Deciphering the Cold Adaptive Mechanisms in Pseudomonas psychrophila MTCC12324 Isolated from the Arctic at 79° N.

Psychrophiles, host of cold environments, have been successfully undergoing the process of evolution by which they have acquired innate adaptations to withstand the unfavorable effects of low temperature. Psychrophiles renders immense opportunity to explore the underlying mechanisms of cold adaptation. The present study focused to explore the cold adaptive mechanisms of Pseudomonas psychrophila MTCC12324, a facultative psychrophilic bacterium isolated from the Ny-Alesund, an island in the Svalbard Archipelago (79°55' N, 11°56' E) in the Arctic.

Impact of early reduction in paraprotein on survival in transplant ineligible myeloma: Lesson from a tertiary cancer center in rural India.

Introduction: The impact of rapid reduction in paraprotein levels, with induction chemotherapy in myeloma, on treatment outcomes is less clear. There are very few studies in transplant ineligible patients treated with novel agents, correlating an early reduction in paraprotein with survival duration.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, ineligible for stem cell transplant, paraprotein levels at baseline and 3 months were noted with percentage reduction.

Infection at diagnosis-a unique challenge in acute myeloid leukemia treatment in developing world.

Purpose: A large number of AML patients present with infection at the time of initial presentation in Indian settings. There is lack of published data on the proportion of patients with infection at initial presentation and its impact on induction mortality.

Methods: A retrospective audit of patients with newly diagnosed AML more than 14 years of age, who underwent standard induction chemotherapy between the periods of January 2011 to December 2018, was done.

A Study on Influence of Donor Hematocrit on the Procedural Parameters of Concentrated Single Donor Platelets Collected by Two Apheresis Devices.

With improvements in apheresis collection, platelet additive solution (PAS) is steadily replacing plasma as the storage medium in single donor platelets (SDP). Concentrating platelets in SDP with one-third of plasma and two-thirds of PAS is referred as Concentrated-SDP (C-SDP). We studied the influence of donor hematocrit (Hct) in C-SDP procedures.

Late toxicities among laryngopharyngeal cancers patients treated with different schedules of concurrent chemoradiation at a rural tertiary cancer care center.

Background: Concurrent chemoradiation is the treatment of choice for laryngeal-pharyngeal cancers. Apart from survival organ preservation remains major aims of the treatment. Advanced radiation techniques like VMAT have shown to reduce morbidity.

Intraosseous schwannoma of the mandible and schwannoma of the spinal cord: A rare presentation of schwannomatosis - Case report and review of the literature.

Schwannomatosis is a recently recognized distinct form of neurofibromatosis (NF). It is a rare condition, the incidence of which varies between 1/400,000 and 1/1.7 million.

Retrospective Audit of Various Surgical Modalities Adopted for Giant Cell Tumor in a Rural Tertiary Cancer Center.

Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is a rare tumor with a spectrum of clinical behavior. Standard treatment modalities include surgical curettage to wide resection, and varying oncological and functional results have been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional outcome and recurrence rates of patients who underwent surgery for giant cell tumor in a rural tertiary cancer center from June 2009 to December 2016.

Flow cytometric enumeration of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells: A comparison between single- versus dual-platform methodology using the International Society of Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering protocol.

Background: Flow cytometric enumeration of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is the reference point for undertaking apheresis and evaluation of adequacy for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) engraftment.

Aims: To determine whether single platform correlates with dual platform methods in CD34+ enumeration using ISHAGE protocol.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of CD34 Enumeration assays on both peripheral blood and PBSC product samples using Beckman Coulter FC500 Flow Cytometer.

Clinical and equipment-related factors associated with the adequate peripheral blood stem cell collection in autologous transplant at a tertiary cancer center in Kerala - A retrospective cohort study.

Background: PBSC collection using apheresis is the preferred source of hematopoietic stem cells transplantation. However, apheresis procedures fail to harvest adequate CD34 yield in 5 to 40% of patients during the first collection. Therefore, this study aimed to study both the clinical- and equipmentrelated factors influencing CD34 yield among the autologous patients and to compare the collection efficiency of two apheresis equipments(Haemonetics MCS+ and Terumo Spectra Optia).

Limiting factors for autologous transplantation among transplant-eligible multiple myeloma patients: Lesson from a Tertiary Cancer Centre in rural India.

There is limited data from low and middle income countries on the exact proportion of Myeloma patients undergoing transplant even if they are eligible for the same. In this retrospective analysis of all newly diagnosed transplant eligible Myeloma treated between January 2011 to June 2017, number of patients undergoing transplant were recorded and among those not opting for transplant, reasons for the same were noted. Among 89 eligible patients, 23 (26%) patients could undergo transplantation.

Loss of CDKN2A and CDKN2B expression is associated with disease recurrence in oral cancer.

Background: Loco-regional recurrence is one of the major reasons for poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, till date, no feasible molecular marker is available to predict the risk of recurrence in OSCC patients.

Aim: To evaluate the cell cycle regulatory genes expression and its association with the risk of recurrence in oral cancer patients.

Prognostic efficiency of clinicopathologic scoring to predict cervical lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The extent of involvement of cervical lymph nodes is known to be the most important prognosticator in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that significantly affects the survival rate of patients. The clinical, radiological and pathological factors that can predict cervical lymph node metastasis are yet to be ascertained clearly, which poses a challenge for the surgeon to determine the extent of neck dissection.

Aim: This study aims to identify the clinical and histopathologic predictors of lymph node metastasis among patients with oral SCC and to devise a scoring system based on those predictors to aid in better clinical decision-making regarding the extent of neck dissection.

Early Calcium Supplementation After Total Thyroidectomy Can Prevent Symptomatic Hypocalcemia - Findings from a Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Thyroidectomy for thyroid cancers and central neck dissection are considered as independent predictors of postoperative hypocalcemia. Post-surgical hypocalcemia is the most common and often the most difficult long-term consequence of thyroid surgeries. Management of hypocalcemia is done with calcium supplementation, but there is no consensus on the timing and the amount of calcium supplementation.

Improved survival among oral cancer patients: findings from a retrospective study at a tertiary care cancer centre in rural Kerala, India.

Background: Oral cancer is very common in India. The reported 5-year survival of such patients is around 50% after treatment with surgery and radiotherapy, much lower than most of the developed countries.

Methods: A retrospective study of a prospective database of oral cancer patients undergoing surgery from June 2009 to June 2013 was conducted.

Frozen Section Evaluation in Head and Neck Oncosurgery: An Initial Experience in a Tertiary Cancer Center.

Objective: Frozen section evaluation is routinely used by oncosurgeons across specialties for rapid assessment of the presence of tumor in any tissue and its most common use is in surgical margins. Today, the use of intraoperative frozen-section evaluation of surgical margins is an accepted and frequent practice in head and neck oncology. This study aims to determine the efficacy and accuracy of frozen sections in head and neck cancer patients and compare the results with the respective paraffin sections and also to analyze the reasons for any disparity between them.

Population-based cancer screening through community participation: Outcome of a district wide oral cancer screening program from rural Kannur, Kerala, India.

Background: Oral cancer is a major public health challenge, and about one-fifth of all oral cancer cases reported globally are from India. In spite of the potential for early detection by simple visual examination, the majority of patients report in later stages of the disease, especially in low and middle-income countries. We report the results from a district level population-based oral cancer screening program.

Clinicopathological Spectrum of Anaplastic Carcinoma of Thyroid - 5 Year Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Centre.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal solid tumors known to affect humans. Although ATC accounts for only 1% to 5% of all thyroid tumors, it portends a dismal prognosis with a median survival of 4 to 12 months from the time of diagnosis. In this retrospective review we aim to study the clinical, cytological and histopathological features and management of ATC cases reported in our institution.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw among Patients Receiving Antiresorptive Medication: A 4-year Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Cancer Center, Kerala, India.

Purpose: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a rare but complicated side effect of antiresorptive medications. The aim of the study is to evaluate the dental and drug-related factors related to ONJ among patients on these drugs at a tertiary cancer center, India.

Methodology: A retrospective record review of patients who received antiresorptive medication at our center from 2011 to 2014 was done.

Cyclin D1 overexpression associated with activation of STAT3 in oral carcinoma patients from South India.

Background: Our previous study showed that overexpression of cyclin D1 protein is associated with poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Regarding the alteration in the transactivating pathway regulating cyclin D1 expression is still unclear in OSCC from our population.

Objectives: The major objective of this study is to understand the alteration associated with the transactivation pathway regulating the cyclin D1 overexpression in OSCC patients from our population.

Validation of Malayalam Version of National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and its Feasibility in Oncology Patients.

Context: This study was designed to translate and validate the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) distress thermometer (DT) in regional language " Malayalam" and to see the feasibility of using it in our patients.

Aims: (1) To translate and validate the NCCN DT. (2) To study the feasibility of using validated Malayalam translated DT in Malabar Cancer center.

Effect of pre-donation fluid intake on fluid shift from interstitial to intravascular compartment in blood donors.

Background: Fluid shifts from interstitial to intravascular space during blood donation helps in compensating the lost blood volume. We aimed to determine the volume of fluid shift following donation in donors with and without pre-donation fluid intake.

Methods: We studied the fluid shift in 325 blood donors prospectively.

Agreement analysis between three different short geriatric screening scales in patients undergoing chemotherapy for solid tumors.

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in routine practice is not logistically feasible. Short geriatric screening tools are available for selecting patients for CGA. However none of them is validated in India.

Development and validation of a predictive score, for identifying poor eastern cooperative oncology group performance status (performance status 3-4) advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer patients who are likely to benefit from tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Background: One of the ten advanced lung cancer patients presents with poor eastern cooperative oncology group performance status (ECOG PS). There are no clear guidelines about management of these patients. The benefit of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in this patient population remains questionable.

Retrospective analysis of palliative metronomic chemotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Background: Metronomic chemotherapy has shown promising results in selected patients of head and neck cancer in a small randomized study. This retrospective analysis was done to see whether the efficacy of metronomic chemotherapy in an unselected cohort of head and neck cancer patients is similar to that reported in the randomized study and the influence of the site and subsite of head and neck cancer on survival.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of head and neck cancer patients who received palliative metronomic chemotherapy between January 2013 and February 2015.