Comprehensive biobanking to enhance precision medicine in head & neck cancer through systematic sample collection & data integration.

Background & objectives Head and neck carcinomas (HNCs), including oral cancers (OCs), represent a significant global health issue, especially in India, where they contribute to one-third of the global OC burden. Despite advances in treatment, survival rates remain poor, often due to limited treatment options and underlying research gaps. The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC) biorepository initiative undertook to address this gap by systematically collecting and storing biological specimens and their derivatives for HNC, fostering translational research and collaborations.

Evolving Treatment Paradigms in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: Expert Narrative Review.

The treatment landscape of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) has transformed significantly with the advent of triplet therapy involving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), docetaxel, and androgen receptor signalling inhibitors (ARSIs). While clinical guidelines increasingly support early intensification, real-world practice remains challenged by patient heterogeneity, evolving evidence, and limited consensus on treatment sequencing. This narrative review integrates evidence from landmark trials, clinical guidelines, and expert insights from oncologists managing mHSPC in India.

Robotic Nephrectomy in a Patient With a Single Kidney: An Approach Ensuring Safety and Success.

Perioperative anesthetic management for radical nephrectomy in a previous post-nephrectomy patient poses various challenges and requires thorough clinical and radiological evaluation. A comprehensive plan, including point-of-care intensive monitoring to prevent major fluid shifts, acidemia, and maintain electrolyte homeostasis, as well as robot-assisted surgery, is essential for achieving optimal surgical outcomes. In this case report, we describe the perioperative management of a 70-year-old male patient, a postoperative case of right radical nephrectomy, who was scheduled for left robotic nephrectomy.

Buttonhole LASER pulmonary metastasectomy: an innovative parenchyma preserving technique.

Unlabelled: With advances in systemic anticancer therapies, pulmonary metastasectomy is being increasingly employed for local disease control while aiming to preserve lung parenchyma, anatomy, and function with complete (R0) resection. We introduce an innovative neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd-YAG) light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (LASER) approach for peripherally located, deep-seated, and fissural lesions, utilizing the lung's natural tongue-like configuration at the edges. This method involves cylindrical excision around the nodule, creating a buttonhole from one surface to the other.

Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung with paraneoplastic fever as presentation.

Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a rare, highly aggressive variant of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), comprising 0.1-0.4% of all pulmonary malignancies.

"In silico analysis of human TLR3 missense single nucleotide polymorphisms and their potential association with cancer".

Cervical cancer is a prevalent malignancy worldwide and represents a significant health burden for women. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are crucial components of the innate immune system and play a vital role in recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Among the TLRs, TLR3 has been implicated in the defense against viral infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary etiological agent of cervical cancer.

Artificial Intelligence for Psychotherapy: A Review of the Current State and Future Directions.

Purpose Of The Review: Psychotherapy is crucial for addressing mental health issues but is often limited by accessibility and quality. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers innovative solutions, such as automated systems for increased availability and personalized treatments to improve psychotherapy. Nonetheless, ethical concerns about AI integration in mental health care remain.

Comparison of the efficacy of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol tailor-made for head and neck free flap oncosurgery with conventional perioperative care: A randomised clinical trial.

Background And Aims: Technological advances, accumulated experience, and evidence have made free-flap reconstruction [using the anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) and free fibular flap (FF)] for head and neck oncosurgical defects a routine procedure. This study aimed to assess the impact on recovery after head and neck oncosurgery by preoperative optimisation, intraoperative stress minimisation, and postoperative protocolised normalisation.

Methods: This randomised study included 60 adult patients undergoing head and neck oncosurgery with ALT/FF reconstruction, allocated to either the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) group (Group E) or the conventional care group (Group C).

Primary pulmonary paraganglioma: Report of two cases with one case showing cytokeratin positivity.

Primary pulmonary paraganglioma (PPP) is a rare tumor, with few cases described in the literature. Here, we report two cases of PPP, one of which shows cytokeratin (CK) positivity, along with a literature review. In the first case, a 76-year-old male patient presented with a right-lung peribronchial mass, while in the second case, a 53-year-old male, presented with a right middle lobe mass.

Primary pure angiosarcoma of the ovary: A case report.

Ovarian angiosarcomas are rare tumors, with an incidence of one in 1,000,000 malignant ovarian tumors, which may present in a background of carcinosarcoma or teratoma. However, primary pure ovarian angiosarcoma is even rarer with a few cases published in the literature. Here, we present a case of a perimenopausal woman who presented with a 16 cm adnexal mass.

Comparative Efficacy and Toxicity of Modified FOLFIRINOX and Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Real-World Retrospective Analysis.

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly lethal malignancy with limited effective systemic therapies. Modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GN) are commonly used first-line regimens. The purpose of this study is to evaluate real-world efficacy (response rates, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)) and toxicity (grade 3/4 hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities) of first-line mFOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

The Impact of Inflammatory Biomarker Subphenotypes on Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Prognosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a syndrome that incorporates a wide group of patients with sign and symptoms of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Various studies describing hypo- and hyperinflammatory subphenotypes among ARDS cohorts have been performed. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine how biomarker-based subphenotypes of ARDS impact mortality.

Unraveling prognostic biomarkers in oral squamous cell carcinoma: An approach based on explainable artificial intelligence.

Oral cancer is among the top malignancies and the leading cause of death worldwide. Poor outcomes are attributed to local recurrence and distant metastasis of disease. There is an urgent need to identify the potential biomarkers that may help in prognostication and management of oral cancer.

Can point-of-care ultrasound predict the difficulty in intubation? - A prospective observational study.

Background And Aims: Airway ultrasonography (USG) parameters have been used to predict difficult tracheal intubation. However, the available literature on this topic is still controversial. This study aims to assess the role of preoperative airway USG parameters, namely hyomental distance in the head neutral (HMDn), head extended position (HMDe) and their ratio (HMDR), pre-epiglottic space (PreE), and the distance from the epiglottis to the vocal cords midpoint (E-VC) and their ratio (PreE/E-VC), in predicting difficult intubation.

Comparing clinicopathological profile and treatment outcomes in younger versus older patients with carcinoma oral tongue - a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The rising incidence of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) among younger patients has raised concerns about a distinct clinical course in younger adults. This study investigated differences in demographics, clinicopathological profiles, and outcomes, such as locoregional control (LRC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS), between younger (≤ 40 years) and older (> 40 years) OTSCC patients.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 650 OTSCC patients treated between 2008 and 2022 at a cancer centre was conducted.

Re-irradiation in head and neck cancer: thirteen years of insights.

Background: This study evaluates the long-term outcomes of re-irradiation (Re-RT) using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with locally recurrent or second primary (SP) head and neck cancer (HNC). We aimed to assess locoregional control (LRC), overall survival (OS), and toxicity profiles over a 13-year period, identifying factors influencing treatment outcomes.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records of 178 patients who underwent Re-RT with IMRT at our institution between January 2010 and October 2023.

Androgen receptor expression in triple negative breast cancer: A report from a tertiary care center.

Context: The role of androgen receptor (AR) as a prognostic marker in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been ambiguous since existing reports illustrate conflicting results.

Aims: To compare clinicopathological features and survival between AR-positive TNBC and QNBC.

Methods And Material: A total of 281 subjects were included and tissue microarrays (TMA) were constructed using tumor tissue cores from their formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks.

Phenotypic attributes and survival in mismatch repair deficient/microsatellite instability-high colorectal carcinomas.

Background: Mismatch repair deficient/microsatellite instability-high (MMR-D/MSI-H) colorectal cancers (CRCs) possess a distinctive genomic profile that results in a spectrum of phenotypic attributes setting them apart from their mismatch repair proficient (MMR-P) or microsatellite stable (MSS) counterparts. CRCs have several prognostic factors, including stage, tumor differentiation, location, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, tumor budding, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, lymph node yield (LNY), and lymph node ratio (LNR).

Aim: To determine the unique phenotypic characteristics of MMR-D/MSI-H CRCs and leverage the conventional wisdom of LNY and LNR with the distinctive characteristics of MMR-D/MSI-H CRCs.

A Comparative Study of Gemcitabine-Cisplatin vs. Dose-Dense MVAC (Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Cisplatin) as Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Single-Institution Experience.

Background Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) involves a high risk of progression and death. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), prior to radical cystectomy (RC), has been shown to improve survival. Gemcitabine-cisplatin (GC) has emerged as a preferred NAC regimen based on its favorable toxicity profile, while dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (ddMVAC) may yield better pathologic complete response (pCR) rates, as reported in some studies.

Distinctive hobnail subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case series and short review of literature.

Introduction: The hobnail subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma (HSPTC) is a rare and aggressive subtype, comprising 1-2% of all PTC cases. It is characterized by poor prognosis, frequent BRAF and p53 mutations, and a high recurrence rate. Given the limited data on HSPTC, especially in the Indian population, this case series aims to provide valuable insights into its clinical behavior, mutational profile, and treatment outcomes.

Mixed germ cell tumour in pregnancy: clinical insights and challenges.

A young 24 weeks pregnant woman in her 20s presented with abdominal pain and distension and was diagnosed to have an ovarian mixed germ cell tumour (GCT). She received chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin with a good clinical response, which was followed by the delivery of a healthy child. Subsequently, she underwent cytoreductive surgery and completed chemotherapy.

Clinical insights: atezolizumab-induced myositis mimicking hepatic injury.

Atezolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets PDL-1 (programmed death ligand-1) on the tumour cells and inactivates it. The addition of this drug to chemotherapy has led to survival benefits in the treatment of small cell lung cancer-extensive stage (SCLC-ES). However, these excellent outcomes may be marred by the development of immune-mediated adverse events (irAEs).

Perioperative, Functional, and Oncological Outcomes of Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy in 1,267 Indian Patients: A Multicenter Analysis by the Indian Robotic Partial Nephrectomy (IRPN) Collaborative Group.

Introduction: Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) is increasingly recognized as an effective treatment for small renal masses. This study aims to highlight the therapeutic benefits of RPN for both small and relatively larger renal masses in the Indian population.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients who underwent RPN using the da Vinci surgical system between September 2010 and September 2022 across 14 centers located in various cities of India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Nadiad.

Delphi Survey on Measurable Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma: Prevailing Practices and the Way Forward in India.

Background: Measurable residual disease (MRD) is becoming a cornerstone in the multiple myeloma (MM) management; however, its implementation in India faces several challenges. This Delphi survey aimed to gather expert consensus on the current practices, and barriers in MRD monitoring in MM in India.

Methods: A 3-round Delphi process (2 e-surveys and 1 in-person meeting) was conducted with hematologists, pathologists, and oncologists managing MM in India.

Strategies and Techniques for Ileourethral Approximation During Robotic Intracorporeal Neobladder Reconstruction: An International Survey and Video Collection, in Collaboration with the European Association of Urology Robotic Urology Section Scientific Working Group.

Background And Objective: The use of robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion has increased rapidly in the past decade. The approximation of the ileum toward the urethral stump could be a demanding step. Whereas the techniques for reconstruction have been described in detail, a comprehensive depiction of strategies to facilitate neobladder-urethral approximation is lacking.