Early detection of isolated pleural metastasis from carcinoma pyriform fossa: Can it be steered away from doom?

Isolated pleural metastasis from carcinoma of the pyriform fossa is a rare phenomenon. Literature search revealed pleural metastasis from head-and-neck cancer is in itself rare and carries a grave prognosis. Isolated pleural metastasis with local control in the primary and regional site with no other documented distant metastatic disease is again rarely encountered.

A Qualitative Exploration of Nutrition Screening, Assessment and Oral Support Used in Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Preoperative undernutrition is a prognostic indicator for postoperative mortality and morbidity. Evidence suggests that treating undernutrition can improve surgical outcomes. This study explored the provision of nutritional screening, assessment and support on surgical cancer wards in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Pattern of Gustatory Impairment and its Recovery after Head and Neck Irradiation.

Introduction: The majority of patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy frequently complain of changes in their taste perception, and other distressing symptoms affecting their quality of life. This study was undertaken to determine the pattern of gustatory impairment and its recovery in irradiated head and neck cancer patients in India.

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients undergoing radical head and neck irradiation were enrolled and assessed for the four basic taste quality (sweet, salt, sour and bitter) by a forced three-choice stimulus drop technique measuring their taste recognition thresholds at baseline, weekly during radiation therapy (RT) and every month for 6 months following completion of RT.

Multiple Extramedullary Plasmacytoma in a Setting of Complete Bone Marrow Remission: Food for Thought.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma as a mode of relapse in multiple myeloma (MM) is unusual. Current recommendations do not incorporate the routine use of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) imaging prior to haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in MM. We report a case of relapsed MM with complete remission as per IMWG criteria.

Survival of Triple Negative versus Triple Positive Breast Cancers: Comparison and Contrast.

Background: Triple negative (TN) and triple positive (TP) breast cancers both are aggressive types but TN generally has a shorter survival.

Objectives: To compare the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes for patients with TN versus TP breast cancer and to assess various prognostic factors affecting overall survival.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective audit of 85 breast cancer patients was conducted in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology on patients from 2006 to 2013 for whom IHC for ER, PgR and Her-2 neu were available.

Three Weekly Versus Weekly Cisplatin as Radiosensitizer in Head and Neck Cancer: a Decision Dilemma.

Cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation plays an undisputed key role as definitive treatment in unresectable patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma head and neck or as an organ preservation strategy. Treatment with 100 mg/m2 3-weekly cisplatin is considered the standard of care but is often associated with several adverse events. The optimum drug schedule of administration remains to be defined and presently, there is insufficient data limiting conclusions about the relative tolerability of one regimen over the other.

Large Mid-Esophageal Granular Cell Tumor: Benign Versus Malignant.

Granular cell tumors are rare soft tissue neoplasms, among which only 2% are malignant, arising from nervous tissue. Here we present a case of a large esophageal granular cell tumor with benign histopathological features which metastasized to the liver, but showing on positron emission tomography-computerized tomography standardized uptake value suggestive of a benign lesion.

Persistent Post-radiotherapy Pain and Locoregional Recurrence in Head and Neck Cancer-Is There a Hidden Link?

Background: To explore the relationship between persistent post-radiotherapy pain and locoregional recurrence in head and neck cancer patients.

Methods: Five year retrospective data was reviewed of 86 patients of head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy who continued to have pain at 6 weeks after completion of treatment. At follow-up after 3 months, these patients were stratified into: Group A (n = 39) constituted of patients whose pain subsided and Group B (n = 47) were patients who continued to have persistent pain.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the anterior mediastinum: a rare presentation.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare tumor that accounts for 5% of all thoracic neoplasm usually located in the posterior mediastinum and is generally associated with a poor outcome. We present a case of MPNST of the anterior mediastinum presenting in a rare location leading to diagnostic dilemmas and treated primarily by surgical resection.

Locally advanced tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma: Treatment approach revisited.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to review the treatment policy for locally advanced stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tonsil at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Head and Neck Unit, Brisbane, Australia.

Materials And Methods: The records of 148 patients with curable stage III and IV SCC of the tonsil were reviewed from the years 1992 to 2004 inclusive. During this period, patients were treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy and only offered definitive radiation if they were medically or surgically inoperable.