Rituximab biosimilar for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a phase 3 randomized study in India.

Purpose: Very few studies have demonstrated the rituximab biosimilarity in terms of efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and immunogenicity in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in India. Therefore, we compared the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and immunogenicity of our biosimilar rituximab with the reference rituximab (Ristova, Roche products [India] Pvt. Ltd) in patients with DLBCL in India.

Closing the Cancer Care Gap in India.

Cancer burden in India is increasing. Cancer treatment today is multi-disciplinary requiring the coordination of many specialists for best outcomes. Bringing such expertise together to the district level is the greatest challenge for cancer care in any country, moreover in India.

Role of Curcumin in Reducing Toxicities Associated With Mucosal Injury Following Melphalan-Based Conditioning in Autologous Transplant Setting.

Mucositis is nearly inevitable following high-dose chemotherapy. Several pro-inflammatory cytokines play a role in pathogenesis of mucositis. Curcumin inhibits inflammatory cytokines through inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-β.

Over expression of brain and acute leukemia, cytoplasmic and ETS-related gene is associated with poor outcome in acute myeloid leukemia.

The high expression of brain and acute leukemia, cytoplasmic (BAALC) and ETS-related gene (ERG) has been reported to influence the outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but due to limited prospective studies, their role as prognostic factors is unclear. At diagnosis, the prognostic value of BAALC and ERG expression with respect to other cytogenetic and molecular markers was analyzed in 149 AML patients. Patients were divided into quartiles which resulted in the formation of four groups (G1-G4) based on expression values of BAALC and ERG and clinical response defined across groups.

Practice patterns and outcomes with the use of regorafenib in metastatic colorectal cancer: Results from the Regorafenib in Metastatic colorectal cancer - An Indian exploratory analysis study.

Background: Regorafenib is considered a standard of care as third-line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRCs).

Materials And Methods: The study was based on a computerized clinical data form sent to oncologists across the country for entry of anonymized patient data. The data entry form was conceived and generated by the coordinating center's (Tata Memorial Hospital) gastrointestinal medical oncologists and disseminated through personal contacts at academic conferences as well as through E-mail to various oncologists across India.

Lomustine, cytarabine, cyclophosphamide, etoposide - An effective conditioning regimen in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for primary refractory or relapsed lymphoma: Analysis of toxicity, long-term outcome, and prognostic factors.

Background: High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is the treatment of choice for patients with relapsed and refractory (RR) lymphoma. We analyzed toxicity and long-term outcome with lomustine, cytarabine, cyclophosphamide, etoposide (LACE) conditioning in patients with primary refractory or relapsed lymphoma undergoing autologous transplant.

Materials And Methods: One-hundred patients with primary refractory (23), chemotherapy sensitive relapse (74) or RR (3) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL - 70 patients), and non-HL (NHL - 30 patients) underwent HSCT with LACE (lomustine 200 mg/m day-7, etoposide 1000 mg/m day-7, cytarabine 2000 mg/m day-6 to day-5, and cyclophosphamide 1800 mg/m day-4 to day-2) conditioning between November 2007 and December 2013.

Association between primary hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome and the role of C reactive protein: a cross-sectional study from South India.

Background: Hypothyroidism (sub-clinical and overt) and metabolic syndrome are recognized risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This study is an effort to identify the proposed association between these two disease entities and the risk factors involved in this association.

Methods: A cross - sectional study from a tertiary care teaching hospital in Chennai city, South India.

Paraneoplastic (non-metastatic) adrenal insufficiency preceded the onset of primary lung cancer by 12 weeks.

Clinically evident adrenal insufficiency associated with lung cancer is a rare entity. Among reported cases, adrenal insufficiency has occurred with or succeeded the primary lung cancer. Adrenal insufficiency has also been secondary to metastasis to the adrenal gland.

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis co-existing with aspergilloma and invasive aspergillosis in a 50 year old diabetic woman: a case report.

Aspergilloma and invasive aspergillosis coexisting with multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the same patient is a rare entity. We report a 50 year old South Indian woman, a diabetic, who presented to us with complaints of productive cough and hemoptysis for the past 2 months. She was diagnosed to have pulmonary tuberculosis 2 years ago for which she took irregular treatment.

Unilateral hemothorax in a 46 year old South Indian male due to a giant arteriovenous hemodialysis fistula: a case report.

In a patient undergoing regular hemodialysis through an arteriovenous fistula access, pleural effusion is a known long term complication. However, a unilateral hemothorax is relatively uncommon. Here we report a 46 year old male, end-stage renal disease patient, on maintenance hemodialysis, who presented with a giant brachiocephalic AV fistula in his left arm and progressive breathlessness.