Recent Publications by CFE Educators

OBJECTIVE

To further explore the issue of work parity between male and female urologists in the context of demographics, practice characteristics, subspecialty affiliation, and planned retirement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2014 American Urological Association census, which is a specialty wide survey distributed to the entire urology community in the United States. A total of 2204 census samples were weighted to represent 11,703 urologists who practiced in the United States in 2014. We compared clinical and nonclinical hours worked by gender after adjusting for age, practice setting, fellowship type, and whether or not the urologist performed inpatient operations.

RESULTS

Of the 11,703 practicing urologists in the United States, female urologists make up approximately 7.7% of the workforce (n ~ 897). Female practicing urologists were younger (66.4%, 45 years old), had shorter training intervals, and a younger planned retirement age than their male counterparts (63 years vs 68.5 years, P .001). More women were fellowship-trained in a urologic subspecialty (54.9% vs 34.9%, P .001) and more were in academic practices (33.2% vs 21.9%, P = .03). After adjusting for age, practice type, subspecialty, and inpatient operations performed, there was no difference in hours worked between women and men (beta-coefficient -2.8, 95% confidence interval -6.4 to 0.7, P = .12).

CONCLUSION

Gender does not appear to drive the number of hours urologists work per week. There is work hour parity between women and men practicing urologists in both clinical and nonclinical hours. Women are proportionately more likely to pursue fellowship training and hold academic positions.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

For lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), real-time tumor tracking (RTT) allows for less radiation to normal lung compared to the internal target volume (ITV) method of respiratory motion management. To quantify the advantage of RTT, we examined the difference in radiation pneumonitis risk between these two techniques using a normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model.

MATERIALS/METHOD

20 lung SBRT treatment plans using RTT were replanned with the ITV method using respiratory motion information from a 4D-CT image acquired at the original simulation. Risk of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis was calculated for both plans using a previously derived NTCP model. Features available before treatment planning that identified significant increase in NTCP with ITV versus RTT plans were identified.

RESULTS

Prescription dose to the planning target volume (PTV) ranged from 22 to 60 Gy in 1-5 fractions. The median tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (range 2.1-5.5 cm) with a median volume of 14.5 mL (range 3.6-59.9 mL). The median increase in PTV volume from RTT to ITV plans was 17.1 mL (range 3.5-72.4 mL), and the median increase in PTV/lung volume ratio was 0.46% (range 0.13-1.98%). Mean lung dose and percentage dose-volumes were significantly higher in ITV plans at all levels tested. The median NTCP was 5.1% for RTT plans and 8.9% for ITV plans, with a median difference of 1.9% (range 0.4-25.5%, pairwise P 0.001). Increases in NTCP between plans were best predicted by increases in PTV volume and PTV/lung volume ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of RTT decreased the risk of radiation pneumonitis in all plans. However, for most patients the risk reduction was minimal. Differences in plan PTV volume and PTV/lung volume ratio may identify patients who would benefit from RTT technique before completing treatment planning.

BACKGROUND

To compare final height to mid-parental target height among adults with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) versus adult-onset SLE (aSLE), and to evaluate the impact of age at SLE onset on final height.

METHODS

Data derived from the Lupus Outcomes Study, a longitudinal cohort of adults with SLE, was used for this cross-sectional analysis (N = 728). Participants aged 18-63 years with complete height data were included (N = 566) and were classified as cSLE if age at diagnosis was  18 years (N = 72). The Tanner formula was used to calculate mid-parental target height. Multivariate linear regression was used to determine mean difference between final height and target height. Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare odds of substantially reduced final height, defined as > 2 SD below target height. Separate analyses were conducted for females and males to account for differences in timing of the pubertal growth spurt for each sex.

RESULTS

Participants with cSLE were, on average, 2.4 cm shorter than their target height (95% CI -4, - 0.7). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for substantially reduced final height was 3.9 (95% CI + 2.0, + 7.2, p  0.001) as compared to participants with aSLE. Females diagnosed between 11 and 13 years were at greatest risk for substantially reduced final height, with adjusted OR of 11.2 (95% CI + 3.4, + 36.3) as compared to participants with aSLE (p  0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

cSLE is associated with shorter-than-expected final height. Onset of SLE in the pubertal period, near the time of maximum linear growth, may have a particularly significant impact on final height.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed whether type 2 diabetes is associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), independent of key potential confounders, in two large prospective cohorts with biennially updated covariate data.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 117,570 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and 48,866 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) were followed from 1976 and 1986, respectively, through 2014. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for associations between type 2 diabetes and pathology-confirmed RCC, overall and by stage, grade, and histologic subtype.

RESULTS

During 38 years of follow-up in the NHS, we confirmed 418 RCC case subjects, including 120 fatal cases. Over 28 years in the HPFS, we confirmed 302 RCC case subjects, including 87 fatal cases. Women with type 2 diabetes had a significantly increased risk of RCC compared with women without type 2 diabetes (multivariable HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.14-2.04), with some evidence that the association was stronger for ≤5 (HR 2.15; 95% CI 1.44-3.23) than >5 (HR 1.22; 95% CI 0.84-1.78) years' duration of type 2 diabetes ( 0.03). Among men, type 2 diabetes was not associated with total RCC (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.56-1.41) or with RCC defined by stage, grade, or subtype. Sample sizes for analyses by stage, grade, and subtype were limited.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that type 2 diabetes was independently associated with a greater risk of RCC in women but not in men.

PURPOSE

To assess the optimal structure of an introductory curriculum (IC) for radiation oncology residents, including the perceived utility of a 2-day off-site "boot camp," and evaluate the success of a pilot introductory radiation oncology curriculum (IROC) based on these initial data.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

In the first phase, anonymous, web-based surveys were sent to US radiation oncology program directors and residents. Likert-type scores (1, not at all; 5, extremely) are reported as the median and interquartile range. Using the phase 1 results, IROC was developed, piloted, and evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 89 program directors and 697 residents, 47 (53%) and 165 (24%) responded, respectively. Of the 89 program directors, 37 (79%) reported offering a formal IC. However, only 83 residents (50%) reported having a formal IC. Program directors reported resident preparation for clinical training as "moderate" (median 3, interquartile range 2-3) on entering residency and "moderate" (median 3, interquartile range 3-4) after IC completion (P = .03). However, residents only believed they were "slightly" prepared (median 2, interquartile range 1-2) on entering residency and "moderately" (median 3, interquartile range 2-3) prepared after IC completion (P  .01). Program directors believed an off-site boot camp would be of "moderate" utility (median 3, interquartile range 3-4) with participation limited by funding (57%). Residents without an IC reported that having an IC would be "quite" beneficial (median 4, interquartile range 3-5). Residents preferred instruction before the clinical training (49%) and over 1 week (40%). Both program directors and residents rated lectures on radiation emergencies and simulation highly. Using these data, IROC was developed and piloted with incoming residents at 4 institutions. After IROC, residents reported improvement in overall preparedness for clinical training (before: median 1, interquartile range 1-2; vs after: median 3, interquartile range 2-3; P  .01) and among specific practice domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Beginning radiation oncology residents frequently lack structured introductory curricula but desire instruction before the clinical training with a focus on practical aspects (emergency management, contouring). Program directors recognize the value of both off-site and on-site boot camps. An on-site IC could mitigate funding barriers. A standardized IC, IROC, piloted at 4 programs, showed promising outcomes.

While prior meta-analyses in anatomy education have explored the effects of laboratory pedagogies and histology media on learner performance, the effects of student-centered learning (SCL) and computer-aided instruction (CAI) have not been broadly evaluated. This research sought to answer the question, "How effective are student-centered pedagogies and CAI at increasing student knowledge gains in anatomy compared to traditional didactic approaches?" Relevant studies published within the past 51 years were searched using five databases. Predetermined eligibility criteria were applied to the screening of titles and abstracts to discern their appropriateness for study inclusion. A summary effect size was estimated to determine the effects of SCL and CAI on anatomy performance outcomes. A moderator analysis of study features was also performed. Of the 3,035 records screened, 327 underwent full-text review. Seven studies, which comprised 1,564 participants, were included in the SCL analysis. An additional 19 studies analyzed the effects of CAI in the context of 2,570 participants. Upon comparing SCL to traditional instruction, a small positive effect on learner performance was detected (standardized mean difference (SMD = 0.24; [CI = 0.07, 0.42]; P = 0.006). Likewise, students with CAI exposure moderately outscored those with limited or no access to CAI (SMD = 0.59; [CI = 0.20, 0.98]; P = 0.003). Further analysis of CAI studies identified effects (P ≤ 0.001) for learner population, publication period, interventional approach, and intervention frequency. Overall, learners exposed to SCL and supplemental CAI outperformed their more classically-trained peers as evidenced by increases in short-term knowledge gains. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

BACKGROUND

Pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have increased risk of adverse outcomes including disease flare, spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia/eclampsia, premature birth and maternal death. However, pregnancy outcomes among adolescents and young women with SLE have not been well-explored. Our objective was to compare risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in adolescents and young women with SLE to risk among peers without SLE.

METHODS

We studied the 2000-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) to estimate the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with SLE aged ≤ 21 years at time of delivery. Outcomes were compared to peers without SLE by using multivariate logistic regression to calculate odds ratios and risk differences. Additionally, differences in length of stay and total charges per hospitalization were described.

RESULTS

There were 8,791,391 unique pregnancies, of which 4002 occurred in young women with SLE. After adjustment for age, race, insurance type and quartile of median income based on patient ZIP code individuals with SLE had increased odds of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.3-4.6), maternal death (OR 80, 95% CI 10-604), preterm birth (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2-3.7), spontaneous abortion (OR 5.1, 95% CI 2.8-9.6), and induced abortion (OR 30, 95% CI 14-63). The increase in risk among women with SLE was greatest for preterm birth (RD 11%, 95% CI 6-16), pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (RD 9%, 95% CI 5-13), and spontaneous abortion (RD 4%, 95% CI 0.9-6). Risk difference for induced abortion was 2% with 95% CI 0.6-4, while the difference in risk for maternal death did not reach statistical significance (RD 0.4, 95% CI -0.4-1).

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents and young women with SLE experience increased risk of adverse, pregnancy-specific outcomes as compared to their peers, including pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, maternal death, preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, and induced abortion. Additionally, length of stay and total charges for hospitalization are increased.