Objective: To quantify the extent of the disruption and recovery of lung cancer detection during the first two years of the pandemic, focusing on disparities across demographic and community factors. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the SEER database to identify lung cancer cases from 2001 to 2021. Expected incidence rates for 2020 and 2021 were projected based on pre-pandemic trends (2000–2019) using the NCI’s Joinpoint Regression program. Percent differences between expected and observed incidence rates were calculated. Multivariate and propensity score analyses were conducted to quantify changes in the odds of being diagnosed with metastatic disease during the pandemic. Results: Lung cancer incidence fell by 10% in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic projections, with rural populations, non-Hispanic Black and Asian patients, and females disproportionately affected. By 2021, detection rates partially recovered but remained 5% below expected levels. Localized disease detection improved significantly, while rural communities not adjacent to metropolitan areas faced further declines. Adjusted analyses showed that patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and those of Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, or Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity had persistently higher rates of distant disease presentation through 2021. Conclusions: The pandemic significantly reduced lung cancer detection, with only partial recovery by 2021. Persistent gaps, particularly in rural and minoritized populations, highlight the need for targeted interventions to reengage these communities.

Objective: To compare the incidence of ocular abnormalities in patients with metopic craniosynostosis (MCS) treated with cranial vault reconstruction (CVR) versus endoscopic suturectomy (ESC). Design: Retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX Research Network. Setting: Multi-institutional electronic health record database. Patients, Participants: A total of 588 pediatric patients with non-syndromic MCS (441 CVR, 147 ESC) were identified by ICD-10 and CPT codes. Propensity score matching and age adjustment were performed to reduce confounding. Interventions: Subjects underwent either CVR or ESC. Ocular and surgical complication outcomes were assessed. Main Outcome Measure(s): Primary outcome is ocular abnormalities. Secondary outcomes include surgical complications and reoperations. Results: Ocular abnormalities were present in 40.31% of MCS patients. CVR was associated with a significantly higher incidence compared to ESC (44.67% vs 27.21%; RR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.23-2.18). CVR patients had greater rates of strabismus (15.19% vs 7.48%; RR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.10-3.74), ametropia (29.71% vs 11.56%; RR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.58-4.20), and astigmatism (15.87% vs 2.72%; RR = 5.84; 95% CI: 2.17-15.70). These differences remained significant after adjusting for age and matching by sex, race, and ethnicity. The ESC group showed ocular outcomes comparable to the general pediatric population. Conclusions: Patients with metopic craniosynostosis have a high rate of ocular abnormalities, and there may be a difference between those who undergo CVR versus ESC. These findings underscore the need for routine ophthalmologic surveillance and future prospective studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Introduction: The COVID‐19 pandemic severely hindered breast cancer (BC) diagnoses. We investigated the impact of COVID‐19 on BC diagnoses in the US. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the 2024 release of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER: 2000–2021) for invasive BC incidences per 100,000 in adult women. Using the SEER Joinpoint software, we modeled BC incidence trends through 2019 and extrapolated expected incidences in 2020–2021. We compared expected and observed incidences and calculated percent differences (PD) and the national deficit in diagnoses. Results: Observed BC incidence in 2020 was 122.03, while expected incidence was 132.14, yielding a PD of −7.6% [−8.9%, −6.4%]. In 2021, observed BC incidence exceeded projections (3.5% [2.1%, 4.8%]). These translated to a cumulative deficit of 7190 cases [−11,886, −2494] during 2020–2021. Localized and regional BC detection decreased in 2020 and was within (1.4% [−0.9%, 3.7%]) or exceeded (4.1% [4.2%, 4.4%]) projections, respectively, in 2021. Distant disease detection was within projections in 2020 and exceeded projections in 2021 (3.9% [0.6%, 7.2%]). Across most demographic subgroups, detection was low in 2020. In 2021, cases exceeded projections in White women and metropolitan and high education/income counties, were within projections in racial/ethnic minorities and rural and low education/income counties, and were below projections in 85+ year olds and 10%–19.99% foreign‐born counties. Conclusions: BC detection recovered in 2021 compared to the start of the pandemic, but notable disparities persisted. Careful surveillance and study are needed to prevent further gaps in BC detection years after the pandemic.