Comparative effectiveness of verbal instruction versus video-based education (VIVid) among family caregivers for improving the quality of life in advanced head and neck cancer patients receiving palliative care in Eastern India: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To determine if video-based educational intervention compared to the standard verbal guidelines, provided to caregivers on home-based palliative care could enhance the quality of life (QoL) in advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Methods: The study employed a prospective, two-arm parallel-group, randomized controlled trial design. Investigators prepared a real-world demonstrational video of ten minutes duration regarding home-based care for family caregivers, with voice-over in Odia language (Eastern India).

Efficient and Reliable Data Extraction in Radiation Oncology using Python Programming Language: A Pilot Study.

Background And Purpose: In recent years, data science approaches have entered health-care systems such as radiology, pathology, and radiation oncology. In our pilot study, we developed an automated data mining approach to extract data from a treatment planning system (TPS) with high speed, maximum accuracy, and little human interaction. We compared the amount of time required for manual data extraction versus the automated data mining technique.

Calculation of set-up margin in frameless stereotactic radiotherapy accounting for translational and rotational patient positing error.

Context: Rotation corrected set-up margins in stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT).

Aims: This study aimed to calculate the rotational positional error corrected set-up margin in frameless SRT.

Settings And Design: 6D setup errors for the steriotactic radiotherapy patients were converted to 3D translational only error mathematically.

Opioid: Plenitude versus pittance.

The opioid crisis in the USA and in other developed countries can potentially affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The licit medical use of opioids has two sides. The USA and high-income countries maintain abundant supply for medical prescription.

Peer reviewers from low- and middle-income countries(LMIC) for open access journals in oncology can improve the equity in cancer research and clinical trials.

Open access journals (OAJ) in biomedicine are promoted to improve the reach and distribution of global health research (GHR). However, in the last 20 years, article publishing charge (APC) is attracting and publishing the vast majority of papers from high-income countries (HIC) in "oncology" journals under OAJ. This paper outlines the impediments for cancer research and publication from low-and middle-income countries (LMIC): (a) existing disparities in cancer care facilities and survival outcomes between HIC and LMIC, (b) more than 70 % of OAJ in 'oncology' subject levy APC, becoming unaffordable for scientists and clinicians from LMIC, (c) impactful OAJ in oncology engage less than 10 % of members from LMIC in editorial board or as peer reviewer, whereas two-third of cancer diagnosis and management occur in these countries.

An audit of Grade III or more skin reactions in consecutively assessed patients at a modern radiation oncology center.

Purpose: Radiation dermatitis is most common and debilitating side effects of radiotherapy leading to treatment interruption, thereby compromising the local control, and effecting quality of life. With the invent of modern imaging and recent advances in megavoltage radiotherapy, radiation-related side effects have reduced. In this audit, we report the risk factors associated with Grade III dermatitis in modern centers.

Challenges faced by female radiation oncologists (FRO) in South Asia.

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the personal challenges, work environment, and financial satisfaction of female radiation oncologists (FRO) in South Asia.

Material And Method: A 28-point online survey was answered by 296 FRO from south Asia. The study comprised of seven sections: personal, professional, family, economic, workplace burnout, research/academic components, and challenges exclusive to being a working woman.

Lessons from narrative medicine: Cancer care will improve with narrative oncologyLessons from narrative medicine: Cancer care will improve with narrative oncology.

Narrative medicine (NM) is a new discipline in healthcare that helps the patients and physicians to tell and listen to the accounts of disease, illness, and suffering. In the last 20 years, NM has moved into the realms of biomedical education, research, and training. The complexity of cancer management can gain from the medical humanism of NM.

A mathematical formulation for volume expansions in contouring for radiotherapy planning.

Context: This research describe the characteristic volume expansion of a moving target as a function of differential margins.

Aim: We aimed to ascertain the volume change after giving margin for clinical and set up uncertainties including generating internal target volume (ITV) for moving target.

Materials And Methods: Settings and Design - Spheres of diameter (0.

Adjuvant radiation therapy for malignant tumours of the eyelid: Experience from a tertiary cancer centre in India.

Background: . Tumours of the eyelid are a rare subgroup of neoplasms with varied histology and inherent differences in clinical behaviour. Surgery is the standard of care, and adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) is given in the presence of features suggesting a high risk of local recurrence.

Metastatic colo-rectal cancer: real life experience from an Indian tertiary care center.

Background: No data exist for the long-term outcome of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) from the Southern part of Asia. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the survival outcome of mCRC from an Indian tertiary care center. The study also aims to highlight the treatment pattern practiced and the unique clinico-pathologic characteristics.

Collusion: The Facade and its Implications on Total Pain Management in Palliative Care.

Collusion is an unharmonious bond between the doctor and a patient or between patients and caregivers. This case report exemplifies one such experience and highlights the hurdles we face when dealing with collusion. A 31-year-old woman was diagnosed with rectal carcinoma during her pregnancy and underwent diversion colostomy (for intestinal obstruction) followed by neoadjuvant chemoradiation after delivery.

Rotational positional error-corrected linear set-up margin calculation technique for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy in a dual imaging environment of 4-D cone beam CT and ExacTrac stereoscopic imaging.

Objective: Accurate calculation of set-up margin is a prerequisite to arrive at the most optimal clinical to planning target volume margin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the compatibility of different on-board and in-room stereoscopic imaging modalities by calculating the set-up margins (SM) in stereotactic body radiotherapy technique accounting and unaccounting for rotational positional errors (PE). Further, we calculated separate SMs one based on residual positional errors and another based on residual + intrafraction positional errors from the imaging data obtained in a dual imaging environment.

Integrating psycho-oncology services in cancer care in India.

Psychological distress is often an under-diagnosed problem in cancer care. Addressing psychosocial issues would enhance treatment compliance, physician-patient relationship, treatment efficacy and quality of life. This article emphasizes the importance of integrating psycho-oncology services in cancer care and attempts to define the various roles that a psycho-oncologist can play across the entire trajectory.

Ida Belle Scudder and Ketayun Ardeshir Dinshaw: The two iconic women who shaped the face of radiation oncology in India.

The early twentieth century India saw profound paucity in health care delivery and education, and the beliefs of people were ruled mainly by ignorance, superstitions and myths. Diseases like cancer and its treatment were totally unknown during that time in India. Dr Ida Belle Scudder, American woman, came to India to break all norms and sacrificed her entire life to work in a missionary hospital.

4π Radiotherapy Using a Linear Accelerator: A Misnomer in Violation of the Solid Geometric Boundary Conditions in Three-Dimensional Euclidean Space.

Purpose: The concept of 4π radiotherapy is a radiotherapy planning technique receiving much attention in recent times. The aim of this article is to disprove the feasibility of the 4π radiotherapy using a cantilever-type linear accelerator or any other external-beam delivery machines.

Materials And Methods: A surface integral-based mathematical derivation for the maximum achievable solid angle for a linear accelerator was carried out respecting the rotational boundary conditions for gantry and couch in three-dimensional Euclidean space.

Locally advanced cervical cancer - neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation and targeted therapy as maintenance: A phase II study.

Aim: The survival in locally advanced cervical cancer remains low. We evaluated the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), chemoradiotherapy (CRT), followed by gefitinib maintenance in locally advanced cervical cancer.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five patients with locally advanced carcinoma cervix were enrolled between July 2012 and May 2013.

Modified gemcitabine and oxaliplatin or gemcitabine + cisplatin in unresectable gallbladder cancer: Results of a phase III randomised controlled trial.

Aim: To determine equivalence of modified gemcitabine and oxaliplatin compared with gemcitabine and cisplatin in unresectable gallbladder cancer (GBC). Primary end-point was overall survival (OS).

Methods: Open label, prospective, randomised phase III equivalence study.

Technical Note: Rotational positional error corrected intrafraction set-up margins in stereotactic radiotherapy: A spatial assessment for coplanar and noncoplanar geometry.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to calculate setup margin based on six-dimensional (6D) corrected residual positional errors from kV cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and from intrafraction projection kV imaging in coplanar and in noncoplanar couch positions in stereotactic radiotherapy.

Methods: Six dimensional positional corrections were carried out before patient treatments, using a robotic couch and CBCT matching. A CBCT and stereoscopic ExacTrac image were acquired post-table position correction.

Standardization of volumetric modulated arc therapy-based frameless stereotactic technique using a multidimensional ensemble-aided knowledge-based planning.

Purpose: Aim of this article is to describe a new knowledge-based planning (KBP) methodology using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and radiotherapy (SRT) assisted by an ensemble mapping technique for use in a Monte Carlo planning system.

Methods: Libraries of 121 stereotactic patients were assembled on the basis of eight different parameters (a) tumor laterality, (b) whether planning target volume (PTV) dose coverage challenged by the presence of the organ at risk (OAR), (c) prescription dose and number of fractions, (d) number of PTVs, (e) tumor volume, (f) shortest distance between OAR and PTV (edge to edge distance, or EED), (g) center to center distance between OARs and PTV (CCD), and (h) lateral dimension of external contour (brain). For new patients, the most appropriate library plan was selected on the basis of the above categorization.

Primary CNS Lymphoma in India: A 17-Year Experience From the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Purpose: The information about the outcome of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) in India is scarce, because there is no population-based or large hospital-based data.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study that spanned 17 years (2001 to 2017) to study the outcome of PCNSL at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which is a tertiary care center in Northern India.

Results: Only one of 99 patients was positive for HIV serology.

Spatial orientation of coronary arteries and its implication for breast and thoracic radiotherapy-proposing "coronary strip" as a new organ at risk.

Objectives: Radiotherapy for breast cancer has been associated with various side effects including cardiac sequelae. Our study aimed to define the spatial arc of spread of coronary vessels in a radian angle.

Materials And Methods: We analysed the records of 51 CT coronary angiographies done in our hospital from January 2016 to July 2016.

Methodology to reduce 6D patient positional shifts into a 3D linear shift and its verification in frameless stereotactic radiotherapy.

The aim of this article is to derive and verify a mathematical formulation for the reduction of the six-dimensional (6D) positional inaccuracies of patients (lateral, longitudinal, vertical, pitch, roll and yaw) to three-dimensional (3D) linear shifts. The formulation was mathematically and experimentally tested and verified for 169 stereotactic radiotherapy patients. The mathematical verification involves the comparison of any (one) of the calculated rotational coordinates with the corresponding value from the 6D shifts obtained by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).