Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Rectal Cancer Resection: Insights From a Resource-Limited Setting.

Background: Minimally invasive approaches for rectal cancer treatment are emerging as the standard of care. Robotic surgery is unfeasible across the country due to constrained resource allocation. This study aimed to assess the oncologic efficacy of laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer in a resource-limited setting.

A Prospective Study of the Efficacy of Endofascial Axillary Dissection to Reduce Axillary Seroma Formation.

 Seroma formation is a common complication following axillary dissection. The pathogenesis of seroma is poorly understood. Various chemical and mechanical methods have been tried to reduce seroma with varying results.

Assessment of spatial variation in lung cancer incidence and air pollutants: spatial regression modeling approach.

A notable finding is that Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram has shown an increasing trend in lung cancer (LC) incidence. Long-term exposure to air pollution is a significant environmental risk factor for LC. This study investigated the spatial association between LC and exposure to air pollutants in Thiruvananthapuram, using Spatial Lag Model (SLM), Spatial Error Model (SEM), and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR).

Survival of patients with cervical cancer in India - findings from 11 population based cancer registries under National Cancer Registry Programme.

Background: Cancer survival data from Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) reflect the average outcome of patients in the population, which is critical for cancer control efforts. Despite decreasing incidence rates, cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer in India, accounting for 10% of all female cancers. The objective of the study is to estimate the five-year survival of patients with cervical cancer diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 from the PBCRs in India.

Choice of baseline hazards in joint modeling of longitudinal and time-to-event cancer survival data.

Longitudinal time-to-event analysis is a statistical method to analyze data where covariates are measured repeatedly. In survival studies, the risk for an event is estimated using Cox-proportional hazard model or extended Cox-model for exogenous time-dependent covariates. However, these models are inappropriate for endogenous time-dependent covariates like longitudinally measured biomarkers, Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA).

Breast cancer survival in India across 11 geographic areas under the National Cancer Registry Programme.

Background: Population-based cancer survival is a key indicator for assessing the effectiveness of cancer control by a health care system in a specific geographic area. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India, accounting for over one quarter of all female cancers. The objective of this study was to estimate the 5-year survival of female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2012 and 2015 from the existing Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) in India.

Treatment Outcomes of Adenoid Cystic Carcinomas of the Head and Neck Region-A Single-Institution Experience.

Malu Rafi  This study was undertaken to evaluate the characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with adenoid cystic carcinomas of the head and neck region treated at a tertiary cancer center in south India.  This was a retrospective study done on patients treated at the institute between 2004 and 2011. Clinicopathological details and treatment outcomes were captured from the treatment records to estimate the treatment outcomes and factors affecting them.

Efficacy of a herbal mouthwash for management of periodontitis and radiation-induced mucositis - A consolidated report of two randomized controlled clinical trials.

Background: Oral diseases like periodontitis and mucositis often require home care using topical agents in the form of mouthwashes. Many herbal mouthwashes are found to be beneficial; however lack proper scientific evidence to support their use.

Objectives: Study 1 evaluated clinical efficacy of herbal mouthwash in the management of chronic periodontitis in comparison with chlorhexidine mouthwash.

Trained Army Nurses in Colonial India: Early Experiences and Challenges.

The paper examines the introduction of trained female nurses for the British army men in colonial India between 1888 and 1920. It discusses the genesis of the Indian Nursing Service (INS), including the background and negotiations leading up to its formation, terms of employment, duties and working conditions of the nursing sisters. The memoir of Catharine Grace Loch, who served as the first Chief Lady Superintendent of the service is used extensively to trace the early experiences and challenges of the nursing sisters.

Carcinoma buccal mucosa treated with definitive hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy: a retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes.

Introduction: Oral cancer is a major public health concern in India. Both conventional and altered fractionation radiotherapy schedules have been used in curative treatment of oral cancer. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of patients with carcinoma buccal mucosa who underwent treatment with definitive hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy.

Spatiotemporal pattern of thyroid cancer incidence in South Kerala: A population-based study.

Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine cancer and has been increasing over the past decades worldwide. A notable finding is that Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram ranks the first among men and the second highest among women in the incidence of TC in India. Reasons for this increase have not been established.

Epstein-Barr virus dynamics and its prognostic impact on nasopharyngeal cancers in a non-endemic region.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA quantification in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is an indicator of the tumour burden, stage and survival. Although EBV dynamics in endemic regions has been extensively studied and reported, the data from non-endemic regions is sparse. This study attempts to investigate the EBV dynamics in NPC patients from a non-endemic region and also to identify the factors impacting the outcomes.

Outcomes of organ preservation treatment in advanced laryngeal carcinoma: A retrospective analysis from a single institution.

Chemoradiation is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced laryngeal carcinoma with intact cartilage and functional larynx. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with locally advanced (stage III and stage IV) squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx who have been treated with definitive radical radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy in a tertiary cancer center in India between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2015. Data were collected using structured proforma.

Treatment outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip: A retrospective study.

Oral and lip cancer is the most common type of cancer among males in India. Early stage tumours of the lip (stages I and II) are treated with single modality treatment, using either radiotherapy [external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or brachytherapy] or surgery. Locally advanced tumours (stages III and IVa) are treated with surgery followed by adjuvant treatment.

Developmental trauma: Conceptual framework, associated risks and comorbidities, and evaluation and treatment.

Children exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pervasive interpersonal traumas may go on to develop PTSD and, in most cases, will further undergo a significant shift in their developmental trajectory. This paper examines contemporary research on Developmental Trauma (DT), which is inextricably linked to disruptions in social cognition, physiological and behavioral regulation, and parent-child attachments. Developmental trauma associated with early experiences of abuse or neglect leads to multi-faceted and longstanding consequences and underscores critical periods of development, complex stress-mediated adaptations, and multilevel, trans-theoretical influences in the diagnostic formulation and treatment of traumatized children, adolescents, and adults.

Open to robotic right donor hepatectomy: A tectonic shift in surgical technique.

Robotic right live donor hepatectomy (r-LDRH) has been reported with reduced morbidity compared to open donor right hepatectomy (o-LDRH) in few recent series. Nevertheless, its routine use is debated. We present a large series comparing pure r-LDRH with o-LDRH.

Effects of Revision Surgery and Surgical Margins on Outcome of Peripheral Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Care Centre.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of revision surgery, after unplanned excision, on oncological outcome and surgical morbidity in soft tissue sarcomas and also to assess the relation between margin status and oncologic outcome.

Materials And Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained database of 153 patients with peripheral soft tissue sarcomas treated in our institute from 2006-2010.

Results: Postoperatively, 111(72.

Immunoexpression of TTF1 and p63 Differentiates Lung Adenocarcinomas in Sputum Samples.

Context: Differentiating NSCLC as either adeno or squamous type and identification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations is clinically relevant for lung cancer patients for selecting treatment. Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) and p63 were demonstrated as useful markers for histologic typing of lung cancer. Mutation and overexpression of EGFR has been reported in a subset of non-small cell lung cancers.

Clinical Profile and Treatment Outcomes in Patients Treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) for Carcinoma Nasopharynx: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome of carcinoma nasopharynx patients treated with the IMRT technique.

Methods: Eighty-one nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who were treated with IMRT with or without chemotherapy between the period January 2011 and December 2014 at a comprehensive tertiary cancer center, Kerala, India, were included in the study. The mean age was 43 years (range 13-77 years), and majority of the patients were males (67.

Validation of Malayalam Translation of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Instrument OG25 for Esophagogastric Junction Cancers.

Background: Quality of life questionnaire (QLQ) OG25 is the questionnaire used for measuring quality of life (QOL) of patients with esophago-gastric junction (OG) cancers. QLQ-OG 25 is a disease-specific tool to capture the QOL parameters of patients with OG junction cancers. OG 25 was developed by the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) using inspiration from their questionnaires for carcinoma stomach (STO22) and carcinoma esophagus (OES18).

Educational Status, Cancer Stage, and Survival in South India: A Population-Based Study.

Purpose: Lower socioeconomic status is associated with more advanced cancer at the time of cancer diagnosis. It is unknown whether this leads to inferior survival in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we explore the association between educational level and survival in South India.

Comparison of volume doses from conventional two-dimensional brachytherapy with corresponding doses from three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging-based brachytherapy in carcinoma cervix.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the doses delivered to the brachytherapy (BT) target volume and organs at risk from two-dimensional X-ray-based plans on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to compare these doses with the corresponding doses from the image-based optimized plans.

Materials And Methods: Twenty patients with cervical cancer treated with chemoradiation and BT were included in this study. All patients had two sets of treatment plans generated for the first fraction of BT.

The City of Hope Quality of Life Stoma Questionnaire: Malayalam Translation and Validation.

Background: Malayalam is the language spoken by 38.5 million people worldwide. There is no specific instrument to measure stoma-related quality of life (QOL) in Malayalam language.

Reproductive factors and thyroid cancer risk: Meta-analysis.

Background: Assessed pooled risk on reproductive factors and oral contraceptives (OC) on thyroid cancer (TC) using published studies (1996-2017).

Methods: Summary odds ratio (OR) for case-control studies (n = 10) and risk ratio (RR) for cohort studies (n = 9) was done.

Results: OR was 1.