To compare the optimal cytoreduction rate in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer stage III/IV after 3 versus 6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

This study aimed to compare the impact of 3 versus 6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on the optimal cytoreduction in patients of advanced ovarian malignancy during interval debulking surgery (IDS). Thirty patients with advanced-stage IIIc/IV epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and primary peritoneal cancer were randomly allocated to receive 6 cycles in the late IDS group versus 3 cycles in early IDS before undergoing interval debulking surgery. A higher percentage of patients achieved optimal cytoreduction in the late IDS group compared to the early IDS group (60 versus 23%) which was statistically significant ( = .

Chemoradiation therapy induces changes in gene promoter methylation & gene transcript expression in patients with invasive cervical cancer.

Background & Objectives: Invasive cervical cancer patients are primarily treated with chemoradiation therapy. The overall and disease-free survival in these patients is variable and depends on the tumoral response apart from the tumour stage. This study was undertaken to assess whether in vivo changes in gene promoter methylation and transcript expression in invasive cervical cancer were induced by chemoradiation.

Clinical outcomes with MRI-guided image-based brachytherapy in cervical cancer: An institutional experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term disease control and toxicity to the organs at risk after dose-escalated image-based adaptive brachytherapy (BT) in cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: Sixty patients of cervical cancer were treated with external radiotherapy 46 Gy in 23 fractions with weekly cisplatin and MRI-guided BT 7 Gy × 4 fractions with a minimum dose of 85.7 Gy (EQD2) to the high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV).

Gynecological Cancer as a Second Malignancy in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for gynecological cancer as second malignancy (SM) after treatment of breast cancer (BC).

Methods And Materials: Between January 1985 and December 2007, a total of 2756 patients with BC were analyzed for gynecological cancers as an SM. Analysis was carried out for patient-, disease-, and treatment-related characteristics.

Cervical embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with congenital absence of unilateral ovary.

We report this first case of synchronous cervical rhabdomyosarcoma and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor (SLCT) of ovary with congenital absence of unilateral ovary and fallopian tube in a 16-year-old female patient. A review of the English-language literature identified only six cases of double malignancies with cervical rhabdomyosarcoma and SLCT but none of the case was associated with congenital absence of ovary and fallopian tube. When such multiple conditions involving one system occur in an individual, the possibility of single etiology arises, but beside some hypothesis, no definite link could be established in any of the cases reported.

A case report of peritoneal malignant mesothelioma presenting as primary ovarian mass.

Malignant mesotheliomas are aggressive neoplasms arising from mesothelial cells lining the body cavities. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) account for about one-third of the cases. Though the ovarian involvement may be seen in the background of a diffuse peritoneal involvement, the presentation of MPM as a primary ovarian mass is rare.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of vulva in a young lady: A rare case report with review of literature.

A 21-year-old lady presented with a rapidly progressive vulvar swelling with inguinal lymphadenopathy for 7 months. Pathological evaluation revealed it as a case of rhabdomyosarcoma. The disease behaved aggressively and she was treated with multimodality treatment.

Leiomyosarcoma of the vagina: A rare entity with comprehensive review of the literature.

Primary malignant lesions of the vagina are uncommon, and vaginal sarcomas are even rarer. We describe a rare case of stage I, high-grade leiomyosarcoma of the vagina treated with combined modality treatment. A 39-year-old female presented with vaginal mass and underwent resection.

Evaluation of intrafraction motion of the organs at risk in image-based brachytherapy of cervical cancer.

Purpose/introduction: To assess the variation in the doses received by the organs at risk (OARs) that can occur during treatment planning of cervical cancer by image-based brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: After intracavitary application, two sets of images-CT and MRI-were obtained. The two sets of images were fused together with respect to the applicator.

Vaginal dose, toxicity and sexual outcomes in patients of cervical cancer undergoing image based brachytherapy.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the vaginal dose and toxicity in patients of cervical cancer treated with image guided brachytherapy at our institute.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five patients treated with image based brachytherapy for cervical cancer were included. Vaginal contouring was done on MRI at brachytherapy and with CT scans of subsequent brachytherapy fractions.

Dosimetric comparison of vaginal vault ovoid brachytherapy versus intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans in postoperative patients of cervical carcinoma following whole pelvic radiotherapy.

Introduction: Dosimetric study to compare high dose rate (HDR) vaginal vault ovoid brachytherapy plan versus intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) boost plan for doses delivered to target volume and organs at risk (OAR) in postoperative patients of cervical carcinoma following whole pelvic radiotherapy (WPRT).

Materials And Methods: Fifteen postoperative patients of cervical carcinoma suitable for vaginal ovoid brachytherapy following WPRT of 46 Gy/23 fractions/4.5 weeks were included.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterine cervix diagnosed during pregnancy: a rare case with review of literature.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the cervix are very rare. A 28-year-old pregnant woman presented with a cervical mass. The tumor was staged as IB2.

Gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues for ovarian function preservation in young females undergoing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy has significantly improved the prognosis of cancer patients with various malignancies. However, female patients, especially those whoich are premenopausal, suffer from significant chemotherapy induced ovarian function impairment, which decreases their quality of life. Many new techniques for ovarian preservation have been established in recent years.

CT and MR image fusion of tandem and ring applicator using rigid registration in intracavitary brachytherapy planning.

The purpose of this study is to find the uncertainties in the reconstruction of MR compatible ring-tandem intracavitary applicators of high-dose rate image-based brachytherapy treatment planning using rigid registration of 3D MR and CT image fusion. Tandem and ring reconstruction in MR image based brachytherapy planning was done using rigid registration of CT and MR applicator geometries. Verifications of registration for applicator fusion were performed in six verification steps at three different sites of tandem ring applicator set.

Magnitude and Implications of Interfraction Variations in Organ Doses during High Dose Rate Brachytherapy of Cervix Cancer: A CT Based Planning Study.

Background. Quantifying the interfraction dose variations in the organs at risk (OAR) in HDR intracavitary brachytherapy (HDR ICBT). Methods.

Literature review with PGI guidelines for delineation of clinical target volume for intact carcinoma cervix.

For definitive treatment of carcinoma cervix with conformal radiation techniques, accurate target delineation is vitally important, yet a consensus definition of clinical target volume (CTV) remains variable within the literature. The aim of the present article is to review the guidelines for CTV delineation published in the literature and to present the guidelines practiced at our institute. For this a literature pub med/medline search was performed from January 2000 to December 2012 and reviewed to identify published articles on guidelines for CTV primary and pelvic lymph node (LN) delineation for carcinoma cervix.

Bladder-rectum spacer balloon in high-dose-rate brachytherapy in cervix carcinoma.

Purpose: To compare bladder and rectum doses with the use of a bladder-rectum spacer balloon (BRSB) versus standard gauze packing in the same patient receiving 2 high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy fractions.

Methods And Materials: This was a randomized study to compare the reduction in bladder and rectum doses with the use of a BRSB compared with standard gauze packing in patients with carcinoma of the cervix being treated with high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy. The patients were randomized between 2 arms.

Palliative care in India: current progress and future needs.

Despite its limited coverage, palliative care has been present in India for about 20 years. Obstacles in the growth of palliative care in India are too many and not only include factors like population density, poverty, geographical diversity, restrictive policies regarding opioid prescription, workforce development at base level, but also limited national palliative care policy and lack of institutional interest in palliative care. Nonetheless we have reasons to be proud in that we have overcome several hurdles and last two decades have seen palpable changes in the mindset of health care providers and policy makers with respect to need of palliative care in India.

Evaluation of high-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy by percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in the palliative management of malignant biliary obstruction--a pilot study.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of high-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy (ILBT) through percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in patients with malignant biliary obstruction, in terms of improvement in symptoms, quality of life (QOL), and survival.

Methods And Materials: From August 2004 to October 2006, 18 patients aged 30-70 years, who were found unsuitable for surgical resection or were inoperable because of poor general condition, were taken up for palliative ILBT through PTBD. All patients underwent PTBD followed by internal-external drainage.

Acrometastasis to hand in vaginal carcinoma: a rare entity.

Although metastases to bones from solid tumors are very common, involvement of small bones of the hands is extremely rare. We report the first case of acrometastasis in vaginal carcinoma. We present a 65-year-old multiparous woman with FIGO Stage II vaginal carcinoma.

Pediatric astroblastoma: a rare case with a review of the literature.

Astroblastoma is a rare glial tumor with uncertain histopathological origin and unpredictable clinical behavior. We present a case of an 11-year-old girl who presented with headache and blurring of vision for 2 months. A well-demarcated mass was found in the right frontoparietal lobe on a brain MRI.

Sarcomas of uterine cervix: clinicopathological features, treatment, and outcome.

Objective: Sarcomas constitute less than 1% of all cervical malignancies. The objective of this study was to determine the presentation, pathological findings, treatment, and outcome of patients with cervical sarcoma.

Methods And Materials: A retrospective analysis of 8 cases of cervical sarcoma diagnosed over a 4-year period from 2006 to 2009 was carried out.

Differential expression of Fas family members and Bcl-2 family members in benign versus malignant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in North Indian population.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) represents the most challenging of gynecological malignancies. Defective apoptosis is a major causative factor in the development and progression of cancer. The two important pathways of apoptosis are extrinsic death receptor pathway (Fas family) and intrinsic mitochondrial pathway (Bcl-2 family).