CONcurrent ChEmotherapy and RadioTherapy in adjuvant treatment of breast cancer (CONCERT): a phase 2 study.

Purpose: This phase 2 study evaluated the safety of adjuvant chemoradiation (CTRT) for breast cancer.

Methods: From April 2019 to 2020, 60 patients with stage II-III invasive breast cancer planned for adjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) were accrued. Local ± regional (excluding the internal mammary nodal region) RT (40 Gy in 15 fractions ± boost) was started with the third cycle of an adjuvant taxane in a 3-weekly schedule or with the eighth cycle in a weekly schedule.

Quality Improvement Process with Incident Learning Program Helped Reducing Transcriptional Errors on Telecobalt Due to Mismatched Parameters in Different Generations.

Purpose: Higher frequency of transcriptional errors in the radiotherapy electronic charts for patients on telecobalt was noted. We describe the impact of the quality improvement (QI) initiative under the department's incident learning program (ILP).

Materials And Methods: The multidisciplinary quality team under ILP was formed to identify the root cause and introduce methods to reduce (smart goal) the current transcription error rate of 40% to <5% over 12 months.

Definitive and adjuvant radiation therapy for external auditory canal and temporal bone squamous cell carcinomas: Long term outcomes.

Introduction: Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) of the external auditory canal (EAC) and Temporal Bone (TB) are rare entities with very few large reports on outcomes and toxicities.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective audit of all SCC of EAC/TB tumors treated with curative intent RT at our Institute between January 2007 and December 2019 was undertaken. The primary endpoint of the study was event-free survival (EFS).

Validation and applicability of para-aortic lymph nodal contouring atlas in cervical cancer.

Background And Purpose: CTV delineation guidelines for the para-aortic nodal region for patients with cervical cancer have been proposed (Keenan et al., 2018). The purpose of this study was to validate these guidelines with the use of CT datasets of cervical cancer patients with macroscopic PALN treated with definitive (chemo)radiation (CTRT) at our center.

A Systematic Review of Radiation-Related Lymphopenia in Genito-urinary Malignancies.

Background: The impact of radiation-related lymphopenia on clinical outcomes has been reported in various solid malignancies such as high grade gliomas, head and neck cancers, thoracic malignancies and gastro-intestinal malignancies but its impact is not clearly known in the context of common genito-urinary (GU) malignancies.

Methodology: To better understand the effect of radiation-associated lymphopenia in prostate and bladder cancer, we undertook this systematic review of clinical studies that have studied radiation-related lymphopenia in GU malignancies. A systematic methodology search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library resulted in 2125 abstracts.

Clinical outcomes for nasopharyngeal cancer with intracranial extension after taxane-based induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in the modern era.

Objective: To evaluate the survival outcomes for a cohort of nasopharyngeal cancer with intracranial extension (ICE) treated with induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by chemo-intensity-modulated radiotherapy (CTRT) at a tertiary cancer center.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 45 patients with histologically proven, non-metastatic NPC with ICE treated at our institute between October 2008 and October 2016. Patients were classified as minor ICE or major ICE, based on the extent of ICE.

Synchronous complex Chiari malformation and cleft palate-a case-based review.

Background: The association between mid-facial clefts and Chiari malformation in the medical literature has been restricted to patients with syndromic craniofacial abnormalities. A common shared developmental pathway including causative factors for facial clefts and "complex" Chiari malformations, both midline skull base pathologies, seems logical but has not been reported. The coincident presentation of these findings in a single patient, and our subsequent discovery of other patients harboring these mutual findings prompted further investigation.

Study of lipid status in the euglycemic offsprings of diabetic parents with sex, age matched controls among South Indian population.

Context: Metabolic syndrome has a silent but a fatal course. So, if we are able to identify the subjects in the early course of the disease then we will be able to prevent them from fatal complications later.

Aim: To study the lipid status among euglycemic offspring of diabetic parents by appropriately matching for sex, and age in controls.

Nasal rhinosporidiosis with an atypical presentation.

Rhinosporidiosis is a unique disease, which is seen to be endemic in certain places in India such as Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The disease is caused by Rhinosporidium seebri and it is transmitted by bathing in ponds contaminated by cattle feces containing spores of the organism. The disease usually presents as multiple granulomatous bleeding polyps.

Rhinosporidiosis and the pond.

Rhinosporidiosis is a fungal disease caused by the organism Rhinosporidum seeberi. The life cycle and mode of infection are vague, and there are many hypothesis on it. Its prevalence in the world is unique as it is only limited to certain regions like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Whats special in a child's larynx?

What's special in a child's larynx? Many of us know only a few specialties of the pediatric larynx, but there are much more features, which are unique and often not highlighted. To understand the pediatric larynx, we have reviewed the development, the functions in-utero and new born period and peculiarities.

Intra cranial complications of tuberculous otitis media.

Tuberculosis is one of the most common infections in the world. It is seen that tuberculous otitis media (TOM) is almost secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis. In this review we have tried to deal with all the aspects of the intra cranial complications of TOM such as tuberculoma, otitic hydrocephalus, brain abscess and tuberculous meningitis.

Things you don't learn in medical school: Caduceus.

It is a known fact that every symbol has a unique meaning. In that case what does this unique symbol, Caduceus, which is used, in various forms and modifications, by many medical organizations mean? Is it just a custom or does it have a deeper meaning? The story of this medical symbol started way back in 1400 BC, travelled through time, has undergone many changes, misconceptions and has finally reached the present state. Here we have tried to give you a glimpse of how it has evolved over time, what it actually means, what have we interpreted and what can we learn from it.