Support Your SSO Colleagues by Participating in Our Research Surveys!
Help advance meaningful research in the field of surgical oncology by taking part in these important surveys created by your peers.
Each survey listed below has been thoughtfully reviewed by SSO members and staff to ensure relevance and quality. Your input is invaluable in shaping the future of our specialty.
Thank you for taking the time to contribute!
CINDERELLA Project
Author: Eduard-Alexandru Bonci, MD, PhD
The survey aims to evaluate the state-of-the-art in aesthetic outcome evaluation and prediction for breast cancer surgery, and to identify factors influencing the adoption of AI-supported tools in clinical practice. It is closely aligned with the objectives of the CINDERELLA Project, a European Union-funded initiative applying AI to improve aesthetic outcome prediction in breast cancer care.
The underlying hypothesis is that greater awareness and availability of AI-supported tools correlate with higher adoption rates of aesthetic evaluation and prediction methods in breast cancer care. The findings will inform how increased integration of aesthetic considerations and AI tools can improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
A short video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bic1G3ymEX8
Website of our project funded by the European Union: https://cinderellaproject.eu/
Staging Laparoscopy for Gastric Cancer
Author: SSO Gastrointestinal Disease-Site Work group
The purpose of this survey is to characterize contemporary practices among surgical oncologists and to identify areas of variability in staging laparoscopy and peritoneal washing techniques.
We hypothesize that techniques for performing and processing peritoneal washings in gastric cancer vary substantially across surgeons, pathologists, and institutions, and that practicing surgeons recognize this variability and express interest in standardization of the procedure.
Specific aims are to characterize current practices in staging laparoscopy and the collection and processing of peritoneal washings among practicing surgical oncologists through a national survey, with the goal of identifying areas of variability and informing future efforts toward procedural standardization to improve the accuracy of peritoneal staging.
National Practice Patterns in Treatment and Surveillance of Male Breast Cancer: A Survey Study
Author: Jennifer Q. Zhang, MD
This data will be used to explore current breast cancer practices in male breast cancer (MBC). MBC is extremely rare and makes up only 1% of all breast malignancies. Management of MBC is extrapolated from current treatment guidelines on female breast cancer (FBC). However, studies have suggested that MBC has a different tumor biology and presentation than FBC, suggesting that MBC should be considered a distinct disease. The purpose of this survey is to identify trends in current practices and views by surgeons on treatment of MBC.
Chemoprophylaxis for Venus Thromboembolism (VTE) After Cancer Surgery Survey
Author: Ryan Merkow, MD
A University of Chicago research team led by Dr. Ryan Merkow is conducting a survey about current opinion and practice regarding chemoprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism among abdominal/pelvic surgical cancer patients. Please consider taking 5 minutes to assist with this research by reporting your experiences and opinions. Evidence-based policy depends on the generous cooperation of volunteers such as you.
Surgeon Perspectives on Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Chemotherapy in Unresectable, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Author: Dr. Jarnagin & Dr. Feng
The addition of hepatic artery infusion pump (HAIP) therapy with systemic therapy for management of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) has been shown to improve survival outcomes when compared to chemotherapy alone. Despite promising data, HAIP therapy has not been widely implemented, and its use is limited to large academic centers and in highly selective cases. Today, NCCN guidelines discuss HAIP as only a liver-directed adjunct option for unresectable iCCA, whereas systemic therapy and clinical trials remain preferred. Therefore, this cross-sectional survey aims to better understand surgeon perspectives and current practice patterns regarding HAIP use in treating unresectable iCCA. We hypothesize that board-certified surgeons with primarily hepatobiliary training and practice report greater perceived benefit and a higher rate of hepatic artery infusion pump use compared to other board-certified surgical oncologists.
Cognitive Impairment Screening Practices of Surgical Oncologists
Author: Ashley Hafer, MD
The risk of cognitive impairment for adults aged 71 and above is approximately 36%, with risk further increasing with age. Surgical patients with cognitive impairment are at increased risk for mortality, complications such as infections and falls, prolonged hospital length of stay, and ICU admission. The American College of Surgeons recommends screening for cognitive impairment for all patients 65 and older; however, it is unclear how this recommendation translates to practice. We hypothesize that most surgical oncologists are not screening per the guideline recommendations. To evaluate this hypothesis, we would like to survey practicing surgical oncologists regarding their cognitive impairment screening practices. The specific aims of this survey are to define the percentage of surgical oncologists performing cognitive impairment screening, determine which screening tools are most frequently utilized, gauge perceptions regarding screening (benefits and barriers), and assess interest in a novel technology-based screening modality. This project was reviewed by our institution’s IRB and was deemed exempt. The survey questions are attached for review. The data collected will be disseminated via conference presentation and manuscript publication. The data will also be used to aid in the development of a prospective study assessing the validity of a novel, technology-based cognitive impairment assessment tool compared to the current recommended screening test, the Mini-Cog.