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...

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...

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...

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...

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.”

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.”

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."

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.”

Rick Greene, MD, and Dr. 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.”

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."

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.”

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 SSO President 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.”

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.”

Rick Greene, MD and Elizabeth Grubbs, MD, MS discuss an analysis of the applicant pool of complex general surgical oncology (CGSO) fellowships and how it has changed over the last decade. Dr. Grubbs is Associate Professor, Program Director of Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

Rick Greene, MD and Julie Hallet, MD discuss the moderate-to-severe symptoms observed to steeply increase as death nears for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), which highlight an opportunity for improved management. Dr. Hallet is Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology, University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Greene and Dr. Plichta discuss the potential benefit for women from genetic testing for BRCA1, BRCA2, and other breast cancer genes and the knowledge needed by breast surgeons to facilitate testing and counseling. Dr. Plichta is author of, “Germline Genetic Testing: What the Breast Surgeon Needs to Know.” Dr. Plichta is an Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Duke Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine,  Durham, NC.

Rick Greene, MD and Marissa M. Howard-McNatt, MD discuss how the requirements for maintenance of certification (MOC) and CME changed in 2018, and review the options for completing these requisites. Mariss M. Howard-McNatt, MD is author of, “Maintenance of Certification and Continuing Medical Education: Are They Still Required?” Marissa M. Howard-McNatt, MD is an Associate Professor of Surgery Sciences – Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.

Dr. Greene and Dr. Jeruss discuss the potential impact of treatment on the future fertility of young breast cancer patients and review guidelines provided to address reproductive health in conjunction with a breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. Jeruss is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Departments of Surgery, Pathology, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. She specializes in the care of patients with benign and malignant breast disease.

Dr. Rick Greene and Dr. Andrew J. Rosko discuss how intraoperative usage of indocyanine green imaging can predict the formation of post-operative fistulas, allowing for more tailored reconstructive options depending on risk of fistula. Dr. Rosko is author of, “Intraoperative Fluorescent Angiography Predicts Pharyngocutaneous Fistula After Salvage Laryngectomy.”