Carrie Cao

All Publications

• Cone Beam Computed Tomography-Guided Bronchoscopy versus Computed Tomography-Guided Transthoracic Needle Biopsy for Peripheral Pulmonary Lesion Diagnosis. Chest Patel, P., Ost, D. E., Shaller, B., Chang, J., Yenepalli, A., Choi, H. J., Free, D., Kang, C. Y., Sumner, E., Cao, C., Bedi, H. 2026

  Abstract

  The identification of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) has increased significantly, either incidentally or through lung cancer screening, necessitating more biopsies to differentiate between malignant and benign etiologies. Cone beam computed tomography-guided bronchoscopic biopsy (CBCT-GB) and computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle biopsy (CT-TTNB) are commonly used for these biopsies, but their comparative diagnostic abilities have not been studied.How does CBCT-GB compare to CT-TTNB for diagnosing PPLs?This single-center retrospective comparative cohort study analyzed PPLs biopsied at an academic center via either CBCT-GB or CT-TTNB. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy at 24-month follow-up, defined as the proportion of cases yielding a specific diagnosis (malignant or non-malignant) or a non-specific diagnosis that remained accurate through 24 months of clinical follow-up. Secondary outcomes included complication rates, procedure duration, radiation exposure, and the need for additional diagnostic procedures.Out of 895 patients analyzed, 340 of 375 (90.7%) in the CBCT-GB group and 440 of 475 (92.6%) in the CT-TTNB group had a diagnostic result (p=0.301, Odds Ratio 0.979, 95% CI: 0.939-1.020). Complications occurred in 4.3% of CBCT-GB patients and 41.6% of CT-TTNB patients (p<0.001). Pneumothorax rates were 1.8% for CBCT-GB and 31.4% for CT-TTNB (p<0.001), while severe bleeding or cardiorespiratory failure occurred in 3.3% and 6.0% of patients respectively (p<0.001). Among patients meeting criteria for upfront invasive mediastinal staging, 86.5% of CBCT-GB patients received it at the time of PPL biopsy, compared to 14.0% after biopsy in the CT-TTNB group (p<0.001). Median effective radiation dose was 8.6 millisieverts in the robotic bronchoscopy CBCT-GB group and 7.5 millisieverts in the CT-TTNB group (p=0.074).CBCT-GB demonstrated a 24-month diagnostic accuracy comparable to CT-TTNB while offering improved safety and concurrent mediastinal lymph node staging. This data supports CBCT-GB as the optimal initial procedure for PPL diagnosis.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chest.2026.02.038

  View details for PubMedID 41895580

• Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis Cao, C., Eggert, L. BMJ Best Practice. 2026
• Unveiling the Enigma: An Intriguing Case of Endobronchial Polyp in a Post-lung Transplant Recipient Stemming From Aspiration Kang, C., Patel, P., Banga, A., Sumner, E. T., Cao, C. AMER THORACIC SOC. 2024

  View details for Web of Science ID 001277613402223

• Risk of Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation With COVID-19 Varies by Strain Ogbutor, K., Moore, A. R., Roque, J., Lebold, K., Pacheco-Navarro, A., Cao, C., Joshi, M., O'Donnell, C., Pienkos, S., Sanchez, P. A., Battu, S., Levitt, J. E., Wilson, J., Collins, W., Rogers, A. AMER THORACIC SOC. 2024

  View details for Web of Science ID 001277228903523

• Clinical Outcomes of Inpatient Compared to Outpatient Placement of Indwelling Pleural Catheters Cao, C., Yang, J., Shaller, B. D., Ramsey, M., Chang, J., Patel, P., Bedi, H. S. AMER THORACIC SOC. 2024

  View details for Web of Science ID 001277228901239

• DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY AND PROCEDURAL OUTCOMES FOR PERIPHERAL PULMONARY LESION BIOPSY: COMPARING TRANSTHORACIC NEEDLE ASPIRATION TO CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC BRONCHOSCOPY Patel, P., Shaller, B. D., Chang, J., Duong, D. K., Free, D., Yenepalli, A., Choi, H., Cao, C., Bedi, H. ELSEVIER. 2023: 5294A-5295A

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chest.2023.07.3434

  View details for Web of Science ID 001085062005081

• Prolonged Viral Replication Defined by Minus Strand PCR or Positive Strand Cycle Threshold Is Associated With Worse Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients Admitted to ICU Moore, A. R., Sossenheimer, P., Parmer-Chow, C., Cao, C., Pacheco-Navarro, A., Roque, J., O'Donnell, C., Lebold, K. M., Pienkos, S., Wilson, J., Levitt, J. E., Collins, W., Rogers, A. AMER THORACIC SOC. 2023

  View details for Web of Science ID 000995814700641

• Abdominal Imaging of Pancreatic Cysts and Cyst-Associated Pancreatic Cancer in BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of the American College of Surgeons Cao, C. X., Sharib, J. M., Blanco, A. M., Goldberg, D., Bracci, P., Mukhtar, R. A., Esserman, L. J., Kirkwood, K. S. 2020; 230 (1): 53-63.e1

  Abstract

  Direct-to-consumer BRCA testing will increase BRCA diagnoses and subsequent abdominal imaging. It is unclear whether BRCA carriers are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cysts (PCs) or cyst-associated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We investigated the prevalence of PCs in BRCA-tested patients, and whether BRCA-carriers have higher rates of PDAC when PCs are found.This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients with BRCA testing and abdominal imaging between 1996 and 2018. Pancreatic cysts were identified on original imaging reports. Prevalence and risk characteristics of PCs, as well as incidence of PDAC, were compared between BRCA+, BRCA-, and BRCA-untested patients.Pancreatic cysts were identified in 4,045 patients among 128,164 unique patients with abdominal imaging, including 33 patients with PCs in 1,113 BRCA-tested patients. There was no difference in PC prevalence between BRCA+, BRCA-, and untested patients (3.6%, 2.6%, 3.2%, respectively; p = 0.64). Pancreatic cysts were diagnosed in BRCA+ patients at a younger age (57.1 vs 65.3 years, p < 0.001); however, there was no difference in risk stratification compared with BRCA- or untested patients by consensus criteria. Across the population of imaged patients, patients with PCs had significantly higher rates of PDAC compared with those without PCs (18.2% vs 2.4%, p < 0.001). Incidence of cyst-associated PDAC was similar in BRCA+ and BRCA- patients (13.3% vs 22.2%, p = 0.84).BRCA+ patients have similar rates of PCs, high-risk features in their cysts, and PDAC as BRCA- and untested patients. BRCA+ patients likely do not require dedicated abdominal imaging to evaluate for PCs and should follow management guidelines similar to those as the untested general population if an incidental PC is identified.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2019.09.019

  View details for PubMedID 31672679

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6934897

• Abdominal Imaging Does Not Detect Higher Rates of Pancreatic Cysts or Cyst-Associated Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in BRCA Mutation Carriers Sharib, J., Cao, C., Bracci, P., Blanco, A., Goldberg, D., Esserman, L., Kirkwood, K. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2019: S170

  View details for Web of Science ID 000492740900315

• Engineering the Properties of Polymer Photonic Crystals with Mesoporous Silicon Templates CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS Wang, J., Lee, G. Y., Kennard, R., Barillaro, G., Bisiewicz, R. H., Cortez Lemus, N. A., Cao, X. C., Anglin, E. J., Park, J. S., Potocny, A., Bernhard, D., Li, J., Sailor, M. J. 2017; 29 (3): 1263-1272

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b04670

  View details for Web of Science ID 000394924100045

• Dendritic spine dysgenesis in superficial dorsal horn sensory neurons after spinal cord injury. Molecular pain Cao, X. C., Pappalardo, L. W., Waxman, S. G., Tan, A. M. 2017; 13: 1744806916688016

  Abstract

  Neuropathic pain is a major complication of spinal cord injury, and despite aggressive efforts, this type of pain is refractory to available clinical treatment. Our previous work has demonstrated a structure-function link between dendritic spine dysgenesis on nociceptive sensory neurons in the intermediate zone, laminae IV/V, and chronic pain in central nervous system and peripheral nervous system injury models of neuropathic pain. To extend these findings, we performed a follow-up structural analysis to assess whether dendritic spine remodeling occurs on superficial dorsal horn neurons located in lamina II after spinal cord injury. Lamina II neurons are responsible for relaying deep, delocalized, often thermally associated pain commonly experienced in spinal cord injury pathologies. We analyzed dendritic spine morphometry and localization in tissue obtained from adult rats exhibiting neuropathic pain one-month following spinal cord injury. Although the total density of dendritic spines on lamina II neurons did not change after spinal cord injury, we observed an inverse relationship between the densities of thin- and mushroom-shaped spines: thin-spine density decreased while mushroom-spine density increased. These structural changes were specifically noted along dendritic branches within 150 µm from the soma, suggesting a possible adverse contribution to nociceptive circuit function. Intrathecal treatment with NSC23766, a Rac1-GTPase inhibitor, significantly reduced spinal cord injury-induced changes in both thin- and mushroom-shaped dendritic spines. Overall, these observations demonstrate that dendritic spine remodeling occurs in lamina II, regulated in part by the Rac1-signaling pathway, and suggests that structural abnormalities in this spinal cord region may also contribute to abnormal nociception after spinal cord injury.

  View details for DOI 10.1177/1744806916688016

  View details for PubMedID 28326929

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5302173