Radiofrequency ablation of liver metastases from breast cancer: results in 14 patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the results of radiofrequency ablation in treating hepatic metastases from breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Fourteen breast cancer patients with 16 hepatic metastases measuring 1.1 to 4.

Impact of different breathing conditions on the dose to surrounding normal structures in tangential field breast radiotherapy.

Cardiac toxicity is an important concern in tangential field breast radiotherapy. In this study, the impact of three different breathing conditions on the dose to surrounding normal structures such as heart, ipsilateral lung, liver and contralateral breast has been assessed. Thirteen patients with early breast cancer who underwent conservative surgery (nine left-sided and four right-sided breast cancer patients) were selected in this study.

Prophylactic beclomethasone spray to the skin during postoperative radiotherapy of carcinoma breast: a prospective randomized study.

Background And Aims: Radiation induced wet desquamation of skin in carcinoma breast patients is a painful condition. In this study topical beclomethasone dipropionate spray was used as prophylaxis with the purpose of reducing risk of the wet desquamation of skin in irradiated field.

Materials And Methods: Sixty patients of carcinoma breast were planned for postoperative loco regional radiotherapy (50 Gy in 25 fraction over five weeks) were prospectively randomized into two groups (1) steroid group-patients were advised to use beclomethasone dipropionate spray in irradiated axilla from day one of radiotherapy, (2) control group-patients were not allowed to use any topical agent in irradiated area.

Mesenteric gastrointestinal stromal tumour presenting as intracranial space occupying lesion.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) usually present with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal mass, pain, anorexia and bowel obstruction.

Methods: We report a case of a 42 year old male who presented with a solitary intracranial space occupying lesion which was established as a metastasis from a mesenteric tumour.

Results: The patient was initially treated as a metastatic sarcoma, but a lack of response to chemotherapy prompted testing for CD117 which returned positive.

Asystole during percutaneous ethanol injection of symptomatic vertebral haemangioma.

Computed tomography guided percutaneous ethanol injection is frequently employed for treatment of symptomatic vertebral haemangiomas. The procedure is performed under monitored anaesthesia care in the prone position. It has several advantages over open surgery and other therapeutic modalities and is generally considered safe.

Inception of cadaver dissection and its relevance in present day scenario of medical education.

The concept of dissection for acquiring knowledge about the structure of human body was started in 15th century and barber--surgeons used to demonstrate various structures at the professors command. Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) was the first medical student to dissect the cadaver and also continued with it even as a professor. Slowly and steadily its importance was realised.

Atypical presentations in Chiari II malformation.

Myelomeningocele with Chiari II malformation and hydrocephalus is a common association seen in infants with a congenital failure of neurulation. Here we report two cases of such an association presenting with different sets of problems. The first patient presented with severe inspiratory stridor due to bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis, which was relieved completely within 24 h of definitive surgery.

A comparative study between preoperative and postoperative pulmonary functions and diaphragmatic movements in congenital craniovertebral junction anomalies.

Respiratory dysfunctions in patients with craniovertebral junction (CVJ) anomalies may occur due to compression of brainstem affecting the respiratory centers, and weakening of the muscles of respiration. We assessed pulmonary functions [forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25%-75%), FEV1%], mouth pressures (maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure), and diaphragmatic movements in 30 patients of CVJ anomalies and compared them with their mean predictive values. These parameters were also assessed in the postoperative period.

Haemodynamic changes after intracisternal papaverine instillation during intracranial aneurysmal surgery.

Cerebral vasospasm remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Use of either intra-arterial or intracisternal papaverine as an alternative treatment of refractory cerebral vasospasm has been associated with various complications including haemodynamic instabilities. However, our search in literature did not reveal association of bradycardia and hypotension with the use of papaverine by either of these routes.

Retinoblastoma with cerebrospinal fluid metastasis treated with orbital and craniospinal irradiation using IMRT.

A 4-year-old male child presented with history of leucocoria, photophobia, and progressive visual deterioration in the left eye. Clinical examination and computed tomography revealed a unilateral retinoblastoma involving the left globe. He underwent enucleation of the left eye and was referred for adjuvant radiotherapy in view of optic nerve infiltration up to the line of resection.

Thrombospondin-1 C-terminal-derived peptide protects thyroid cells from ceramide-induced apoptosis through the adenylyl cyclase pathway.

Thrombospondin-1, a multi-modular matrix protein is able to interact with a variety of matrix proteins and cell-surface receptors. Thus it is multifunctional. In this work, we examined the role of thrombospondin-1 in ceramide-induced thyroid apoptosis.

The C-terminal CD47/IAP-binding domain of thrombospondin-1 prevents camptothecin- and doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in human thyroid carcinoma cells.

Camptothecin and doxorubicin belong to a family of anticancer drugs that exert cytotoxic effects by triggering apoptosis in various cell types. However there have only been few investigations showing that matricellular proteins like thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) could be involved in the underlying mechanism of this cytotoxicity. In this report, using Hoechst reagent staining, reactive oxygen species production and caspase-3 activity measurement, we determined that both camptothecin and doxorubicin induced apoptosis in human thyroid carcinoma cells (FTC-133).

Biodosimetry using chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes.

In vitro dose-response calibration curves for (60)Co gamma rays have been established for unstable chromosome aberrations in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The observed dose-response data were fitted to a linear quadratic model. The calibration curve parameters were used to estimate the equivalent whole-body dose and dose to the irradiated region in partial body irradiation of cancer patients.

Finger doses for staff handling radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine.

Unlabelled: Radiation doses to the fingers of occupational workers handling 99mTc-labeled compounds and 131I for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in nuclear medicine were measured by thermoluminescence dosimetry.

Methods: The doses were measured at the base of the ring finger and the index finger of both hands in 2 groups of workers. Group 1 (7 workers) handled 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals, and group 2 (6 workers) handled 131I for diagnosis and therapy.

Effect of orientation of a standard polyvinyl chloride tracheal tube on success rates during awake flexible fibreoptic intubation.

We conducted a randomised study in 70 patients to assess the effect of orientation of a standard polyvinyl chloride tracheal tube on the ease of railroading the tube during awake fiberoptic orotracheal intubation. Conventional orientation of the tube (with the bevel of the tube directed to the patient's left) was compared with orientation of the tube with the bevel facing posteriorly. The success rate of intubation at the first attempt was higher with the bevel oriented posteriorly (35/35; 100%) than with the conventional orientation (21/35; 60%; p = 0.

Human thyroid carcinoma cell invasion is controlled by the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-mediated clearance of urokinase plasminogen activator.

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), a large scavenger receptor reported to mediate the uptake and degradation of various ligands, emerges as a promising receptor for targeting the invasive behaviour of human cancer cells. However, the accurate function of LRP during tumor invasion seems to be highly dependent on cellular context and remains controversial. The expression patterns of both this receptor and the main proteolytic systems involved in cell invasion were examined in two follicular thyroid carcinoma cell lines exhibiting different invasive phenotypes.

Micronuclei evaluation of reduction in neoadjuvant chemotherapy related acute toxicity in locally advanced lung cancer: an indian experience.

Background: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world accounting for 17.6% cancers worldwide. The AAR i n I ndian population varies f r om 0.

Monitoring the therapeutic response of locally advanced breast cancer patients: sequential in vivo proton MR spectroscopy study.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of the water-to-fat (W-F) value obtained from in vivo proton ((1)H) MR spectroscopy (MRS) as a response indicator of cytologically confirmed patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), and to monitor the therapeutic response of such patients to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Materials And Methods: Serial (1)H MR spectra were recorded both before and after the completion of chemotherapy in 33 LABC patients (with infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC)) at 1.5T.

Myringoplasty for anterior and subtotal perforations using KTP-532 laser.

A retrospective study was performed on patients who underwent myringoplasty for either anterior or subtotal perforations over an 8-year period (from 1994 till 2004). We used the KTP-laser assisted anterior anchoring technique combining with anterior "pull-back" method. Patients' ages ranged from 6-62 years (median 36.