Cooper University Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility located in Camden, New Jersey. The hospital formerly served as a clinical campus of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Affiliated with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, the hospital offers training programs for medical students, residents, fellows, nurses, and allied health professionals. In partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Cooper operates a comprehensive cancer center serving patients in New Jersey and the Delaware Valley.Cooper is affiliated with the Coriell Institute for Medical Research and is a tertiary partner for twenty-one regional hospitals.
Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare neuroendocrine malignancy arising from parafollicular C cells. Diagnosis is based on cytologic and histologic features, supported by biochemical testing for calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen, RET germline testing, and appropriate imaging. This educational review, developed by the Society of Surgical Oncology's Endocrine and Head and Neck Disease Site Working Group, provides an updated overview of the diagnosis and management of MTC, emphasizing evolving surgical principles and the integration of targeted therapies. Ongoing multidisciplinary collaboration and participation in clinical trials remain essential to further refine prognostic tools, optimize treatment sequencing, and improve patient outcomes in MTC.
New hematology/oncology fellows must rapidly master a wide breadth of clinical information to care for patients with varied diseases. Fellowship programs have wrestled with the most effective way to structure introductory didactics to optimally deliver relevant and appropriate information. We redesigned our 3-month introductory lecture series using a near-peer teaching model. Senior fellows were assigned to lecture on topics from our syllabus that align with their interests and paired with faculty who served as content experts. We hypothesized this approach would result in more fellows rating lectures as targeted to the right educational level; secondarily, this would foster senior fellows’ skills as educators. We present data from the first three years of curriculum implementation. Overall, the redesign was feasible with a several-month preparatory period. Most (71
BACKGROUND:The use of balloon guide catheter (BGC) has been associated with better reperfusion and clinical outcomes in mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for large vessel occlusion stroke. However, the impact of BGC on angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) strokes undergoing MT has not been extensively investigated. METHODS:This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database from 14 comprehensive stroke centers in the United States and Europe. Patients with anterior circulation DMVO due to middle cerebral artery (MCA) M3/M4 or anterior cerebral artery (ACA) A1/A2-3 were included. The cohort was divided into BGC and non-BGC groups. Multivariable logistic regression and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used for comparison. The primary outcome was first pass effect (FPE) defined as modified treatment in cerebral infarction (mTICI) grade 2C/3 after single device pass. RESULTS:Among 199 patients who were eligible for analysis, 81 (40.7%) were female. The median age was 69 (60-81) years, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 13 (7-18). The BGC group (n=73) had higher rates of FPE (53.4% vs 13.7%; IPTW aOR 5.63, 95%CI (2.43 to 13.10), P<0.001) compared with the non-BGC group (n=126). The BGC group had higher rates of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-1 (42.9% vs 27.1%; IPTW aOR 2.78, 95% CI (1.10 to 7.07), P=0.031), mRS 0-2 (60.3% vs 41.5%; IPTW aOR 4.31, 95% CI (1.66 to 11.19), P=0.003), and lower rates of mortality at 90-days (12.7% vs 25.4%; IPTW aOR 0.32, 95% CI (0.11 to 0.98), P=0.047) compared with the non-BGC group. The rates of successful reperfusion at the end of the procedure and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage were comparable between both groups. CONCLUSION:The present study suggests that the use of BGC in DMVO undergoing MT may be associated with improved angiographic and clinical outcomes with no safety concerns. Prospective studies are warranted.
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia globally and is increasingly recognized as being influenced by environmental exposures. While air pollution is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, its specific relationship to AF remains undetermined. This systematic review aims to synthesize current evidence on the association between air pollution and AF, identifying key pollutants, exposure patterns, and population vulnerabilities. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and other databases was conducted to identify cohort, case-crossover, and time-series studies examining the effects of ambient air pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 , CO, and O 3 ) on AF outcomes in adults. Data on study design, pollutant levels, AF metrics, and population characteristics were extracted and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to evaluate the selected study quality. Results: Thirty-one studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing over 63 million participants across North America, Europe, and Asia. PM 2.5 was the most studied and most consistently associated pollutant, with 21 of 29 studies showing significant positive associations with AF risk. Several studies identified elevated AF incidence even at pollutant levels below WHO air quality guidelines. Subgroup analyses revealed that individuals with comorbidities (eg, diabetes, obesity, hypertension), women, and older adults may be more vulnerable to pollution-related AF. Study methodologies varied widely in terms of pollutant measurement, AF detection, and temporal resolution, affecting comparability. Conclusions: This review affirms a significant association between air pollution, particularly PM 2.5 and NO 2 , and the risk of atrial fibrillation. The findings suggest that even pollutant concentrations deemed “safe” may increase AF risk, particularly in vulnerable populations. Future research should standardize exposure assessment and explore understudied pollutants and effect modifiers. These results underscore the importance of air quality regulations as a public health intervention to reduce AF burden and support cardiovascular health.
