Single-Stage Free Flap Reconstruction Following Extremity Sarcoma Resection: a Regional Cancer Center Experience.

Surgery remains mainstay modality of treatment of STS of extremity. In majority of patients, primary closure is possible following surgical resection of the tumor. Primary closure of wound may not be feasible in tumors with large area of skin involvement and sometimes following a whoops procedure.

Diving deep for the needle in the haystack: An outbreak investigation of bacteremia.

In an Indian oncology setting, between August and December 2021, 56 patients, developed bacteremia. An investigation revealed a contaminated batch of the antiemetic drug palonosetron. The outbreak was terminated by withdrawing the culprit batch and the findings were reported promptly to regulatory authorities.

Evaluation of Patient-Specific Quality Assurance in Single Isocenter Multitarget Stereotactic Radiosurgery of Brain Metastases Using Octavius 4D for Flattening Filter Free Beams.

Aim: To evaluate the patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) in Single Isocenter Multitarget (SIMT) Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) of brain metastases using Octavius 4D for flattening filter free (FFF) X-ray beams.

Materials And Methods: Octavius 4D with 1000 SRS detector array was used for doing PSQA in fifteen patients planned using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of SIMT technique for treating multiple brain metastases. Measurements were made both in standard setup as well as in special setup through which the region of measurement is increased.

Catheter squeeze technique to solve urinary catheter drainage problem.

Background: Urinary catheter insertion is one of the basic techniques used in patient care to drain the bladder. Around 30 million urinary catheters are inserted annually in the USA alone. Often, when inserting a urinary catheter, it is noticed that urine does not drain right away.

Invasive Fungal Infection in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipient from an Indian Oncology Setting.

Abdul Ghafur  Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Data from India is limited. The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with IFI in our center.

The battle against fungi: lessons in antifungal stewardship from COVID 19 times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the detrimental effect of secondary pathogens in patients with a primary viral insult. In addition to superinfections with bacterial pathogens, invasive fungal infections were increasingly reported. The diagnosis of pulmonary fungal infections has always been challenging; however, it became even more problematic in the setting of COVID-19, particularly regarding the interpretation of radiological findings and mycology test results in patients with these infections.

Unravelling the Imaging Conundrum of Rabies.

Rabies is a major disease burden worldwide, especially in Asia. Approximately, 59,000 human deaths per year occurs in over 150 countries due to rabies, with Africa and Asia contributing 95% of cases. It is a fatal infection of central nervous system (CNS) caused by rabies RNA virus via transmission through bite of an infected animal, aerosols, open wound, or organ transplantation.

Quality of Life in Patients with Recurrent Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Study from India.

Background: Locoregional recurrence of oral cancer causes significant morbidity. This study aims at assessing the functional outcomes of patients undergoing treatment for recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: This study was done in a tertiary care center in North India and includes prospective cohort of 179 recurrent oral carcinoma patients, from September 2017 to September 2018.

Anti-histone H3.3K36M Antibody is a Highly Sensitive and Specific Immunohistochemistry Marker for the Diagnosis of Chondroblastoma. A Validation Based on Study 136 Cases Comprising Chondroblastoma and its Mimics from Single a Centre in India.

. Chondroblastoma has a wide range of differential diagnosis encompassing various benign and malignant entities. The closest differential diagnosis is giant cell tumor of the bone due to overlapping radiological and histomorphological features.

Prevalence of faecal carriage of Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae in healthy Indian subjects from the community.

Purpose: Faecal carriage of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) has been extensively investigated in hospitalized patients, but limited data is available on the carriage rate in healthy individuals in India.

Methods: A total of 1000 stool samples were screened for CPE from healthy individuals in Chennai (n ​= ​50), Hyderabad (n ​= ​184) and Mumbai (n ​= ​766). Diluted stool samples were cultured on chromID CARBA SMART plates.

Safety of osimertinib in adult patients with metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer: Results from a Phase IV study in India.

Background: A Phase IV, single-arm study was conducted to assess the safety of osimertinib in Indian patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation-positive stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Enrolled patients received 80 mg osimertinib for six cycles or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity or withdrawal. Primary safety variables included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), and adverse events (AEs) leading to discontinuation/interruption/change (D/I/C) of drug dose, and AEs of special interest (AESIs).

Real-World Outcomes of Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Multi-Centric Registry From India.

Background: Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is one of the most curable malignancies with a 5-year survival of over 80%. Most published literature from low-middle income countries comes from single institute experience.

Methodology: The OncoCollect Lymphoma group registry was set up in 2017 and has 9 major participating sites across India.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Clinical Presentation and Treatment Outcomes From the Lymphoma Registry.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest subtype of lymphoma, standard CHOP was the treatment of choice, 42% of patients received rituximab, and 29% of patients were lost to follow-up during therapy, were reported in a study that collected retrospective data at 13 public and private hospitals for patients diagnosed with lymphoma between January 2005 and December 2009. The OncoCollect Registry was set up in 2017 to address the challenges in the collection of retrospective data through chart review, recording access to anthracycline and rituximab-based treatment, and to study outcomes and any improvement in the patient follow-up.

Methodology: The OncoCollect Lymphoma group registry was set up at a national level with 9 participating centers.

South Asian Declaration-Consensus Guidelines for COVID-19 Vaccination in Cancer Patients.

We provide the South Asian Declaration, containing the consensus guidelines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in cancer patients.

Clinical, Immunological, and Molecular Profile of Chronic Granulomatous Disease: A Multi-Centric Study of 236 Patients From India.

Background: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited defect in phagocytic respiratory burst that results in severe and life-threatening infections in affected children. Single center studies from India have shown that proportion of autosomal recessive (AR) CGD is more than that reported from the West. Further, affected patients have high mortality rates due to late referrals and difficulties in accessing appropriate treatment.

The Impact of Carbapenem Resistance on Mortality in Patients With Klebsiella Pneumoniae Bloodstream Infection: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of 1952 Patients.

Introduction: Available evidence from observational studies and meta-analyses has highlighted an increased mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bloodstream infections (BSI) compared with their carbapenem-susceptible (CSKP) counterparts, but the exact reasons for this outcome difference are still to be determined.

Methods: We updated the search of a previous meta-analysis through four databases up to April 2018. A two-stage individual-patient data (IPD) meta-analysis was conducted, building an adjusting model to account for age, comorbidities and activity of empirical and targeted antimicrobial therapy.

Thirty-three long-term survivors after cytoreductive surgery in patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer: a retrospective descriptive study.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improves survival in selected patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) from colorectal cancer (CRC). However, little has been reported on characteristics and clinical course of long-term survivors with CRC-PM beyond 5 years. The objective of this study was to identify the clinical and oncological features affecting long-term survival of CRC-PM after comprehensive treatment.

Brachytherapy in India: Learning from the past and looking into the future.

India has a longstanding tradition in the practice of brachytherapy and has actively contributed to the scientific literature by conducting prospective studies, clinical audits, developing innovative techniques, and performing randomized studies. Indian investigators have also contributed to international collaborative research, education, training programs along with guideline development for brachytherapy in cervix and head and neck cancers. The present article summarizes the key contributions to scientific literature, current infrastructure, skill set for brachytherapy, existing challenges, and strategy to further strengthen brachytherapy practice in the next decade.

Volume changes during head-and-neck radiotherapy and its impact on the parotid dose - A single-institution observational study.

Aims: This study aims at assessing the volume changes that occur in the targets (gross tumor volume and planning target volume [PTV]) and the organs at risk in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck during radiotherapy and assessing the dose changes that occur as a result of them.

Settings And Design: This was a prospective observational study in a tertiary care center after obtaining the appropriate scientific and ethics committee clearance.

Subjects And Methods: Forty-five patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, who were treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy in the time period from March 2018 to May 2019, were enrolled in the study.

Dosimetric Validation of Digital Megavolt Imager for Flattening Filter Free Beams in the Pre-Treatment Quality Assurance of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Liver Metastases.

Aim: The aim is to evaluate the use of digital megavolt imager (DMI) aS1200 in portal dosimetry with flattening filter free (FFF) beams.

Materials And Methods: Dosimetric properties of DMI is characterized at 6MV FFF beams for signal saturation, dose linearity, dependency on dose-rate and source-detector distance (SDD), signal lag (ghosting), and back scatter.  Portal dosimetry is done for twenty volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) based stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plans for the treatment of liver metastases and the results are compared with repeated measurements of Octavius 4D.

Ocular oncology practice guidelines during COVID-19 pandemic-An expert consensus.

The outbreak of rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 has witnessed a major transformation in the health care system worldwide. This has led to the re-organization of the specialty services for the effective utilization of available resources and ensuring the safety of patients and healthcare workers. Suspension of oncology services will have major implications on cancer care due to delayed diagnosis and treatment leading to irreversible adverse consequences.

Intestinal carriage of colistin resistant Enterobacteriaceae in hospitalized patients from an Indian center.

There is limited data on the gut colonization rate of colistin resistant (Col-R) bacteria in patients and healthy volunteers in India. Aim of this study was to investigate the stool carriage rate of Col-R in hospitalized patients. Stool samples were inoculated in Eosin Methylene Blue agar plates supplemented with colistin.