S. Mulder Chair of Surgery Head, Division of Thoracic and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, McGill University Health Centre; and, Director, Upper G.I. Cancer Program, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH, the epidemiologic and socioeconomic factors that are associated with breast cancer among black women and an assessment of the implications of these factors for screening in this population. Dr. Joseph is author of, "The Landmark Series—Addressing Disparities in Breast Cancer Screening: New Recommendations for Black Women." Dr. Joseph is Professor, Department of Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Professor, Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine; and, Vice Chair for Diversity and Health Equity for the Department of Surgery and Transplant Institute at NYU Langone Health, New York, NY. 

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Anthony Villano, MD, a review the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Standard 5.6, which pertains to curative intent colon resections performed for cancer. Dr. Villano is author of "Standardization of Colon Resection for Cancer: An Overview of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Standard 5.6." Dr. Villano is the Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology, in the Department of Surgical Oncology, at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Jean-Nicolas Vauthey, MD, a comparison of different surgical approaches to synchronous liver metastases from rectal cancer and their analysis of both clinicopathological and biological tumor factors associated with completion of the reverse approach. Professor Vauthey is the senior author of, “Hepatectomy Before Primary Tumor Resection as Preferred Approach for Synchronous Liver Metastases from Rectal Cancer.” Dr. Vauthey is Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Section, and the Dallas/Fort Worth Living Legend Chair of Cancer Research in the Department of Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Patricio M. Polanco, MD, an analysis of three hospital designations, as well as volume status, and their effect on the delivery of care and survival outcomes using a cancer registry database of the second largest state in the USA. Dr. Polanco is co-corresponding author of, “Hospital Designations and Their Impact on Guideline-Concordant Care and Survival in Pancreatic Cancer. Do They Matter?.”

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Eduardo A. Vega, MD, definitions reported on of benchmark values for gallbladder cancer surgery across an international population as well as geographic differences in gallbladder cancer surgery across multiple continents. Dr. Vega is the senior author of, “Benchmarks and Geographic Differences in Gallbladder Cancer Surgery: An International Multicenter Study.” Dr. Vega is Assistant Professor of Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine and Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic surgeon in the Department of Surgery at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, MA. Full article: Benchmarks and Geographic Differences in Gallbladder Cancer Surgery: An International Multicenter Study | Annals of Surgical Oncology (springer.com)

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Susan Tsai, MD, MHS, the results of an analysis examining the efficacy of second-line gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (GnP) after first-line FOLFIRINOX in the neoadjuvant setting among patients with operable pancreatic cancer who were treated with a total neoadjuvant approach. Dr. Tsai is the senior author of, “CA19-9 Response to First-line Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX and Second-line Gemcitabine/nab- Paclitaxel in Patients with Operable Pancreatic Cancer.” Dr. Tsai is Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Sean Cleary, MD, cytoreductive hepatectomy for neuroendocrine tumor liver metastases; specifically, perioperative outcomes and operative trends, rates and duration of symptomatic relief, and long-term survival and predictors of prognosis. Dr. Cleary is the senior author of, “Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases: Long-Term Follow-up Evaluation of More Than 500 Patients.” Dr. Cleary is the Bernard and Ryna Langer Chair of the Division of General Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Anna Weiss, MD, the evidence-based treatments available for the adverse effects of endocrine therapy that can be experienced by breast cancer patients, including clear treatment algorithms for genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), which can be overlooked by providers. Dr. Weiss is the senior author of, “Endocrine Therapy for Surgeons: Practical Pearls for Managing Menopausal, Bone Loss and Sexual Adverse Effects.” Dr. Weiss is Associate Professor of Surgery and Medicine, and Director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute Comprehensive Breast Cancer Program at Pluta, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.

Rick Greene, MD, and Tari King, MD, FSSO, discuss findings generated from central path review of a large series of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery regarding the pattern of residual tumor in the breast and its related prognostic significance. Dr. King is the senior author of, “Impact of the Histologic Pattern of Residual Tumor After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Recurrence and Survival in Stage I–III Breast Cancer.” Dr. Tari A. King is the Anne E. Dyson Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, the chief of the Division of Breast Surgery and the vice chair of multidisciplinary oncology in the Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the chief of breast surgery at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Rick Greene, MD discusses with Edward A. Levine, MD, long-term survival in patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma undergoing cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Dr. Levine is the senior author of, “Long-Term Survival in Patients Treated with Cytoreduction and Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Peritoneal Mesothelioma at a Single High-Volume Center.” Dr. Levine is Professor, Surgical Sciences - Oncology, Chief of Surgical Oncology at Atrium Wake Forest Health, and Section Editor of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies section of the Annals of Surgical Oncology.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-022-13061-3

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Jesse Selber MD, MPH, MHCM, FACS, the use of ChatGPT and explores questions regarding the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in surgery and its opportunities, challenges, and possible role in surgery. Dr. Selber is the senior author of the article entitled "Exploring the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Surgery: Insights from a Conversation with ChatGPT.” Dr. Selber is Surgical Service Line Chief and Professor of Plastic Surgery at Corewell Health, East outside of Detroit, Michigan. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-023-13347-0

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Dr. Giammauro Berardi, MD, PhD, FEBS, the outcomes of a large cohort of patients undergoing upfront surgery for resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) to analyze the predictability and probability of early treatment failure using clinicopathological characteristics. Dr. Berardi is author of, “A Model to Predict Treatment Failure in Patients Undergoing Upfront Surgery for Resectable Colorectal Liver Metastases.” Dr. Berardi is attending at the Department of HPB Surgery and Liver Transplantation of the San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy, and previous to that was a Surgical Oncology clinical fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Julie Culver, MS, LCGC, CCRP,  the implementation of genetic testing for all patients with breast cancer and how this can be incorporated into oncology care. Ms. Culver is author of “Integration of Universal Germline Genetic Testing for All New Breast Cancer Patients.” Julie Culver is the Director of Genetic Counseling at the USC Norris Cancer Hospital and is a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA. http://doi.org/10.1245/S10434-022-12595-W

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Joel Baumgartner, MD, the rate of occult omental metastases in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery-HIPEC for peritoneal surface malignancy. Dr. Baumgartner is author of, “Is Routine Omentectomy a Necessary Component of Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC?” Dr. Baumgartner is Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA. http://doi.org/10.1245/S10434-022-12714-7

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Margaret Kemeny, MD, the results of a phase III randomized trial that evaluated the effect of perioperative fluorouracil on overall survival in for colon cancer. Dr. Kemeny is author of, "Phase III Prospectively Randomized Trial of Perioperative 5-FU After Curative Resection for Colon Cancer: An Intergroup Trial of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (E1292)." Dr. Kemeny is director of New York's Cancer Center of Excellence at Queens Cancer Center of NYC Health+Hospitals/Queens and Professor of Surgery at at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. http://doi.org/10.1245/S10434-022-12705-8

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Meghan R. Flanagan, MD, MPH, the results of a retrospective population-based study about genetic testing among patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Dr. Flanagan is author of, “Genetic Testing Among Patients with High-Risk Breast, Ovarian, Pancreatic, and Prostate Cancers.” Dr. Flanagan is Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. http://doi.org/10.1245/S10434-022-12755-Y

Rick Greene, MD, and Audree Tadros, MD, MPH, FACS, discuss the BREAST-Q, a validated patient-reported outcome measure for satisfaction and quality of life after breast surgery, to determine whether patient satisfaction and quality of life differs among T4 breast cancer patients based on their decision to pursue reconstruction and the timing of reconstruction. Dr. Tadros is author of “Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients with Clinical T4 Breast Cancer Treated with Mastectomy with and without Reconstruction.” Dr. Audree Tadros is the Jeanne A. Petrek Junior Faculty Chair, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and Assistant Attending Surgeon, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Joon Park, MD, the national implementation patterns and perioperative outcomes of minimally invasive gastrectomy in gastric cancer surgery in the US. Dr. Park is author of “Disparities in Utilization and Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Techniques for Gastric Cancer Surgery in the United States.” Dr. Joon Park is a Resident of Surgery in the Department of Surgery, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Rick Greene and Dr. Fadi Dahdaleh discuss the effect of operative approach on overall readiness to commence adjuvant therapy in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy, hypothesizing that minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy improves rates and time to return to intended oncologic therapy compared with open pancreaticoduodenectomy. Dr. Dahdaleh is author of “Surgical Approach does not Affect Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Propensity-Matched Study.” Dr. Dahdaleh is an attending surgical oncologist at Northshore-Edward-Elmhurst Health in Chicago and adjunct clinical assistant professor of surgery at Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL.

In this episode of SurgOnc Today®, Laurence McCahill, MD, of Western Michigan University is joined by Julie Barone, DO, Medical Director of Vail Comprehensive Breast Care and John Abad, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group.  They discuss their personal pathways that brought them into leadership roles within the community care practice setting, including their experiences with the accreditation of their programs, the establishment of their research programs and the use of their programs' outcomes.  They also touch upon the characteristics that a physician seeking a career at a satellite program of an academic medical center should seek out and they address their recommendations for achieving balance between their administrative and surgery roles.

Rick Greene, MD, discusses with Anne O'Shea, MD, and Timothy Vreeland, MD, the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation in the treatment of localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and the effect of downstaging on overall survival. Dr. O'Shea and Dr. Vreeland are authors of “Downstaging of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma with Either Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Chemoradiotherapy Improves Survival.” Dr. Anne O'Shea is Resident of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam, San Antonio, TX. Dr. Timothy Vreeland is a Surgical Oncologist also at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam, San Antonio, TX.

Rick Greene, MD, Alexandra Gangi, MD, and Rupen Shah, MD, discuss the landmark articles on which management of primary appendiceal peritoneal surface malignancies are based. Drs. Gangi and Shah are authors of, “The Landmark Series: Appendiceal Primary Peritoneal Surface Malignancy." Dr. Gangi is Director or the Gastrointestinal Tumor and Cancer Regional Therapies Programs, and Associate Program Director, Complex General Surgical Oncology Program, Division of Surgical Oncology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Rupen Shah is Director, Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program and senior staff surgical oncologist at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI.

Rick Greene, MD, and Samilia Obeng-Gyasi, MD, MPH, discuss the effect of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act on patterns of surgical care among low-income breast cancer patients. Dr. Obeng-Gyasi is author of “Is Medicaid Expansion Narrowing Gaps in Surgical Disparities for Low-Income Breast Cancer Patients?” Dr. Obeng-Gyasi is Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

Rick Greene, MD, and Mark Truty, MD, discuss the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, including the optimal treatment of patients who do not respond to first-line chemotherapy or develop toxicities. Dr. Truty is author of, “Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Switch in Borderline Resectable/Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.” Dr. Truty is Associate Professor of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, where his clinical practice is in the Division of Subspecialty General Surgery, Department of Surgery.

Rick Greene, MD, and Adam Berger, MD, discuss a shift away from nonurgent and preventative medical care due to the pandemic, related changes in presentation of melanoma patients in surgical clinics, and the likely impact on melanoma diagnoses and prognoses. Dr. Berger is author of, “COVID-19 Is Affecting the Presentation and Treatment of Melanoma Patients in the Northeastern United States.” Dr. Berger is Chief of Melanoma for the multidisciplinary Melanoma and Soft Tissue Surgical Oncology Program at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Professor of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Rick Greene, MD, and Nicole Lopez, MD, discuss a watch and wait approach to treating rectal cancer with complete clinical response after neoadjuvant therapy, which reduces overall costs and increases effectiveness compared with radical resection. Dr. Lopez is author of, “Cost Effectiveness of Watch and Wait Versus Resection in Rectal Cancer Patients with Complete Clinical Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation.” Dr. Lopez is Director of the UC San Diego National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), and is an Associate Professor of Surgery at UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA.

In this episode of Speaking of SurgOnc, Rick Greene, MD, and Mary Gemignani, MD, discuss quality of life outcomes associated with surgical management of early-stage breast cancer. Dr. Gemignani is author of the article, “A Comparison of Patient-Reported Outcomes After Breast-Conserving Surgery and Mastectomy with Implant Breast Reconstruction.” Dr. Gemignani is Professor of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Surgeon, Director Breast Surgery Fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

In this episode of Speaking of SurgOnc, Rick Greene, MD and Lesly A. Dossett, MD, discuss meeting the needs of an increasingly culturally and racially diverse patient population, as well as support and recruitment of a surgical oncology workforce that better represents all minority groups. Dr. Dossett is author of the article, “Cultural Complications Curriculum: Applicability to Surgical Oncology Programs and Practices.” Dr. Dossett is Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Vice Chair for Faculty Life in the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

In this episode of Speaking of SurgOnc, Rick Greene, MD and Jonathan M. Hernandez, MD, discuss the need for surgical oncologists to keep informed of ongoing research in multiple arenas and the launch of a new editorial series to address current challenges in meeting this need. Dr. Hernandez is author of the editorial, “Introducing the Ongoing Clinical Trials in the Surgical Oncology Series.” Dr. Hernandez is Associate Professor of Surgery with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and is Head, Metastasis Biology Section and Chief, Surgical Oncology Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

In this episode of Speaking of SurgOnc, Rick Greene, MD and John H. Stewart, MD, discuss the unequal burden of melanoma between Blacks and whites in the United States and the differences in access to melanoma care. Dr. Stewart is author of the article, “Landmark Series on Disparities in Surgical Oncology: Melanoma.” Dr. Stewart is Professor of Surgery, LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, and is Center Director of the LSU Health New Orleans/LCMC Health Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA.

In this episode of Speaking of SurgOnc, Rick Greene, MD and Kristin E. Rojas, MD, discuss the implementation of an opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia protocol for lumpectomy patients for pain management without a routine opioid prescription. Dr. Rojas is author of the article, “Opioid-Sparing Multimodal Analgesia Protocol for Lumpectomy Patients Results in Superior Postoperative Pain Control.” Dr. Rojas is Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL.

In this episode of Speaking of SurgOnc®, Rick Greene, MD, and Judy Boughey, MD, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on US clinical research at the local, cooperative group, and national level. Dr. Boughey is the author of the article, “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Clinical Trials.” Dr. Judy Boughey is Professor of Surgery in Division of Breast and Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Rick Greene, MD, and Elisa Port, MD, discuss surgeon adherence to NCCN guidelines and patterns of testing in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Dr. Port is author of, “Adherence to NCCN Guidelines for Genetic Testing in Breast Cancer Patients: Who Are We Missing?” Dr. Port is Chief of Breast Surgery and Director of the Dubin Breast Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, and  Professor of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.

Rick Greene, MD and Nancy Cho, MD discuss the impact of the 2015 American Thyroid Association guideline change on clinical practice in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer, specifically regarding the rate of completion thyroidectomy. Dr. Cho is author of the article, “Completion Thyroidectomy is Less Common Following Updated 2015 American Thyroid Association Guidelines.” Dr. Cho is Associate Surgeon, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Rick Greene, MD, and Courtney Balentine, MD, discuss race and gender disparities in the time from initial diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism to treatment with parathyroidectomy. Dr. Balentine is author of, "Race and Gender Disparities in Access to Parathyroidectomy: A Need to Change Processes for Diagnosis and Referral to Surgeons." Dr. Balentine is Assistant Professor of General and Endocrine Surgery, and Co-Director of the UTSW Surgical Center for Outcomes, Implementation and Novel Interventions (S-COIN), University of Texas Southwestern and VA North Texas Healthcare System, Dallas, TX.

Rick Greene, MD and Vivian Strong, MD discuss factors associated with quality-of-life recovery after gastrectomy. Dr. Strong is author of “Longitudinal Analysis of Quality-of-Life Recovery After Gastrectomy for Cancer.” Dr. Strong is the Iris Cantor Endowed Chair and Attending Surgeon, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University; and Vice Chair of Surgery for Surgical Innovations and Outcomes, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

Rick Greene, MD, and Melissa Hogg, MD, discuss the relationship of serum CA19-9 to other markers of response, and the related thresholds correlating to outcomes, following neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Dr. Hogg is author of the article, “Serum CA19-9 Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy Predicts Tumor Size Reduction and Survival in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.” Dr. Hogg is the Director of HPB Surgery and Director of Robotic Training for Grainger Lab at the Northshore University Healthsystem, Chicago, IL.

Rick Greene, MD, and Ken Tanabe, MD, discuss the need for surgical oncologists to remain focused on providing optimal care for our cancer patients while managing the demands that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impose. Dr. Tanabe is author of, "Surgical Oncologists and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guiding Cancer Patients Effectively through Turbulence and Change." Dr. Tanabe is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Chief, Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Tanabe is also Deputy Editor of the Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Rick Greene, MD and Charlotte Ariyan, MD, PhD, discuss survival outcomes in patients with metastatic melanoma who were selected for surgery following checkpoint blockade. Dr. Ariyan is author of, “Survival Outcomes After Metastasectomy in Melanoma Patients Categorized by Response to Checkpoint Blockade.” Dr. Ariyan is Associate Professor of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, and a Surgeon with clinical expertise in melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Dr. Ariyan is also Section Editor, Sarcoma, at the Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Rick Greene, MD and Katie Egan, MD discuss the use of an educational intervention to decrease opioid consumption among breast surgery patients. Dr. Egan is author of the article, “Opioid Consumption Following Breast Surgery Decreases with a Brief Educational Intervention: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Dr. Egan is Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Resident at The University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS.

Rick Green, MD and Dr. Anna Weiss, MD discuss clinical trials that have defined the role of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Dr. Weiss is author of “The Landmark Series: Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer.” Dr. Weiss is Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Rick Greene, MD, and Alexandra Gangi, MD and James Howe, MD, discuss current data regarding management of neuroendocrine liver metastases and future areas for study. Dr. Gangi and Dr. Howe are authors of “The Landmark Series: Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases.” Dr. Gangi is Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgical Oncology and the Director of the Gastrointestinal Tumor Program at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA. Dr. James Howe is Professor of Surgery and Division Head of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, IA. Dr. Howe is also President of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society and President of the Society of Surgical Oncology.

Rick Greene, MD and Giorgos Karakousis, MD discuss the impact of immune checkpoint and BRAF/MEK pathway inhibitors on outcomes and melanoma care at a national population level in patients diagnosed with clinical stage III melanoma. Dr. Karakousis is author of, “Survival Outcomes of Patients with Clinical Stage III Melanoma in the Era of Novel Systemic Therapies.” Dr. Karakousis is Associate Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Rick Greene, MD, and Michael D’Angelica, MD discuss the relationship between hepatic parenchymal disease and recurrence after colorectal liver metastases resection, which has not been well defined. Dr. D’Angelica is author of, “Prediction of Recurrence Patterns from Hepatic Parenchymal Disease After Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases.” Dr. D’Angelica holds the Enid A. Haupt Chair in Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and is Professor of Surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York.