Metaplastic breast cancer: Experience with ifosfamide based chemotherapy.

Background: Metaplastic breast cancer (MPBC) is a rare variant of breast cancer and most treatment protocols are based on the guidelines for triple negative breast cancer. However, response to standard anthracycline and taxane based chemotherapy is poor. Published literature on use of ifosfamide based chemotherapy in the first line setting for MPBC is scarce.

Pre-surgical Tumor Marking by Tattooing in Patients Offered with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (Nact) for Advance Staged Oral Carcinomas.

We described a novel technique of marking the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumors before the pre-operative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The pre-operative NACT may shrink the tumor, making it difficult for the oncosurgeon to identify the pre-NACT tumor area to be included in the surgical resection. Difficulty lies in exact topographic replication/documentation of examination findings on superficial or mucosal surface levels, primarily due to limited surface landmarks.

Endometrial cancer risk factors, treatment, and survival outcomes as per the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) - European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) - European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) risk groups and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging: An experience from developing world.

Introduction: There is limited data on endometrial cancer from developing countries. The risk groups as defined by the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO and their recommendations for adjuvant treatment have redefined the management protocols. In this retrospective analysis, the outcomes are assessed in the light of the new risk groups and FIGO staging.

Metastatic Ectopic Thymoma of the Neck without Mediastinal Involvement.

Introduction: Thymoma is a rare malignancy with usual location in the antero-superior mediastinum. Occurrence of an extra-mediastinal thymic malignancy in the neck with lung metastasis and without involvement of the mediastinum is an extremely rare condition. Staging systems and treatment guidelines are defined for mediastinal thymomas but not for ectopically located thymomas.

Health-related quality of life among breast cancer patients in India.

Purpose: This study evaluated the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among breast cancer patients during various phases of treatment and with different treatment modalities, which helps in monitoring treatment outcomes, assessing the well-being of patients, and conducting health technology assessments.

Methods: A total of 534 interviews were conducted among the patients of breast cancer recruited at different stages of disease and with different treatment modalities. HRQoL was determined using EuroQoL five dimensions questionnaire with five levels (EQ-5D-5L), EuroQoL Visual Analogue Scale (EQ VAS), and the EORTC QLQ-BR23 instrument.

Epidemiological profile of retinoblastoma in North India: Implications for primary care and family physicians.

Background: Retinoblastoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy among children. Despite being curable in early stages, majority of the cases in India present in late stages, when outcomes are very poor.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological profile, clinical characteristics, and treatment practices among retinoblastoma patients in north India.

Evaluation of Angiogenesis in Multiple Myeloma by VEGF Immunoexpression and Microvessel Density.

 Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell disorder characterized by monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells in bone marrow. Plasmablastic MM is a morphologic subset of MM, containing ≥2% plasmablasts of all plasma cells.  The study included 30 consecutively diagnosed patients of MM (6 plasmablastic, 24 nonplasmablastic) over a span of 2 years.

Limb Salvage Using Liquid Nitrogen-Treated Tumour-Bearing Autograft: A Single Institutional Experience of 10 Patients.

Background: Many reconstruction methods have evolved to offer limb salvage surgery (LSS) to patients with musculoskeletal sarcomas. It can be achieved using endoprosthesis or biological reconstruction methods like allograft or autograft or a combination of both. In carefully selected patients, resected bone can be recycled and reimplanted after sterilisation using methods like irradiation, autoclaving, pasteurisation or liquid nitrogen.

Ovarian Small Cell Carcinoma of Hypercalcemic Type in an Adolescent Girl.

Objective: Small cell carcinoma of ovary, hypercalcemic type is a rare malignancy with a dismal prognosis. The diagnosis is often confused with many other tumors.

Case Report: We describe a rare case of ovarian small cell carcinoma of hypercalcemic type in an adolescent.

Extraosseous Ewing's Sarcoma of the Parapharyngeal Space - A Rare Entity - with Review of Literature.

Introduction: Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma (EES) of the head and neck region is a rare occurrence, and Ewing's sarcoma of the parapharyngeal space is even rarer. To the best of our knowledge, only three cases of EES of the parapharyngeal space have been reported in the literature.

Case Report: We report a rare case of EES of the parapharyngeal space in an 8-year-old girl.

Polymorphous Low Grade Adenocarcinoma of the Parotid in a Teenager.

Introduction: Polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) is a rare salivary gland neoplasm with an indolent course. It occurs primarily in the minor salivary glands but can rarely occur in the major salivary glands. It usually occurs in the fifth to seventh decades of life with female preponderance.

Cutaneous Metastasis: A Study of 138 Cases Diagnosed by Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology.

Background: Cutaneous metastases can occur in a wide variety of internal malignancies and may be the first sign of a clinically silent visceral cancer.

Study Design: A retrospective analysis was made of 138 cases diagnosed with cutaneous and subcutaneous metastasis on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Primary tumors of the skin/subcutis were excluded.

Apropos of a case of cutaneous metastasis from laryngeal cancer with review of literature.

Cutaneous metastasis from laryngeal carcinoma is a rare occurrence. A 55-year-old male patient with supraglottic cancer was treated with concurrent chemoradiation. Eighteen months later, he presented with ulceroproliferative growth on dorsum of the right hand.

Role of scintimammography in assessing the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer.

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a common cancer in the developing countries. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a very important step in the treatment of such tumors and hence that the disease can be down staged and made amenable for surgery. All the tumors do not respond to the therapy equally.

Ovarian granulosa cell tumor: clinical features, treatment, outcome, and prognostic factors.

Background: Granulosa cell tumors are rare neoplasms characterized by long natural history and favorable prognosis.

Aims: The objective of this study was to determine the clinical presentation, treatment, outcome, and prognostic factors for patients of granulosa cell tumors.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 26 patients of granulosa cell tumor of ovary from 2002 to 2011 was carried out.

Paraneoplastic erythrocytosis in a malignant ovarian steroid cell tumour.

Neoplastic polycythemia is a condition in which high hematocrit levels result from a neoplastic lesion in the body. It is a rare condition and occur because of excess erythropoietin or androgen production by the neoplastic cells. Steroid cell tumours of the ovary though notorious for producing endocrine changes in the body have rarely been associated with polycythemia.

Conventional radiotherapy with concurrent weekly Cisplatin in locally advanced head and neck cancers of squamous cell origin - a single institution experience.

Background: Platinum based concurrent chemo-radiation is the de-facto standard of care in the non-surgical management of locally-advanced head and neck cancer of squamous origin. Three-weekly single agent cisplatin at 100 mg/m2 concurrent with radical radiotherapy has demonstrated consistent improvement in loco-regional control and survival. This improvement is however at the cost of considerable hematologic toxicity and poor overall compliance.

Tetany by transfusion of small volume of blood: a rare case report.

A requisition for two units of packed red blood cells was received for a 54 year female, known case of genitourinary carcinoma. After transfusion of approximately 15-20 ml of blood, a call was received from resident in charge of radiotherapy ward stating that patient had clenching of hands along with circumoral tingling and paresthesias in her limbs. Her investigations showed decreased serum potassium and calcium levels but serum magnesium levels were not available.

Epidemiological trends of cancer morbidity at a government medical college hospital, Chandigarh, India.

Aim: An epidemiological shift has resulted in increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD). Unlike other NCDs which are easily and definitely preventable, the knowledge of cancer prevention is still limited at present. Various aetiological factors are difficult to control since those are habit forming.

Long term survival in non-small-cell lung carcinoma with synchronous brain metastasis.

Brain metastasis is common in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and is associated with poor prognosis with a median survival rate below six months, even if treated with palliative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Here, we report a case of NSCLC with synchronous brain metastasis treated with whole brain radiotherapy, systemic chemotherapy and oral gefitinib with survival of 62 months. We found that adequate treatment combining radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy in a patient with non-small-cell lung cancer with brain metastasis can improve survival.

Factors influencing the development of ulcers and strictures in carcinoma of the esophagus treated with radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy.

Purpose: To ascertain factors that could influence the development of ulcers and strictures in the definitive management of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of esophagus treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), high-dose-rate (HDR) intralumenal radiotherapy (ILRT) with or without concurrent weekly cisplatin (CDDP @ 35 mg/m2) chemotherapy (CT).

Materials And Methods: Between 1990-2005, 244 patients with inoperable SCC of esophagus were identified from our database and grouped into one of the following: those receiving at least 60 Gy EBRT (Gp E, n=44); EBRT followed by HDR-ILRT (Gp E+I, n=98); at least 50 Gy EBRT with CT (Gp E+C, n=68); EBRT+HDR-ILRT + CT (Gp E+I+C, n=34). Ulcers (discovered on endoscopy) and strictures evident on a barium swallow (which needed dilatations) were scored as treatment induced, if the biopsy was negative.

A randomised trial of radiotherapy compared with cisplatin chemo-radiotherapy in patients with unresectable squamous cell cancer of the esophagus.

Background And Purpose: Following our phase II experience, a randomised trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy in patients with unresectable squamous cell cancer of the esophagus.

Patients And Methods: Patients randomised to the RT group received 50 Gy/25 fx/5 weeks of teletherapy followed 1-2 weeks later with 12 Gy/2 fx of high-dose-rate intra-lumenal brachytherapy spaced a week apart. Following the first 3 years of recruitment, due to unexpected late morbidity, brachytherapy was excluded and the protocol modified to 66 Gy/33 fx/6.