Andrea Abbott

• MD, MSCR
• Managing Director at Medical University of South Carolina

Background Decision aids (DAs) may increase engagement in decision-making by addressing barriers that disproportionately impact socioeconomically disadvantaged patients. The impact of a breast cancer surgery DA on increasing patient engagement in decision-making was tested in clinics serving a high proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged pati...

Burnout affects over 50% of surgical residents, and efforts focused on well-being during training are needed. Grit, defined as perseverance toward achieving long-term goals, is a measure of mental fortitude and may be protective against burnout and predictive of well-being. An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to surgical and non-surgical...

Background Currently, racial disparities exist in access to genetic testing. Recent developments have helped narrow the gap in accessibility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial disparities in genetic consultation attendance and completion of genetic testing persist, and, if so, factors that contribute to under-utilization of...

Social restrictions during the pandemic required creative solutions for incorporating interns into a demanding residency, building relationships, and fostering resiliency. We hypothesized that resident-driven initiatives focused on inclusion would overcome a lack of in-person events. An anonymous survey was administered to all surgery residents to...

Purpose Boswellic acids, active components of frankincense, suppress tumor proliferation in vitro with a strong clinical trial safety profile in patients with inflammatory diseases. We performed a Phase Ia window of opportunity trial of Boswellia serrata (B. serrata) in patients with breast cancer to evaluate its biologic activity and safety. Meth...

314 Background: In a recent trial, we observed no statistically significant increase in engagement after a web-based decision aid (DA) was delivered to breast cancer patients prior to a surgical consult. However, a minority of the intervention group (44%) reviewed the DA. The objective is to assess the effect of the DA on engagement for the cohort...

Purpose High-risk breast pathology is a breast cancer risk factor for which timely treatment is crucial. Nurse navigation programs have been implemented to minimize delays in patient care. This study evaluated nurse navigation in terms of timeliness to surgery for patients with high-risk breast pathology. Methods This was a single-institution, ret...

6520 Background: Increased patient engagement in decision making may mitigate disparities in breast cancer surgical care. Socioeconomically disadvantaged patients disproportionately experience barriers to engagement. Decision aids (DA) increase engagement by providing information, establishing role expectations during the consult, and increasing co...

Background: Despite recommendations for molecular testing irrespective of patient characteristics, differences exist in receipt of molecular testing for oncogenic drivers amongst metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients. Exploration into these differences and their effects on treatment is needed to identify opportunities for improve...

PurposeThe transition to an all-virtual application cycle for General Surgery Match 2021 significantly altered interview day and the interactions of applicants with residency programs. We sought to evaluate the impact of a virtual match cycle on applicants’ rank list and Match results.Methods We surveyed applicants who were offered an interview for...

Introduction For decades, the three-digit United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1 score has been used to competitively evaluate and compare candidates during the residency application process. Starting in 2022, however, all Step 1 scores will be converted to pass/fail. A different quantitative measure will likely gain importance in its stead, o...

Purpose High-risk breast pathology is a breast cancer risk factor for which timely treatment is crucial. Nurse navigation programs have been implemented to minimize delays in patient care. This study evaluated nurse navigation in terms of timeliness to surgery for patients with high-risk breast pathology. Methods This was a single-institution, retr...

Background Boswellic acids, the active components of frankincense, have been shown to suppress tumor proliferation and apoptosis in vitro with a strong clinical trial safety profile in patients with inflammatory diseases. We performed a Phase Ia window of opportunity trial of Boswellia serrata (B. serrata), the plant that produces frankincense, in...

Purpose of Review Burnout disproportionately affects healthcare providers and impacts patient care and providers’ quality of life (QoL). This review sought to define and dissect techniques used across the country to combat burnout during graduate surgical medical education. Recent Findings Growing literature exploring the effects of burnout interv...

BACKGROUND: The South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE) U54 conducted the Culturally-Sensitive, State-of-the-Art Treatment to Eliminate Cancer Disparities Conference in February of 2021. This virtual live webinar was a cancer-disparities-focused Continuing Medical Education (CME) Conference, held for health professionals and co...

Background Access to elective surgical procedures has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We sought to understand the patient experience by developing and distributing an anonymous online survey to those who underwent non-emergency surgery at a large academic tertiary medical center between March and October 2020. Results The survey w...

PurposeShave margins have been shown to decrease positive final margins in partial mastectomy. We investigated prognostic factors associated with residual disease in shave margins.Methods Patients with invasive breast carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who had circumferential shave margins excised during lumpectomy were abstracted from a...

Background Indications for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in the population with thin melanoma have frequently changed over time. The objective of our study was to evaluate T1 melanoma pathologic features predictive of SLN positivity with a primary focus on identifying a specific mitotic value that is most predictive of lymph node disease. Furthe...

Background: Resident burnout is associated with increased adverse patient events and increased incidence of resident depression and suicide when compared to the general population. We hypothesized that resident-driven assessment and implementation of wellness measures would allow implementation of desired interventions and facilitate improvement i...

Background: Standardized prescribing practices are recommended to decrease opioid abuse, however, data regarding the handling and disposal of leftover narcotics are lacking. This quality improvement project and analysis evaluated implementation of standardized prescribing, opioid education, and a narcotic disposal system. Methods: This initiativ...

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has spread beyond those infected with SARS-CoV-2. Its widespread consequences have affected cancer patients whose surgeries may be delayed in order to minimize exposure and conserve resources. Methods: Experts in each surgical oncology subspecialty were selected to perform a review of the relevant...

Purpose Lifestyle factors associated with personal behavior can alter tumor-associated biological pathways and thereby increase cancer risk, growth, and disease recurrence. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are reactive metabolites produced endogenously as a by-product of normal metabolism. A Western lifestyle also promotes AGE accumulation in...

Background Single-session intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) minimizes treatment demands associated with traditional whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) but outcomes on local disease control and morbidity among the elderly is limited. Methods A multi-institutional retrospective registry was established from 19 centers utilizing IORT from 20...

Objectives: Regional therapy for metastatic melanoma to the liver represents an alternative to systemic therapy. Hepatic progression-free survival (HPFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Materials and methods: A retrospective review of patients with liver metastases from cutaneous or uveal melanoma trea...

Purpose: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a form of breast irradiation that is delivered in a single session at the time of partial mastectomy. In up to 10% of patients, planned IORT is not completed; this leads to wasted resources and decreased patient satisfaction. Our objective was to evaluate factors associated with failure to comple...

Background: The incidence and outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) varies by age. Younger patients tend to have sporadic cancers that are not detected by screening and worse survival. To understand whether genetic differences exist between age cohorts, the authors sought to characterize unique genetic alterations in patients with CRC....

Background Single-dose intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is an emerging treatment for women with early stage breast cancer. The objective of this study was to define the frequency of IORT use, patient selection, and outcomes of patients treated in North America. Methods A multi-institutional retrospective registry was created, and 19 institutions...

The impact of body weight on outcomes after robotic-assisted esophageal surgery for cancer has not been studied. We examined the short-term operative outcomes in patients according to their body mass index following robotic-assisted Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy at a high-volume tertiary-care referral cancer center and evaluated the safety of robotic su...

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCR) for the treatment of esophageal cancer has been associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. Minimally invasive procedures utilizing robotic techniques have been shown to reduce perioperative complications and length of hospitalization (LOH). The purpose of this study is to compar...

Background: In the absence of iliac or obturator nodal involvement, the role of pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND) for melanoma is controversial, but for select patients, long-term survival can be achieved with the combination of superficial inguinal (inguinofemoral) and PLND. Open PLND (oPLND) is often limited in visual exposure and can be associated...

Background: Hepatic metastases of colorectal carcinoma are a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The vast majority of colorectal liver metastases become refractory to chemotherapy and biologic agents, at which point the median overall survival declines to 4-5 months. Radioembolization with yttrium-90 has been used in the salvage setting wit...

Objectives: There is currently no reliable method to predict the risk of relapse after curative resection of early-stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Increased glucose metabolism observed on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) by malignant cells, the Warburg effect, is a well-known characteristic of the malignant phenotype. We i...

Primary breast cancer presenting in ectopic axillary breast tissue comprises < 1% of all breast cancers each year. These rare presentations are easily mistaken for axillary nodal metastasis, which might be detrimental to the patient. We present a series of 3 patients all treated at a single tertiary cancer center and propose a management algorithm...

An increasing proportion of breast cancer patients undergo contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) to reduce their risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC). Our goal was to evaluate CBC risk perception changes over time among breast cancer patients. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study of women with newly diagnosed unilateral breast...

Robotic assisted approaches to esophagectomy have demonstrated decreased complications and length of hospitalization. We sought to examine the impact of age on outcomes in patients undergoing robotic assisted Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (RAIL). A retrospective review of all patients undergoing RAIL from 2009-2013 was conducted. Statistical analysis wa...

The liver is the most common site for colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases. Radioembolization with yttrium-90 (Y90) represents an alternative approach in the management of unresectable hepatic colorectal metastases. The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes after treatment with Y90. A retrospective review of patients undergoing Y90 glass m...

632 Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in adults <50 years old and these cases may be associated with a worse prognosis. Despite our growing understanding of genetic conditions, a substantial number of CRC in young patients are classified as sporadic but may harbor unique molecular changes. We sought to compare profi...

171 Background: Surgery is pivotal in the management of patients with esophageal cancer. Recent prospective data demonstrates advantages of minimally invasive techniques. However, varying surgical techniques precludes the recommendation of a standard approach. We sought to examine our outcomes with differing approaches to minimally invasive esophag...

210 Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NT) has become the standard for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Thirty percent of patients who undergo esophagectomy will develop atrial fibrillation (AF). NT may contribute to patients developing AF and this may be a surrogate for anastomotic dehiscence (AD). Methods: We queried a prosp...

371 Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are a rare group of tumors with variable biologic activity that have a propensity for hepatic metastases. Complete surgical resection or debulking is the standard of care while chemotherapy is reserved for unresectable disease. However, liver directed therapy utilizing radioembolization with yttrium-90 (y...

In-transit disease is defined as any dermal or subcutaneous metastases that arise between the primary melanoma but not beyond the draining regional nodal basin. Patients who develop in-transit disease are at further risk to develop additional locoregional and distant disease. Treatment must be individualized and take into consideration the extent o...

Eligibility criteria for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for breast cancer are being established. Impact of age, one criterion, on short-term complications/outcomes was evaluated. Institutional Review Board approved retrospective review of early-stage breast cancer patients undergoing breast conserving surgery and IORT from January 2011 to...

93 Background: Esophageal cancer continues to increase in incidence worldwide with the age of diagnosis continuing to move towards an older onset. Robotic assisted approaches to esophagectomy have demonstrated decreased complications and length of hospitalization (LOH). We sought to examine the impact of age on outcomes in patients undergoing robot...

To determine outcomes of accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) with MammoSite in the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) after breast-conserving surgery. We conducted a prospective, multicenter trial between 2003 and 2009. Inclusion criteria included age >18 years, core needle biopsy diagnosis of DCIS, and no prior breast cancer hi...

Background and aim: Regional lymph nodes are the most frequent site of spread of metastatic melanoma. Operative intervention remains the only potential for cure, but the reported morbidity rate associated with inguinal lymphadenectomy is approximately 50%. Minimally invasive lymph node dissection (MILND) is an alternative approach to traditional,...

Introduction: The timing of surgical resection for stage IV colon cancer with liver metastasis and the safety of simultaneous colon and liver resection remains controversial. The purpose of our study was to evaluate short-term outcomes after combined colon and liver resection (CCLR) versus colon resection (CR) or liver resection alone (LR) using a...

Tumescence is the injection of local anesthetic and crystalloid into the subcutaneous tissue to establish a bloodless plane for surgical dissection. The aim of our study was to evaluate outcomes after mastectomy with tumescent technique compared to electrocautery dissection. We conducted a single-institution retrospective evaluation of patients who...

The AJCC staging system and post-operative nomograms use patient and tumor characteristics to provide prognostic estimates after resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS). While these variables help to predict survival at the time of diagnosis and resection, the applicability of these prognostic factors to survivors of RPS remains unknown. We hypo...

The rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) has recently increased. The aim of this study is to assess perceptions of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk among breast cancer patients and to evaluate tumor and patient factors associated with risk perception. We conducted a prospective survey study to evaluate perceptions of CBC risk i...

The purpose of this study was to review the authors' experience with pediatric burns from day-old campfires. The authors sought to characterize the operative courses, hospitalizations, and complications arising from burn injuries in this patient population. After Institutional Review Board approval, charts were retrospectively reviewed of pediatric...

In 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration approved an implantable balloon catheter that delivers accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). The objective of the current study was to determine the use of implantable APBI (IAPBI) in the United States and factors associated with IAPBI use. By using the Surv...

Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used for breast cancer treatment planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate rates of mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in patients who undergo preoperative MRI. We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who underwent surgical treatment of breast cancer at a single center...

Introduction In 2002 the Food and Drug Administration approved a device, MammoSite, that delivers accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Our aim was to determine outcomes with MammoSite in the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Methods We conducted a prospective multi-center trial between 2003 and 2009. Inclusion criteria include...

The overall rates of BCS have remained stable or slightly increased over the past decade in the United States. The CPM rates have markedly increased while unilateral mastectomy rates have decreased. Increasingly, more women are not receiving RT after BCS, particularly high-risk women. These trends have important potential untoward consequences. Str...

Oxaliplatin (OX) is increasingly used for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPC) for patients with peritoneal metastases. Our aim was to review electrolyte disturbances and complications after HIPC with oxaliplatin (OX) versus mitomycin C (MMC). We included patients enrolled in single-institution prospective clinical trials who underwent...

After the National Institutes of Health Consensus Statement in 1990, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) became more common while mastectomy rates decreased. However, several recently published single-institution studies have reported an increase in mastectomy rates in the past decade. We conducted a population-based study to evaluate national trends i...

Selected high-risk women without breast cancer choose to undergo bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (BPM) to reduce their risk of developing the disease. Several studies have reported that BPM significantly reduces, but does not eliminate, breast cancer risk. Few studies have reported rates or trends of BPM use. Patients with unilateral breast cance...