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BACKGROUND: Unplanned hospitalizations among patients with advanced cancer are often sentinel events prompting goals of care discussions and hospice transitions. Late referrals to hospice, especially those at the end of life, are associated with decreased quality of life and higher total health care costs. Inpatient management of patients with solid tumor malignancies is increasingly shifting from oncologists to oncology hospitalists. However, little is known about the impact of oncology hospitalists on the timing of transition to hospice. OBJECTIVE: To compare hospice discharge rate and time to hospice discharge on an inpatient oncology service led by internal medicine-trained hospitalists and a service led by oncologists. METHODS: At Smilow Cancer Hospital, internal medicine-trained hospitalists were integrated into one of two inpatient medical oncology services allowing comparison between the new, hospitalist-led service (HS) and the traditional, oncologist-led service (TS). Discharges from July 26, 2021, through January 31, 2022, were identified from the electronic medical record. The odds ratio for discharge disposition by team was calculated by logistic regression using a multinomial distribution. Adjusted length of stay before discharge was assessed using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: The HS discharged 47/400 (11.8%) patients to inpatient hospice, whereas the TS service discharged 18/313 (5.8%), yielding an adjusted odds ratio of 1.94 (95% CI, 1.07-3.51; p = .03). Adjusted average length of stay before inpatient hospice disposition was 6.83 days (95% CI, 4.22-11.06) for the HS and 16.29 days (95% CI, 7.73-34.29) for the TS (p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Oncology hospitalists improve hospice utilization and time to inpatient hospice referral on an inpatient medical oncology service. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Patients with advanced cancer are often admitted to the hospital near the end of life. These patients generally have a poor chance of long-term survival and may prefer comfort-focused care with hospice. In this study, oncology hospitalists discharged a higher proportion of patients to inpatient hospice with less time spent in the hospital before discharge.

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BACKGROUND: Smilow Cancer Hospital (SCH) introduced hospitalist comanagement to the inpatient oncology service to address long lengths of stay and oncologist burnout. OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of hospitalists on inpatient quality outcomes and oncologist experience. INTERVENTIONS: Hospitalists were introduced to one of two inpatient oncology services at SCH. Patients were assigned to teams equally based on capacity. Outcomes on the oncologist-led, traditional service (TS) were compared with outcomes on the hospitalist service (HS) 6 months after program implementation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Outcomes included patient volume, length of stay (LOS), early discharge, discharge time, and 30-day readmission rate. Mixed linear or Poisson models that accounted for multiple admissions during the study duration were used. Oncologist experience was measured by survey. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 713 discharges, 400 from the HS and 313 from the TS (p = .0003). There was no difference in demographics or severity of illness (SOI) between services. Following adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, cancer type, and discharge disposition, the average LOS was 4.71 on the HS and 5.47 on the TS (p = .01). Adjusted early discharge rate was 6.22% on the HS and 2.06% on the TS (p = .01). Adjusted mean discharge time was 3:45 p.m. on HS and 4:16 p.m. on TS (p = .009). There was no difference in readmission rates. Oncologists reported less stress (p = .001) and a better ability to manage competing responsibilities (p < .0001) while working on the HS. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalist comanagement significantly improved LOS, early discharge, time of discharge, and oncologist experience without an increase in 30-day readmissions.

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Primary gastric cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Often patients remain asymptomatic until it is detected at an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Thus, it's characteristically difficult to initially diagnose until it becomes late stage, at which point prognosis becomes poor. Pernicious anemia is a classic risk factor for the development of primary gastric cancer, but is uncommonly seen in clinical practice. Over time, patients who produce the autoantibodies to intrinsic factor that cause pernicious anemia typically will present initially with clinically significant megaloblastic anemia and peripheral neuropathy. However, patients can also present with more nonspecific signs and symptoms. Thus, clinicians should remain vigilant as circulating anti-intrinsic factor antibodies only worsen the disease over time and increase the risk of developing primary gastric cancer. This report not only presents the rare concurrent diagnosis of pernicious anemia and gastric cancer, but also aims to increase clinical awareness of these two conditions' classic association because early diagnosis and treatment significantly impacts morbidity and mortality.

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Primary rectal squamous cell carcinoma is rare compared to adenocarcinoma, which is the predominant histologic type most commonly discovered at the time of colorectal carcinoma diagnosis. Due to the infrequent nature of this malignancy, data on tumor pathogenesis and risk factors remains sparse. Moreover, no standardized therapeutic regimen exists. This report describes a case of advanced rectal squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed in a 46-year-old female who initially presented with abdominal pain. Her clinical course was uncomplicated and she responded well to the selected therapy. Much work remains to be accomplished for patients with rectal squamous cell carcinoma.

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Primary malignant melanoma represents the fifth most common cancer in the United States. It is subdivided into two forms: cutaneous (90%), visceral (8%, including ocular and mucosal) and of unknown primary (2%). The vast majority of gastrointestinal melanomas are secondary lesions until proven otherwise. Primary esophageal melanoma in particular is exceedingly rare, less than 200 cases have been documented in the literature to date. It is highly prevalent in Japan and occurs twice as much in men than women around the 6th decade of life. It has a predilection for the middle and lower esophagus, with only 6 cases occurring at the gastroesophageal junction worldwide. Its etiology and pathogenesis are poorly understood, and no curative treatment has been established given the paucity of cases. We present a case of primary melanoma of the gastroesophageal junction which represents the 2nd incident case in the united states and 7th worldwide.

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Primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type, is an exceedingly rare and aggressive variant of primary cutaneous lymphoma. An 84-year-old male presented to an oncologist for new skin lesions on his abdomen and right thigh. Excisional biopsy followed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type. His clinical course was complicated by multiple relapses and refractory disease. Ultimately, he achieved complete response with fourth-line ibrutinib therapy. Due to the contentious nature of this disease, poor prognosis, and higher rates of recurrence, prompt identification and aggressive treatment are recommended. Given the different cellular pathways and genomic alterations identified in its carcinogenesis, various chemotherapy regimens and targeted immunotherapies have emerged as potential therapeutic options to halt disease progression and prevent future relapses.

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Myeloid sarcoma is an isolated extramedullary tumor mass consisting of immature myeloid cells. It is characterized by highly variable outcomes and usually disrupts the normal architecture of the normal tissue in which it originates. It may occur de novo or be associated with other hematological malignancies. Clinical presentation of myeloid sarcomas can be highly variable based on the tumor site, size, and extent of tissue involvement. The diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma is challenging and requires a high index of suspicion. Tissue sampling followed by the use of auxiliary studies is essential for diagnosis. Moreover, bone marrow sampling is necessary to exclude morrow involvement. Currently, the recommended therapeutic regimens for myeloid sarcoma are similar to those for acute myeloid leukemia. Much work remains to be accomplished as myeloid sarcomas, if initially missed or misdiagnosed, have poor overall survival rates. Furthermore, prognostic factors for this malignancy remain poorly understood.

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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 3% of all adult malignancies and is known for metastatic initial presentation, unpredictable metastatic pathway, and late recurrence post-curative resection. We report a case of solitary late metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the pancreas more than 10 years after radical nephrectomy. A high index of suspicion must be maintained to detect RCC late recurrence and metastasis to rare and atypical locations. A lifelong follow-up is recommended.

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Inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4, programmed cell death protein-1, and programmed death-ligand 1 have been shown to produce significant antitumor activity in multiple malignancies, and have become essential oncology standard-of-care therapies. Despite their success, the checkpoint inhibitors' ability to amplify the immune system response against tumor cells has been associated with a unique panel of side effects known as immune-related adverse events. The involvement of the myocardium has been reported previously, but it's remarkably uncommon. Even more noteworthy is that secondary autoimmune myocarditis and heart failure due to these medications are typically fatal.

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Malignant SMARCB1/INI1-deficient extrarenal rhabdoid tumors are aggressive tumors that are extremely rare in adults. A 56-year-old male presented with the chief complaints of unilateral lower abdominal and pelvic pain. He underwent urgent surgical intervention and mass resection with tissue sampling. After pathology confirmed the diagnosis, systemic chemotherapy with vincristine, doxorubicin plus ifosfamide, and mesna was administered. Following treatment, he experienced a durable and long-lasting response to therapy for this aggressive and rare soft tissue sarcoma. To date, the patient remains in complete remission following the cessation of chemotherapy. Malignant SMARCB1/INI1-deficient extrarenal rhabdoid tumors are aggressive neoplasms that are extremely rare in adults. We report a rare case of such a tumor and review the literature for its molecular, clinical, and imaging features.

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The SMARCB1/INI1 gene was first discovered in the mid-1990s, and since then it has been revealed that loss of function mutations in this gene result in aggressive rhabdoid tumors. Recently, the term "rhabdoid tumor" has become synonymous with decreased SMARCB1/INI1 expression. When genetic aberrations in the SMARCB1/INI1 gene occur, the result can cause complete loss of expression, decreased expression, and mosaic expression. Although SMARCB1/INI1-deficient tumors are predominantly sarcomas, this is a diverse group of tumors with mixed phenotypes, which can often make the diagnosis challenging. Prognosis for these aggressive tumors is often poor. Moreover, refractory and relapsing progressive disease is common. As a result, accurate and timely diagnosis is imperative. Despite the SMARCB1/INI1 gene itself and its implications in tumorigenesis being discovered over two decades ago, there is a paucity of rhabdoid tumor cases reported in the literature that detail SMARCB1/INI1 expression. Much work remains if we hope to provide additional therapeutic strategies for patients with aggressive SMARCB1/INI1-deficient tumors.

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OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare patients transferred from another hospital to our trauma center with those arriving directly, to identify barriers to care for similar fractures. We hypothesized that the most frequent reason for delayed definitive fixation would be interhospital transfer and that patients would be transferred primarily for 2 reasons: complex patients with more severe injuries and less complex patients without insurance. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1549 skeletally mature patients with 1655 fractures: 379 acetabulum, 301 pelvic ring, 876 femur, and 99 spine. INTERVENTION: All patients were treated surgically, with early fixation defined as <24 hours after injury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Demographic and injury characteristics were recorded. Reasons for and timing of transfer were determined. RESULTS: A total of 814 patients (53%) were transferred from another hospital, including 66% of acetabular and 62% of pelvic ring fractures. Transferred patients were older (39.1 vs. 36.6 years, P = 0.002), had more commercial insurance (21% vs. 17%, P = 0.10), and were less often uninsured (27% vs. 31%, P = 0.11). However, the mean Injury Severity Score of uninsured transferred patients was lower than that of the other transferred patients (22.9 vs. 25.8, P < 0.0001). Transfer was not related to weekday or time of injury. A total of 973 patients (63%) had early definitive fixation. Delayed fixation was often for surgeon preference (57%). Transferred patients were more likely to have delayed fixation (43% vs. 31% of nontransferred, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Internal barriers to definitive fracture care were noted, the most frequent of which is surgeon preference. Treatment delays due to transfer accounted for 12% of all delays. Many transferred patients appeared appropriate based on injury complexity. However, over one-fourth of those transferred had low Injury Severity Score and a significantly higher incidence of no insurance. Communication and transparency about these issues may serve to expedite care and to enhance financial stability of larger trauma centers. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic level II.

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