A re-look at the modified Ryan regression scoring system in esophageal cancer-validation of prognostic significance and comparison with other less commonly used systems.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) using CROSS protocol is currently the treatment of choice for esophageal cancer (EC). Tumor response grade (TRG) is a mandatory reporting criterion in most guidelines. One of the most commonly used TRG systems is the modified Ryan system.

Impact of Covid-19 on gastrointestinal cancer surgery: A National Survey.

Purpose: To understand the actual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and frame the future strategies, we conducted a pan India survey to study the impact on the surgical management of gastrointestinal cancers.

Methods: A national multicentre survey in the form of a questionnaire from 16 tertiary care gastrointestinal oncology centres across India was conducted from January 2019 to June 2021 that was divided into a 15-month pre-Covid era and a similar period of active Covid pandemic era.

Results: There was significant disruption of services; 13 (81%) centres worked as dedicated Covid care centres and 43% reported suspension of essential care for more than 6 months.

Can the CROSS protocol be safely implemented in real world scenario with broader eligibility criteria? Experience from a tertiary care centre in India.

Background: The Chemoradiotherapy for Oesophageal Cancer Followed by Surgery Study (CROSS) trial established a new benchmark in the management of oesophageal cancer with neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery with a marked benefit for squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). We evaluate if the CROSS protocol can be safely implemented with a broader eligibility criteria in a real-world setting.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 80 patients of SCC oesophagus was performed, who were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation with radiation therapy (RT) to 41.

Radical radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for inoperable, locally advanced, non-small cell lung cancer: Analysis of patient profile, treatment approaches, and outcomes for 213 patients at a tertiary cancer center.

Introduction: Radical radiotherapy (RT) with curative intent, with or without chemotherapy, is the standard treatment for inoperable, locally advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data for all 288 patients who presented with inoperable, locally advanced NSCLC at our institution, between May 2011 and December 2016.

Results: RT alone or sequential chemoradiotherapy (SCRT) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) was used for 213 patients.

Lymphoscintigraphy combined with single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT): A very effective imaging approach for identification of the site of leak in postoperative chylothorax.

Post operative chylothorax is a known complication of various thoracic surgeries. It needs identification of precise site of leak in the thoracic duct. Lymphosicintigraphy can identify chyle leak but cannot delineate exact site of leak.

Tuberculosis nearly preventing a curative resection for colorectal liver metastasis: A case report.

Perihepatic lymph node involvement portends a poor prognosis, and is reported to be the most important prognostic factor following R0 resection of colorectal liver metastases. Tuberculous lymphadenitis is one of the common presentations of tuberculosis and is often diagnosed only after histopathological confirmation. In this patient, a frozen section revealing tuberculosis in the perihepatic nodes allowed us to proceed with the curative liver resection.

An ideal suture for midline abdominal closure?

Background: Within the last decade the customary trend of using non absorbable sutures has changed, with numerous studies and meta-analyses advocating the use of slowly absorbable sutures, claiming comparable wound strength with significantly lower incidence of wound complications. It was the objective of this randomized clinical trial to compare two universally accepted suture materials, the non-absorbable Nylon and the slowly absorbable Polydioxanone for midline abdominal closure in the Indian context.

Method: 64 patients undergoing midline laparotomy were allocated, using block randomization, to mass closure of the abdominal wall with continuous polyamide (34 patients) or continuous polydioxanone (30 patients).