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Patterns of Care and Outcomes of Rectal Cancer Patients from the Iowa Cancer Registry: Role of Hospital Volume and Tumor Location
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Patterns of Care and Outcomes of Rectal Cancer Patients from the Iowa Cancer Registry: Role of Hospital Volume and Tumor Location

P. Goffredo, A. A. Hart, C. G. Tran, A. R. Kahl, X. Gao, N. J. Del Vecchio, M. E. Charlton and I. Hassan
Journal of gastrointestinal surgery, Vol.27(6), pp.1228-1237
06/2023
DOI: 10.1007/s11605-023-05656-2
PMCID: PMC11283177
PMID: 36949239
url
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11283177/pdf/nihms-2007065.pdfView
Open Access

Abstract

BackgroundCentralization of rectal cancer surgery has been associated with high-quality oncologic care. However, several patient, disease and system-related factors can impact where patients receive care. We hypothesized that patients with low rectal tumors would undergo treatment at high-volume centers and would be more likely to receive guideline-based multidisciplinary treatment.MethodsAdults who underwent proctectomy for stage II/III rectal cancer were included from the Iowa Cancer Registry and supplemented with tumor location data. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to analyze factors associated with receiving care in high-volume hospital, while logistic regression for those associated with >= 12 lymph node yield, pre-operative chemoradiation and sphincter-preserving surgery.ResultsOf 414 patients, 38%, 39%, and 22% had low, mid, and high rectal cancers, respectively. Thirty-two percent were > 65 years, 38% female, and 68% had stage III tumors. Older age and rural residence, but not tumor location, were associated with surgical treatment in low-volume hospitals. Higher tumor location, high-volume, and NCI-designated hospitals had higher nodal yield (>= 12). Hospital-volume was not associated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation rates or circumferential resection margin status. Sphincter-sparing surgery was independently associated with high tumor location, female sex, and stage III cancer, but not hospital volume.ConclusionsLow tumor location was not associated with care in high-volume hospitals. High-volume and NCI-designated hospitals had higher nodal yields, but not significantly higher neoadjuvant chemoradiation, negative circumferential margin, or sphincter preservation rates. Therefore, providing educational/quality improvement support in lower volume centers may be more pragmatic than attempting to centralize rectal cancer care among high-volume centers.
Surgery Gastroenterology & Hepatology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology

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