Sydney Cancer Center - Surgical Outcomes Research Centre

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Research Overview
SOuRCe is a conjoint unit of Sydney South West Area Health Service and the University of Sydney. The program incorporates cancer-based work including patient preferences for controversial cancer treatments, clinical trials of surgical procedures and the development and evaluation of support resources to improve patient outcomes. Research also includes health service utilisation and health economics.

2006/2007 Highlights
We were awarded a Cancer Institute NSW Health Services Research Program Grant that provides significant funding over three years for research to improve cancer care co-ordination. The research program includes studies to develop novel measures of care co-ordination and to develop a nurse-led, centralised, care co-ordination intervention for post-operative patients that will be evaluated in a large, multicentre randomised trial. We also will develop and evaluate novel software to assist care co-ordination in collaboration with the E-Health Research Centre of the CSIRO. Although the research will focus on people with colorectal cancer in the first instance, the research will be broadly applicable to other patient groups. This funding will enable us to build capacity in cancer services research by providing employment opportunities for early career researchers as well as funding a number of scholarships for postgraduate students.

We have completed studies of the quality of life and levels of unmet psychosocial need in the six months following surgery among patients discharged from RPAH following treatment for colorectal or upper gastrointestinal malignancies.

We completed a detailed analysis of data from the NSW Colorectal Cancer Care Study in collaboration with the Cancer Council NSW. This analysis demonstrated highly variable application of NHMRC guidelines for the management of people with colorectal cancer in NSW. Patient, surgeon and hospital factors that predicted concordance with key guidelines recommendations were investigated. Although there was almost uniform concordance with guidelines for antibiotic and thrombo-embolic prophylaxis for surgical patients, adjuvant therapies were under-utilised, particularly among older people. Using this population-based dataset, we also have investigated potential quality indicators for colorectal cancer surgery based on processes and outcomes of care.

We have been awarded a grant from the University of Sydney Cancer Research Fund to investigate surgeons’ and patients’ views of the usefulness of different formats of decision aids to enhance treatment decision-making for people with rectal cancer.

We have started a program of research to investigate surgical outcomes and quality of life following pelvic exenteration surgery for cancer.

Publications 2006/2007
1. Abraham NS, Hewett P, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Non-entry of eligible patients into the Australasian Laparoscopic Colon Cancer Study. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2006; 76: 825-829

2. Butow PN, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Whelan T, Salkeld G, Wilson K, Harrison JD, , Hruby G, Mansour O, Kennedy N, Tattersall M. Consumer impact of an interactive decision aid for rectal cancer patients offered adjuvant therapy. Colorectal Disease 2006; 8: 676-82

3. Salkeld G, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Consumer choice and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (Editorial). Medical Journal of Australia 2006; 184: 541-2

4. Salkeld G, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Consumer choice and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (letter). Medical Journal of Australia (accepted 12 July 2006)

5. Jamtvedt G, Young JM, Kristoffersen DT, O’Brien MA, Oxman AD. Does telling people what they have been doing change what they do? A systematic review of the effects of audit and feedback. Quality and Safety in Health Care 2006; 15: 433-6

6. Choy E, Chiu A, Butow P, Young JM, Spillane A. A pilot study to evaluate the impact of involving breast cancer patients in the multidisciplinary discussion of their disease and treatment plan. The Breast (accepted 5 October 2006)

7. Harrison JD, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Meagher A, Butow P, Salkeld G, Hruby G, Clarke S. Patient and clinician preferences for surgical and adjuvant treatment options for rectal cancer. Annals of Surgery (accepted 22 December 2006)

8. Abraham N, Byrne C, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Meta-analysis of non-randomised studies of laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection. ANZ Journal of Surgery (accepted 13 January 2007)

9. Young JM, Leong D, Armstrong K, O’Connell D, Armstrong B, Spigelman A, Ackland S, Chapuis P, Kneebone A, Solomon MJ. Concordance with national guidelines for colorectal cancer care – a population-based patterns of care study of 3,096 patients Medical Journal of Australia 2007;186:292-295

10. Harrison JD, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Meagher A, Butow P, Salkeld G, Hruby G, Clarke S. Surgical and oncology trials for rectal cancer: who will participate? Surgery (accepted 3 February 2007)

Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOuRCe)
Publications 2006-2007

Young JM, O’Brien C, Harrison J, Solomon. Measuring clinicians’ equipoise and willingness to participate in randomized controlled trials in head and neck oncology. Head & Neck 2006; 253-43

Jatan A, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Cooper M, Pathma-Nathan N. Laparoscopic management of rectal endometriosis. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 2006; 49: 169-74

Abraham NS, Young JM, Solomon MJ. A systematic review of reasons for non-entry of eligible patients into surgical randomized controlled trials. Surgery 2006; 139: 469-83

Harris I, Mourad M, Kadir A, Solomon MJ, Young JM. Publication bias in papers from the Australian Orthopaedic Association Annual meeting. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2006; 76: 427-31

Salked G, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Consumer choice and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (Editorial) Medical Journal of Australia 2006; 184: 541-2

Jamtvedt G, Young JM, Krostoffersen DT, O’Brien MA, Oxman AD. Audit and feedback: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006; Isssue 2. Art. No.: CD000259. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD000259.pub2

Abraham NS, DuraiRaj R, Young JM, Solomon MJ. How does an historical control study of a surgical procedure compare with the gold standard? Diseases of the colon and Rectum 2006; 49: 1141-1148

Abraham NS, Hewett P, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Non-entry of eligible patients into the Australasian Laparoscopic Colon Cancer Study. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2006; 76: 825-829

Butow PN, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Whelan T, Salkeld G, Wilson K, Harrison JD, Hruby G, Mansour O, Kennedy N, Tattersall M. Consumer impact of an interactive decision aid for rectal cancer patients offered adjuvant therapy. Colorectal Disease 2006;
8: 676-82

Abraham NS, Hewett P, Young JM, Solomon MJ. A prospective study of reasons non- entry of eligible patients of into a surgical multicentre randomized controlled trial (The ALCCaS). ANZ Journal of Surgery 2006; 76: 825-829

Salkeld G, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Consumer choice and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (letter). Medical Journal of Australia 2006; 184: 541-2

Jamtvedt G, Young JM, Kristoffersen DT, O’Brien MA, Oxman AD. Does telling people what they have been doing change what they do? A systematic review of the effects of audit and feedback. Quality and Safety in Health Care 2006; 15: 433-6

Harris I, Mourad M, Kadir A, Solomon MJ, YoungJM. Publication bias in papers from the Australian Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2006; 76: 427-31

Huilgol RL, Young JM, Stephen MS, May J, Harris JP, White GH. Durability of Autogenous vein and PTFE Bybass Grafts to the Carotid Arteries. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2006; 76: 878-881

Shin JS, Hong A, Solomon MJ, Lee CS. The role of telomeres and telomerase in the pathology of human cancer and aging. Pathology 2006; 38: 103-13

Seddiki N, Santner-Nanan B, Tangye SG, Alexander SI, Solomon MJ, Lee S, et al. Persistence of naive CD45RA+ regulatory T cells in adult life. Blood 2006; 107: 2830-8

Seddiki, N., Santner-Nanan B, Martinson J, Zaunders J, Sasson S, Landay A, Solomon MJ, Selby W, Alexander SI, Nanan R, Kelleher A and Fazekas de St Groth B. Expression of IL-2 and IL-7 receptors discriminates between human regulatory and activated T cells. J. Exp. Med.203: 1693-1700, 2006

Ellmark P, Belov L, Huang P, Lee CS, Solomon MJ, Morgan DK, Christopherson RI. Multiplex detection of surface molecules on colorectal cancers. Proteomics 2006; 6: 1791-802

Andrews L, Mireskandari S, Jessen J, Thewes B, Solomon MJ, Macrae F, Meiser B. Impact of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) on young adults: Attitudes to genetic testing, support and information needs. Genetics in Medicine 2006; 8: 697-703

Harrison JD, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Meagher A, Butow P, Salkeld G, Hruby G, Clarke S. Surgical and oncology trials for rectal cancer: who will participate? Surgery 2007; 142: 94-100

Young JM, Leong D, Armstrong K, O’Connell D, Armstrong B, Spigelman A, Ackland S, Chapuis P, Kneebone A, Solomon MJ. Concordance with national guidelines for colorectal cancer care – a population-based patterns of care study of 3,096 patients Medical Journal of Australia 2007; 186: 292-295

Choy E, Chiu A, Butow P, Young JM, Spillane A. A pilot study to evaluate the impact of involving breast cancer patients in the multidisciplinary discussion of their disease and treatment plan. The Breast 2007; 16: 178-189

Byrne C, Solomon JM, Young JM, Rex J, Heggie D, Merlino C. Biofeedback for faecal incontinence – short term outcomes of 513 consecutive patients and predictors of successful treatment. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 2007; 50: 417-27

Rickard MJFX, Young CJ, Bissett I, Stitz, R, Solomon MJ et al. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: The Australasian Experience. Colorectal Disease 2007; 9: 139-145

Butow P, Harrison JD, Choy ET, Young JM, Spillane A, Evans A. Health professional and consumer views on involving breast cancer patients in the multidisciplinary discussion of their disease and treatment plan. Cancer 2007; 110: 1937-1944

Harris I, Young JM, Hamish Rae, Bin B Jalaludin Solomon MJ. Factors associated with back pain after physical injury: a survey of consecutive major trauma patients. The Spine 2007; 32: 1561-65

Abraham N, Byrne C, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Meta-analysis of non-randomised studies of laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2007; 77: 508-516

Harris IA, Dao A, Young JM, Rae H, Jalaludin B, Solomon MJ. Factors predicting satisfaction following major trauma. Injury, 2007; 38(9): 1102-8

Harris IA, Mourad M, Kadir A, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Publication bias in abstracts presented to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2007; 15(1): 62-5

Articles in press

Harrison JD, Solomon MJ, Young JM, Meagher A, Butow P, Salkeld G, Hruby G, Clarke S. Patient and clinician preferences for surgical and adjuvant treatment options for rectal cancer. Annals of Surgery

Byrne C. Harrison J, Young JM, Solomon MJ. Including the questionnaire with a letter of invitation did not improve response rates in a telephone survey. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

Harris I, Young JM, Solomon MJ, Rae H. Predictors of general health outcome after major trauma. Journal of Trauma

Harris IA, Khoo O, Young JM, Rae H, Jalaludin B, Solomon MJ. Lottery incentives didn't improve response rate to a mailed survey: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Epidemiology

Harris IA, Young JM, Rae H, Jalaludin B, Solomon MJ. Predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder following major trauma: a survey of consecutive major trauma patients. In press, Aust NZ J Surg

Harris IA, Young JM, Rae H, Jalaludin B, Solomon MJ. Physical and psychosocial factors associated with neck pain after major accidental trauma. European Journal of Trauma

Harris IA, Young JM, Rae H, Jalaludin B, Solomon MJ. The effect of compensation on general health in patients sustaining fractures in motor vehicle trauma. In press, Journal of Orthopedic Trauma.