Targeted Therapies for Kirsten Rat Sarcoma (KRAS) G12C Mutant Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancers.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a prevalent and often fatal malignancy. Advancements in targeted therapies have improved outcomes for NSCLC patients in the last decade. Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) is a commonly mutated oncogene in NSCLC, contributing to tumorigenesis and proliferation.

Prolonged Corticosteroid Use Leading to Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Rare Association.

Partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in venous sinuses of the brain leads to a clinical condition termed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). In most diagnosed cases, CVST has at least one risk factor identified among many postulated, and it most commonly includes acquired or inherited prothrombotic conditions. Steroid intake for intentional weight gain is prevalent in the general population, especially among new-generation bodybuilders and athletes.

Implication of photic sneeze reflex in ophthalmology.

Background: Photic sneeze reflex (PSR) also known as autosomal dominant compelling helioophthalmic outburst is a rare condition characterized by uncontrolled sneezing in response to bright light. The exact mechanism causing this is poorly understood. However, various hypotheses have been proposed.

Correlation of serum SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG serology and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients: Experience from a tertiary care centre.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has become a pandemic for the last 2 years. Inflammatory response to the virus leads to organ dysfunction and death. Predicting the severity of inflammatory response helps in managing critical patients using serology tests IgG and IgM.

Bullous Hemorrhagic Dermatosis: A Rare Benign Cutaneous Complication of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin.

Enoxaparin-mediated bullous hemorrhagic dermatosis (BHD) is one of the rare side effects during prophylaxis of enoxaparin for various thromboembolic events. We report a case of a 74-year-old female with multiple comorbidities who developed BHD at a distant site from subcutaneous delivery of enoxaparin. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of BHD.

Utility of IL-6 in the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prognosis of COVID-19 Patients: A Longitudinal Study.

COVID-19 has caused devastating effects worldwide ever since its origin in December 2019. IL-6 is one of the chief markers used in the management of COVID-19. We conducted a longitudinal study to investigate the role of IL-6 in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of COVID-19-related cytokine storm.

Identification of a vicilin-like major allergen from Prosopis juliflora exhibiting cross- reactivity with legume food allergens.

Background: Prosopis juliflora is a clinically relevant allergic sensitizer worldwide and shares cross-reactivity with allergens from several tree pollen and food. The present study aims to purify and immunobiochemically characterize a major allergen from Prosopis pollen. The allergen was further investigated for its cross-reactivity with legume allergens.

A Novel Approach to Measuring Binocular Visual Fields in Glaucoma.

Precis: Combined average visual field index (VFI) is a simple, novel tool for binocular visual field which agrees with the existing binocular integrated visual field (IVF) model, as well as patient reported activity limitation in glaucoma.

Purpose: The aim was to determine the correlation between novel models of binocular visual field with the existing IVF and glaucoma activity limitation (GAL-9).

Materials And Methods: IVFs were calculated from the monocular visual fields of 58 patients with primary glaucoma and the novel binocular visual field models termed binocular summation visual field index (BiSumVFI) and combined average visual field index (CaVFI) were derived from the VFIs of both fields.

Prior or concurrent radiotherapy and nivolumab immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Studies suggest that combining radiotherapy (RT) with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade may elicit a synergistic antitumor response. We aimed to assess whether prior or concurrent RT was associated with improved disease control in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with nivolumab.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients receiving nivolumab as second or subsequent line therapy for metastatic NSCLC.

Accuracy and Prognostic Significance of Oncologists' Estimates and Scenarios for Survival Time in Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Background: Worst-case, typical, and best-case scenarios for survival, based on simple multiples of an individual's expected survival time (EST), estimated by their oncologist, are a useful way of formulating and explaining prognosis. We aimed to determine the accuracy and prognostic significance of oncologists' estimates of EST, and the accuracy of the resulting scenarios for survival time, in advanced gastric cancer.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-six oncologists estimated the EST at baseline for each of the 152 participants they enrolled in the INTEGRATE trial.

Program to Improve Private Early Education (PIPE): a case study of a systems approach for scaling quality early education solutions.

FSG is a mission-driven nonprofit organization supporting leaders in creating large-scale, lasting social change. A survey conducted by FSG in 2015 across 4407 low-income families in urban India showed that 95% of them send their children to preschools, a majority of choosing affordable private preschools (APSs), as parents perceive the quality of government schools to be poor. Parents use and value rote-based methods (e.

Health-related quality of life associated with regorafenib treatment in refractory advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: The INTEGRATE phase II multinational randomized controlled trial demonstrated the activity of regorafenib on progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with refractory advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. We sought to evaluate whether these PFS gains had the potential to be offset by quality of life (QoL) impacts from treatment side effects and to thereby determine the appropriateness of continuing development to phase III.

Methods: QoL was assessed in INTEGRATE at baseline and at each 4 weeks thereafter, until discontinuation of study treatment, using the QLQ-C30, STO22, and EQ-5D questionnaires.

An Unusual Presentation in Urinothorax.

Urinothorax is defined as the presence of urine in the pleural cavity. Leakage from the urinary tract can cause urinoma with retroperitoneal urine collection, and secondarily, urinothorax. We report the case of a 35-year-old female who presented with dyspnoea and right-sided chest pain.

Prognostic factors and treatment outcomes in patients with Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma (SBA): the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) experience.

Background: SBA is a rare tumour which carries a poor prognosis. Very few data on prognostic factors and treatment outcomes are available. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients treated for SBA at our institution.

Hypersensitivity to pollen of four different species of Brassica: a clinico-immunologic evaluation in patients of respiratory allergy in India.

Background: Rapeseed-mustard is the second most important source of edible oil in India. Several species of Brassica are grown in different parts of country for its oilseeds.

Objective: The objective was to investigate allergenicity to antigenic extracts of pollen of 4 species of Brassica.

Chemotherapy for operable gastric cancer: current perspectives.

The majority of gastric cancer patients present with advanced, incurable disease and only a minority have localised disease that is suitable for radical treatment. A benefit has generally been demonstrated from adding chemotherapy to surgery for early disease though there are marked differences in how this is done globally. Whilst a perioperative approach, with chemotherapy given before and after gastric surgery is commonly used in the Europe and Australia most patients with operable gastric cancer in North America are treated with surgery and postoperative chemoradiation.

Challenges and opportunities in the targeting of fibroblast growth factor receptors in breast cancer.

Activation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor pathway is a common event in many cancer types. Here we review the role of fibroblast growth factor receptor signalling in breast cancer, from SNPs in FGFR2 that influence breast cancer risk and SNPs in FGFR4 that associate with breast cancer prognosis, and potential therapeutic targets such as receptor amplification and aberrant autocrine and paracrine ligand expression. We discuss the multiple therapeutic strategies in preclinical and clinical development and the current and future challenges to successfully targeting this pathway in cancer.

Decreased hospital stay and significant cost savings after routine use of prophylactic gastrostomy for high-risk patients with head and neck cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy at a tertiary cancer institution.

Background: Evidence-based nutritional and swallowing guidelines were developed to identify patients at high risk of developing malnutrition during chemoradiation for head and neck cancer. These guidelines recommended a prophylactic gastrostomy and were actively implemented at our institution in January 2007. This study assesses the effect of this policy change on patient outcomes.

Preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy for gastric cancer.

Radical surgery offers the only chance of cure for patients with operable gastric cancer; however, outcomes remain generally poor due to a high rate of relapse post gastric surgery. Multimodality therapy using chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of both have been evaluated in different parts of the world to improve outcomes from surgery alone. Perioperative chemotherapy is generally preferred in Europe in contrast to postoperative chemoradiation in the US or adjuvant fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy in East Asia.

Integration of biologic agents with cytotoxic chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer death in the developed world. Metastatic disease eventually develops in nearly 50% of patients with CRC. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment in metastatic CRC (mCRC); however the majority of patients remain incurable with current therapeutic options.

Bilateral macular hole secondary to remote lightning strike.

We report a case of a 16-year-old girl, who was struck by lightning, and experienced blurred vision in the right eye (RE) immediately following the episode. She reported for ophthalmic evaluation two months later. Examination revealed relative afferent pupillary defect in the RE.

Analysis of IgE binding proteins of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) pollen and cross-reactivity with predominant tree pollens.

Pollen from the mesquite tree, Prosopis juliflora, is an important source of respiratory allergy in tropical countries. Our aim was to partially characterize the IgE binding proteins of P. juliflora pollen extract and study cross-reactivity with prevalent tree pollen allergens.