Assessment of Regional Variability in COVID-19 Outcomes Among Patients With Cancer in the United States.

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a distinct spatiotemporal pattern in the United States. Patients with cancer are at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19, but it is not well known whether COVID-19 outcomes in this patient population were associated with geography. Objective: To quantify spatiotemporal variation in COVID-19 outcomes among patients with cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This registry-based retrospective cohort study included patients with a historical diagnosis of invasive malignant neoplasm and laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between March and November 2020. Data were collected from cancer care delivery centers in the United States. Exposures: Patient residence was categorized into 9 US census divisions. Cancer center characteristics included academic or community classification, rural-urban continuum code (RUCC), and social vulnerability index. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. The secondary composite outcome consisted of receipt of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admission, and all-cause death. Multilevel mixed-effects models estimated associations of center-level and census division-level exposures with outcomes after adjustment for patient-level risk factors and quantified variation in adjusted outcomes across centers, census divisions, and calendar time. Results: Data for 4749 patients (median [IQR] age, 66 [56-76] years; 2439 [51.4%] female individuals, 1079 [22.7%] non-Hispanic Black individuals, and 690 [14.5%] Hispanic individuals) were reported from 83 centers in the Northeast (1564 patients [32.9%]), Midwest (1638 [34.5%]), South (894 [18.8%]), and West (653 [13.8%]). After adjustment for patient characteristics, including month of COVID-19 diagnosis, estimated 30-day mortality rates ranged from 5.2% to 26.6% across centers. Patients from centers located in metropolitan areas with population less than 250 000 (RUCC 3) had lower odds of 30-day mortality compared with patients from centers in metropolitan areas with population at least 1 million (RUCC 1) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11-0.84). The type of center was not significantly associated with primary or secondary outcomes. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome rates across the 9 census divisions, but adjusted mortality rates significantly improved over time (eg, September to November vs March to May: aOR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.17-0.58). Conclusions and Relevance: In this registry-based cohort study, significant differences in COVID-19 outcomes across US census divisions were not observed. However, substantial heterogeneity in COVID-19 outcomes across cancer care delivery centers was found. Attention to implementing standardized guidelines for the care of patients with cancer and COVID-19 could improve outcomes for these vulnerable patients

Enlarging Pancreatic Schwannoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

A 72-year-old female presented with dyspepsia for 2 years and an incidental mass in the head of the pancreas on abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan. Patient had multiple negative endoscopic ultrasound guided biopsies. She was followed up for 3 years with serial imaging until an abdominal CT scan showed an increase in size of the pancreatic mass. Physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory tests including tumor markers were normal. Given the enlarging size of the mass and its impingement on the portal vein, the consensus was to proceed with surgery. Histology revealed a 3.5 cm mass showing a spindle cell neoplasm with mild atypia. The lesion was well defined and nerve tissue was noted at the periphery. On immuno-stains, the spindle cells were positive for S-100 protein and negative for pan-cytokeratin, CD-34, CD- 117, smooth muscle actin and Melan A, consistent with the diagnosis of a pancreatic schwannoma

Cancer Care for All? Tales of Caring for Undocumented Patients with Cancer

This commentary describes the barriers undocumented immigrants to the United States face when trying to access health care and highlights the downstream consequences of these barriers on the health system and on health care providers

Proyecto ELEVAR: Evaluating the Latinx Experience With the Health Care System Through Variables on Access and Resources

PURPOSE: Hispanic/Latinx communities encounter disparities in access and availability of appropriate timely health care services, negatively affecting cancer outcomes. Limited data exist on the role of these factors in personal experiences of Hispanic/Latinx with health care systems. We aim to better understand Hispanic/Latinx experience with the health care system, focusing on the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and applications to clinical practice in patients diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: Competitively obtained data from 2010 to 2019 Association of American Medical Colleges Consumer Survey of Health Care Access (a US population–based sample of potential health care consumers needing health care at least once in the past year) were retrospectively reviewed. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate comparisons of patterns pre- versus post-ACA were performed for respondents self-identifying as Hispanic/Latinx. RESULTS: In a total cohort of 53,523 respondents, Hispanic/Latinx comprised 7.5% (n = 4,094). Post-ACA demographics showed a higher proportion of female and an increase in employment, educational attainment, income, and private insurance coverage, with a decrease in uninsured. Adjusted models showed that post-ACA Hispanic/Latinx patients are less likely to use emergency room if sick or needing medical advice (odds ratio [OR] 0.33; P < .001) and more likely to report chronic conditions involving cancer (OR 2.43; P < .001) or being limited in activities because of mental or emotional problems (OR 1.36; P = .005). CONCLUSION: Although ACA implementation was associated with decreased health care access barriers in Hispanic/Latinx, they continue to experience disparities in chronic health conditions, including cancer, with higher limitations because of emotional or mental health. Ongoing efforts that build upon current strides, toward improved patient satisfaction and overall outcomes, are of paramount importance

Evidence to Date: Evaluating Pembrolizumab in the Treatment of Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive subtype of lung cancer characterized by a rapid initial response and early development of resistance to systemic therapy and radiation. The management of SCLC significantly changed for the first time in decades with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Pembrolizumab, a humanized IgG4 isotype antibody, targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway to restore anti-tumor immunity. Prospective trials of pembrolizumab in patients with previously treated SCLC showed significant durability of responses. These results led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting pembrolizumab accelerated approval as second- or third-line monotherapy for patients with extensive-stage (ES) SCLC. In a recent clinical trial that included patients with previously untreated ES-SCLC, pembrolizumab in combination with platinum/etoposide met its progression-free survival endpoint, but overall survival (OS) did not cross the threshold for superiority. With the therapeutic landscape for SCLC rapidly evolving, we review prior experience and future directions of pembrolizumab in ES-SCLC

Pulmonary Complications Secondary to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Background. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have changed the landscape in the treatment of a number of cancers. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have emerged as a serious clinical problem with the use of ICI. Methods. All oncology patients diagnosed with pulmonary complications secondary to ICI at Mayo Clinic Rochester from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2018 were reviewed. Demographics, comorbidities, smoking, and oncologic history were analyzed. Results. A total of 10 patients developed pulmonary complications secondary to ICI. Seven patients were men (70%), and the median age at diagnosis was 61.5 (IQR 55.8-69.3) years. All patients had stage IV disease. Melanoma was the most common malignancy. Seven (70%) patients had a positive smoking history, and 6 (60%) were obese (BMI>30). Most cases were grade 2 pneumonitis (70%). One patient with grade 4 pneumonitis required endotracheal intubation and a prolonged course of systemic corticosteroids (>30 days). Eight (80%) patients received prior radiation therapy. The median time from initiation of ICI to pneumonitis diagnosis was 3.5 months. Conclusion. Melanoma was the most common malignancy, the majority of patients had grade 2 pneumonitis and required treatment with steroids, and all patients affected by ICI-related pneumonitis had stage IV malignancy. Potential risk factors included smoking history, prior radiotherapy, obesity, and advance stage at the time of ICI initiation. Extrapulmonary irAEs are common in patients with pneumonitis