In the news

Yanagisawa to present new study on adrenal tumors found in patients with colorectal cancers
Mio Yanagisawa will present new research from the UC Davis Section of Endocrine surgery on adrenal tumors found during the staging and surveillance of patients with colorectal cancer. Adrenal tumors found during the initial staging work-up for colorectal cancers can pose a surgical dilemma for the general surgeon. A benign adrenal tumor can simply be followed while colorectal cancer that has spread to the adrenal glands may require a biopsy and change in treatment.  In this study, Dr. Yanagisawa examined the specific characteristics of an adrenal tumor that increases the likelihood that an adrenal tumor is a metastatic lesion. Knowing these traits will help better stage and guide therapeutic management in patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer.  Dr. Yanagisawa will present her work at the Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Surgical Society Tuscan, AZ this February.

Campbell releases new study on the use of ultrasound to predict malignancy in patients with atypia of undetermined significance
Dr. Campbell is the senor author on a new study that finds both ultrasound findings and nuclear atypia (abnormalities seen in the nucleus of the tumor biopsy) are associated with a thyroid cancer.  The study looked at 97 patients with atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) who went on to have surgery.  Most patients with AUS have about a 5-15% chance of having a cancer, but Dr. Campbell’s paper suggests patients with high-risk ultrasound features and those with nuclear atypia are at an increased risk of having a cancer.  This study will help physicians choose which patients with thyroid nodules need a thyroidectomy and which patients can be observed with ultrasound.  The study appears in the October issue of Annals of Surgical Oncology.

New UC Davis study finds many adrenal tumors are never properly evaluated
James Becker, M.D. and his colleagues in the UC Davis Section of Endocrine Surgery are releasing a study of over 4,600 patients that evaluates the management of incidentally discovered adrenal tumors, commonly termed "adrenal incidentalomas." Adrenal tumors are common findings on CT scans. Most experts feel that patients with adrenal incidentalomas should undergo a proper hormone evaluation and a follow up CT scan to evaluate for cancer or other tumor related problems. In his study, Becker found that only a fraction of patients with incidentally discovered adrenal tumors underwent a hormone evaluation in accordance with expert recommendations. Becker hopes this study will start to provide a framework for a more comprehensive approach to the management of patients with adrenal tumors. Becker will present his findings at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association in Kohala Coast, Hawaii, February 2016.

Anderson to present at ACS annual meeting
Jamie Anderson will presenting research on the risks of parathyroidectomy in dialysis patients at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Surgeons in Chicago. Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, Anderson, and co-author Michael Campbell found that patients on dialysis have an increased risk of complications and death when compared to patients not on dialysis; however, the risks were similar to those seen in dialysis patients undergoing arterial-venous fistula operations for hemodialysis access. The authors hope this information will help physicians counsel their patients as to the risks and benefits of parathyroid surgery in patients with renal failure.

Campbell lead author on new multi-institutional, international study
Endocrine surgeon Michael Campbell, M.D. is lead author on new multi-institutional, international study was released this month. The study is looking at the risk factors of neck hematoma's after thyroidectomy. Dr. Campbell presented the original data at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons last year in Chicago. The publication, "A multi-institutional international study of risk factors for hematoma after thyroidectomy" can be view by clicking here.

The danger of sending patients home too soon after thyroid surgery [read]
Study calls into question the standard six-hour discharge.

Endocrine surgeon brings new expertise to UC Davis [read]
Michael Campbell recently joined UC Davis Health System as its first fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon. Campbell specializes in the evaluation and management of patients with thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pancreas disorders.

The Value of a Multidisciplinary Approach in Endocrine Surgery, Editorial [read]
Read Dr Campbell’s recent editorial published in the World Journal of Endocrine Surgery on the value of multidisciplinary care for patients with thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal disorders.

Dr. Campbell to present his work on the risk of undiagnosed thyroid cancer in patients with multinodular goiters.
Dr. Campbell will present his new manuscript on the risk of undiagnosed thyroid cancer in patients with cervical multinodular goiters at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association in Dana Point, California. The study, which was done in conjunction with UCSF, found an increased risk of thyroid cancer in patients with mulinodular goiters, even after a benign biopsy. This risk was increased in male patients and in patients whose biopsy was not reviewed by a cytopathologist with experience in thyroid biopsies. The article will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) – Surgery.

Dr Campbell authors a new book chapter on minimally invasive and remote access thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Dr. Campbell’s new book chapter on minimally invasive and remote access thyroid and parathyroid surgery will be released in November 2013 as part of the textbook Minimally Invasive and Robotic Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.  This book edited, by Dr. David Terris, of the Georgia Regents University, focuses on updating surgeons on the evolving strategies of thyroid and parathyroid surgery. This textbook is written by experts in the field and describes the techniques of minimally invasive and robotic thyroid and parathyroid surgery.