Publications by authors named "Donald Fernandes"

Gliomas are brain tumors mainly derived from glial cells that are difficult to treat and cause high mortality. Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgical excision are the conventional treatments for gliomas. Patients who have surgery or have undergone chemotherapy for glioma treatment have poor prognosis with tumor recurrence.

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The diagnosis and treatment of cancer can often be challenging requiring more attractive options. Some types of cancers are more aggressive than others and symptoms for many cancers are subtle, especially in the early stages. Nanotechnology provides high sensitivity, specificity and multimodal capability for cancer detection, treatment and monitoring.

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Accurate detection, treatment, and imaging of diseases are important for effective treatment outcomes in patients. In this regard, bubbles have gained much attention, due to their versatility. Bubbles usually 1 nm to 10 μm in size can be produced and loaded with a variety of lipids, polymers, proteins, and therapeutic and imaging agents.

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Cancer is one of the most well-studied diseases and there have been significant advancements over the last few decades in understanding its molecular and cellular mechanisms. Although the current treatments (e.g.

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Theranostic agents are promising due to their ability to diagnose, treat and monitor different types of cancer using a variety of imaging modalities. The advantage specifically of nanoparticles is that they can accumulate easily at the tumor site due to the large gaps in blood vessels near tumors. Such high concentration of theranostic agents at the target site can lead to enhancement in both imaging and therapy.

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Background: To assess and compare the local control and toxicities between HDR Intracavitary Brachytherapy with 7.5 Gy and 9 Gy per fraction after EBRT in treatment of carcinoma cervix.

Methodology: A total of 180 patients were randomly assigned to 2 arms.

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Over the last decade, there has been significant developments in nanotechnology, in particular for combined imaging and therapeutic applications (theranostics). The core or shell of nanoemulsions (NEs) can be loaded with various therapeutic agents, including drugs with low solubility for effective treatment, or various imaging agents for specific imaging modalities (e.g.

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Nanoparticles have extensively been used for cancer therapy and imaging (, theranostics) using various imaging modalities. Due to their physical and chemical properties (, absorption, fluorescence, and magnetic properties) they have been used for image guided therapy for cancer treatment monitoring. There are various limitations that make many theranostic agents unable to be used for the extended periods of time required for enhancing theranostic capabilities.

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Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of specialist nurse interventions in the care of women with breast cancer.

Background: Nurses perform a crucial role in physical and psychosocial support of women with breast cancer. However, only few reviews have explored and discussed the roles and interventions carried out by specialised nurses in breast cancer care.

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Objectives: To document the dose received by brachial plexus (BP) in patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and report the incidence of brachial plexopathy.

Methods: Newly diagnosed patients of HNSCC treated with radical or adjuvant IMRT were included in this retrospective study. No dosimetric constraints were applied for BP maximum dose equivalent dose (EQD2 α/β = 3).

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Purpose: Fatigue, decreased functionality, and impaired quality of life are some of the most common adverse outcomes of chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). Head and neck cancers (HNC) affect more than half a million individuals globally and its treatment takes a heavy toll on the patient, often affecting their speech, swallowing, and respiratory functions, and as a result they often develop fatigue, depression, and physical inactivity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise-based rehabilitation on functional capacity, quality of life, fatigue, hemoglobin, and platelet counts in patients with HNC on CRT.

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Aims And Objectives: This study aims to study the effect of geometric- and patient-related variables in achieving the desired dose-volume constraints to parotid for patients undergoing definitive/adjuvant intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).

Subjects And Methods: This retrospective study considered HNSCC patients who underwent IMRT at our center between 2009 and 2014. Patients' details and dose-volume parameters were collected, and correlated with dose to parotids using Pearson's correlation test.

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Nanoparticles are submicrometer in size and are used in a variety of ways in the biomedical field. They can carry therapeutic drugs, either in the particle core or surface to target cancer sites in the body. Additionally they can contain imaging agents to diagnose and monitor the tumor size using different imaging modalities, such as fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to report the patterns of recurrence, locoregional control, and survival of patients diagnosed with endometrial adenocarcinomas over a 7-year period after reclassifying them under the recent ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO (European Society of Medical Oncology/European Society of Gynaecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) consensus classification.

Methods: Archives of a single institution from 2008 to 2014 were studied and patients with stages I-II endometrial adenocarcinoma were reclassified as per the new classification for uniformity. On magnetic resonance imaging, if found to be stage I, total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy alone was performed.

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Although metastasis to the eye is the most common ophthalmic malignancy, it is usually asymptomatic and rarely a presenting symptom that leads to the diagnosis of a primary. Here, we report a patient who was evaluated for visual symptoms and was eventually diagnosed to have disseminated adenocarcinoma of the lung. He was treated with external radiotherapy to the choroidal metastasis, attaining an excellent response that was sustained until his death.

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Background & Objectives: Oral mucositis is inflammation of mucosa of oral cavity which is an inevitable and acute side effect in patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for head & neck cancer. Though many agents have been tried in prevention & treatment of oral mucositis, until date no single agent exists that is universally established to be effective.

Methods: 60 Patients diagnosed with Head & Neck cancer recruited for concurrent chemo-radiotherapy were assigned in a double blind fashion into 2 groups using computer based 1:1 ratio randomization.

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Adjuvant treatment options for Stage I seminoma include active surveillance, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Active surveillance may not be ideal for the average Indian patient. Of the two accepted adjuvant therapy options, namely single-dose carboplatin chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the retroperitoneal nodes, though it intuitively appears more appealing, a deeper review reveals the potential drawbacks of chemotherapy.

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Objective: Emotional disturbances are commonly experienced by cancer patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of certain Pranayama techniques on the emotional aspects such as impatience, worry, anxiety, and frustration among breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy in India.

Methods: The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial.

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Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Nurse Navigator Programme on anxiety, psychological distress and quality of life in people with breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently detected malignancy and a major cause of cancer death among women around the world. The lengthy course of illness from initial diagnosis to treatment and subsequent follow-up causes deterioration in physical, psychological and social status among patients.

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Oral squamous cell carcinomas comprise a heterogeneous tumor cell population with varied molecular characteristics, which makes prognostication of these tumors a complex and challenging issue. Thus, molecular profiling of these tumors is advantageous for an accurate prognostication and treatment planning. This is a retrospective study on a cohort of primary locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinomas (n = 178) of an Indian rural population.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study explores how genetic variations in certain radioresponsive genes affect the severity of normal tissue toxicity in breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, specifically looking at acute skin reactions.
  • - Researchers examined 22 genetic variants across 18 genes and found that one specific variant (rs8193 in CD44) was significantly linked to increased skin damage from radiation treatments.
  • - The findings suggest that genetic factors may serve as predictive biomarkers for identifying patients at risk for severe adverse reactions to radiation therapy, potentially improving treatment outcomes.
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Introduction: Hypofractionated External Beam Radiotherapy (HFRT) is a relatively new adjuvant Radiotherapy (RT) schedule for breast cancers following breast conservation surgery and less commonly, following mastectomy. Here we report our experience on normal tissue exposure and acute toxicity of HFRT after mastectomy.

Aim: To assess the dosimetric outcomes and acute toxicity profile of adjuvant HFRT following mastectomy for breast cancer.

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Nanotechnology provides a promising platform for drug-delivery in medicine. Nanostructured materials can be designed with desired superparamagnetic or fluorescent properties in conjunction with biochemically functionalized moieties (i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study aimed to determine the prevalence of high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) in patients with squamous esophageal cancer and compare their characteristics with those who are HPV negative.
  • Out of 18 patients treated with chemo-radiotherapy, 50% tested positive for high-risk HPV, indicating a significant presence of the virus in this cancer type.
  • Despite similarities in clinical features between HPV positive and negative groups, patients with HPV showed a shorter estimated median recurrence-free survival at follow-up, though the results were not statistically significant.
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