ASO Author Reflections: Practice Patterns and Outcomes Among Surgical Oncology Fellowship Graduates Performing Complex Cancer Surgery in the United States Across Different Career Stages

Practice patterns and potential quality differences among surgical oncology fellowship graduates relative to years of independent practice have not been defined. Medicare claims were used to identify patients who underwent esophagectomy, pancreatectomy, hepatectomy, or rectal resection for cancer between 2016 and 2021. Surgical oncology fellowship graduates were identified, and the association between years of independent practice, serious complications, and 90-day mortality was examined. Overall, 11,746 cancer operations (pancreatectomy [61.2