Evaluation of liver segmental dose threshold for hepatocyte regeneration following liver stereotactic body radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: There is limited evidence studying the relationship of liver segmental dose and segmental volume changes. The segmental dose thresholds could potentially allow for segmental regeneration after liver stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Given improved survival in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and liver metastases and more salvage therapy options, this has become an important clinical question to explore. This study assesses the impact of liver segmental dose on segmental volume changes (gain or loss) after SBRT. METHODS: Liver segmental contours were delineated on baseline and serial follow up triphasic computed tomography scans. The volumes of total liver and doses to total liver, uninvolved liver and individual segments were noted. A correlation was evaluated between liver/segmental volume and dose using Pearson's correlation. Furthermore, receiver operator's curve (ROC) analysis was performed to find the segmental dose, i.e . predictive for liver volume loss. RESULTS: A total of 140 non-tumour liver segments were available for analysis in 21 participants. Overall, 13 participants showed loss of overall liver volume and eight showed gain of overall liver volume. The median dose in segments reporting an increase in volume was 9.1 Gy (7-36 Gy). The median dose in segments losing volume was 15.5 Gy (1-49 Gy). On ROC analysis, segmental dose >11 Gy was associated with volume loss. On univariate analysis, only liver segmental dose contributed to a significant segmental volume loss. INTERPRETATION CONCLUSIONS: We propose from the findings of this study that in SBRT for large hepatocellular cancer or liver metastases, liver segments should be individually delineated. Furthermore, 3-5 liver segments may be preferentially subjected to <9 Gy to facilitate hepatocyte regeneration. Preferential sparing of uninvolved liver segments may improve outcomes in liver stereotaxyas lower segmental doses were associated with liver regeneration. This may have implications on future liver SBRT planning where segmental doses may be as important as the mean dose.

Accuracy of contrast-enhanced CT in liver neoplasms in children under 2 years age.

BACKGROUND: Multiple differentials exist for pediatric liver tumors under 2 years. Accurate imaging diagnosis may obviate the need for tissue sampling in most cases. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the imaging features and diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in liver tumors in children under 2 years. METHODS: Eighty-eight children under 2 years with treatment naive liver neoplasms and baseline contrast-enhanced CT were included in this institutional review board approved retrospective study. Two blinded onco-radiologists assessed these tumors in consensus. Findings assessed included enhancement pattern, lobulated appearance, cystic change, calcifications, central scar-like appearance, and metastases. The radiologists classified the lesion as hepatoblastoma, infantile hemangioma, mesenchymal hamartoma, rhabdoid tumor, or indeterminate, first based purely on imaging and then after alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) correlation. Multivariate analysis and methods of comparing means and frequencies were used for statistical analysis wherever applicable. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predictive values were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 11.4 months (95% CI, 10.9-11.8) with 50/88 (57%) boys. The study included 72 hepatoblastomas, 6 hemangiomas, 4 mesenchymal hamartomas, and 6 rhabdoid tumors. Presence of calcifications, multilobular pattern of arterial enhancement, lobulated morphology, and central scar-like appearance was significantly associated with hepatoblastomas (P-value < 0.05). Fourteen out of eighty-eight lesions were called indeterminate based on imaging alone; six lesions remained indeterminate after AFP correlation. Pure radiology-based diagnostic accuracy was 81.8% (95% CI, 72.2-89.2%), which increased to 92.1% (95% CI, 84.3-96.7%) (P-value > 0.05) after AFP correlation, with one hepatoblastoma misdiagnosed as a rhabdoid tumor. If indeterminate lesions were excluded for biopsy, the accuracy would be 98.8% (95% CI, 93.4-99.9%). CONCLUSION: CT had high accuracy for diagnosing liver neoplasms in the under 2-year age population after AFP correlation. Certain imaging features were significantly associated with the diagnosis of hepatoblastoma. A policy of biopsying only indeterminate lesions after CT and AFP correlation would avoid sampling in the majority of patients.

Imaging of central nervous system emergencies in oncology.

Central nervous system (CNS) may be predisposed to devastating complications in cancer patients which may add to morbidity and mortality in this group. Majority of the complications are vascular in nature due to the altered coagulation profile and pro-inflammatory state in these patients. However, there are a host of other conditions which may affect the clinical course of these patients including metabolic and toxic encephalopathies, infections, and paraneoplastic syndromes. Moreover, multimodality management of these patients, which is often used in majority of the cancers, exposes them to treatment related complications. This pictorial review aims to enlighten the reader regarding the various complications affecting the CNS as seen at our tertiary cancer care institute. We aim to highlight the emergent nature of these complications and the need to identify them quickly and accurately on imaging which helps to institute early appropriate management and prevents further morbidity and mortality.

Phase I Study Evaluating Dose De-escalation of Sorafenib with Metformin and Atorvastatin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (SMASH).

BACKGROUND: This phase I dose de-escalation study aimed to assess the tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and efficacy of sequentially decreasing doses of sorafenib in combination (SAM) with atorvastatin (A, 10 mg) and metformin (M, 500 mg BD) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Patients were enrolled in 1 of 4 sequential cohorts (10 patients each) of sorafenib doses (800 mg, 600 mg. 400 mg, and 200 mg) with A and M. Progression from one level to the next was based on prespecified minimum disease stabilization (at least 4/10) and upper limits of specific grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE). RESULTS: The study was able to progress through all 4 dosing levels of sorafenib by the accrual of 40 patients. Thirty-eight (95%) patients had either main portal vein thrombosis or/and extra-hepatic disease. The most common grade 3-5 TRAEs were hand-foot-syndrome (grade 2 and grade 3) in 3 (8%) and transaminitis in 2 (5%) patients, respectively. The plasma concentrations of sorafenib peaked at 600 mg dose, and the concentration threshold of 2400 ng/mL was associated with higher odds of achieving time to exposure (TTE) concentrations >75% centile (odds ratio [OR] = 10.0 [1.67-44.93]; P = .01). The median overall survival for patients without early hepatic decompensation (n = 31) was 8.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2-14.5 months). CONCLUSION: The SAM combination in HCC patients with predominantly unfavorable baseline disease characteristics showed a marked reduction in sorafenib-related side effects. Studies using sorafenib 600 mg per day in this combination along with sorafenib drug level monitoring can be evaluated in further trials.(Trial ID: CTRI/2018/07/014865).

Comprehensive immune cell profiling depicts an early immune response associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 in cancer patients.

Recent studies have highlighted multiple immune perturbations related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection-associated respiratory disease [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)]. Some of them were associated with immunopathogenesis of severe COVID-19. However, reports on immunological indicators of severe COVID-19 in the early phase of infection in patients with comorbidities such as cancer are scarce. We prospectively studied about 200 immune response parameters, including a comprehensive immune-cell profile, inflammatory cytokines and other parameters, in 95 patients with COVID-19 (37 cancer patients without active disease and intensive chemo/immunotherapy, 58 patients without cancer) and 21 healthy donors. Of 95 patients, 41 had severe disease, and the remaining 54 were categorized as having a nonsevere disease. We evaluated the association of immune response parameters with severe COVID-19. By principal component analysis, three immune signatures defining characteristic immune responses in COVID-19 patients were found. Immune cell perturbations, in particular, decreased levels of circulating dendritic cells (DCs) along with reduced levels of CD4 T-cell subsets such as regulatory T cells (Tregs ), type 1 T helper (Th1) and Th9; additionally, relative expansion of effector natural killer (NK) cells were significantly associated with severe COVID-19. Compared with patients without cancer, the levels of terminal effector CD4 T cells, Tregs , Th9, effector NK cells, B cells, intermediate-type monocytes and myeloid DCs were significantly lower in cancer patients with mild and severe COVID-19. We concluded that severely depleted circulating myeloid DCs and helper T subsets in the initial phase of infection were strongly associated with severe COVID-19 independent of age, type of comorbidity and other parameters. Thus, our study describes the early immune response associated with severe COVID-19 in cancer patients without intensive chemo/immunotherapy.

Leiomyosarcoma of inferior vena cava (IVC): do we really need to reconstruct IVC post resection? Single institution experience.

BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava (IVC) leiomyosarcomas (LMS) are a rare group of retroperitoneal tumors. R0 surgical resection is the only curative modality of treatment. IVC resection for retroperitoneal sarcoma is a complex surgery with no definitive guidelines for reconstruction. METHODS: Retrospective review of all patients who underwent surgical resection of primary leiomyosarcoma of the IVC requiring resection from 2010 to 2020 at our tertiary care center was performed. RESULTS: Among 24 patients who required IVC resection for LMS, only 7 (29%) required reconstruction of IVC. According to Clavien-Dindo classification, there was one grade 3 or more morbidity and 1 post-operative mortality. Seventeen patients underwent R0 resection whereas 7 patients had R1 resection on final histopathology. At a median follow-up of 25 months (range 8-91 months), the median OS was 40 months with median DFS of 28 months. Two patients presented with local recurrence while 13 patients developed systemic recurrence on follow-up. CONCLUSION: Careful preoperative multidisciplinary planning can make IVC resection without reconstruction feasible with acceptable perioperative morbidity, mortality, and oncological outcomes for IVC LMS.

Genomic Analysis of AZD1222 (ChAdOx1) Vaccine Breakthrough Infections in the City of Mumbai.

Background: This manuscript describes the genetic features of SARS-CoV-2 mutations, prevalent phylogenetic lineages, and the disease severity amongst COVID-19-vaccinated individuals in a tertiary cancer hospital during the second wave of the pandemic in Mumbai, India. Methods: This observational study included 159 COVID-19 patients during the second wave of the pandemic from 17th March to 1st June 2021 at a tertiary cancer care centre in Mumbai. The cohort comprised of healthcare workers, staff relatives, cancer patients, and patient relatives. For comparison, 700 SARS-CoV-2 genomes sequenced during the first wave (23rd April to 25th September 2020) at the same centre were also analysed. Patients were assigned to nonvaccinated (no vaccination or <14 days from the 1st dose, n = 92), dose 1(≥14 days from the 1st dose to <14 days from the 2nd dose, n = 29), and dose 2 (≥14 days from the 2nd dose, n = 38) groups. Primary measure was the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 genomic lineages among different groups. In addition, severity of COVID-19 was assessed according to clinical and genomic variables. Results: Kappa B.1.1671.1 and delta B.1.617.2 variants contributed to an overwhelming majority of sequenced genomes (unvaccinated: 40/92, 43.5% kappa, 46/92, 50% delta; dose 1: 14/29, 48.3% kappa, 15/29, 51.7% delta; and dose 2: 23/38, 60.5% kappa, 14/38 36.8% delta). The proportion of the kappa and delta variants did not differ significantly across the unvaccinated, dose 1, and dose 2 groups (p = 0.27). There was no occurrence of severe COVID-19 in the dose 2 group (0/38, 0% vs. 14/121, 11.6%; p = 0.02). SARS-CoV-2 genomes from all three severe COVID-19 patients in the vaccinated group belonged to the delta lineage (3/28, 10.7% vs. 0/39, 0.0%, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Sequencing analysis of SARS-COV-2 genomes from Mumbai during the second wave of COVID-19 suggests the prevalence of the kappa B.1.617.1 and the delta B.1.627.2 variants among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Continued evaluation of genomic sequencing data from breakthrough COVID-19 is necessary for monitoring the properties of evolving variants of concern and formulating appropriate immune response boosting and therapeutic strategies.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Evaluation and Management for Physicians: Joint Gastroenterology Research Society and Association of Physicians of India Guidelines.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common cause of, and accounts for almost 90% of all liver cancers. Data from India is limited especially due to cancer not being a reportable disease and in view of wide variation in diagnostic modalities. This document is a result of a consensus meeting comprising Hepatologists, Interventional Radiologists, Hepatobiliary surgeons, medical and surgical Oncologists nominated by the Association of Physicians of India and Gastroenterology Research Society of Mumbai. The following Clinical Practice Guidelines for practicing physicians is intended to act as an up to date protocol for clinical management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The document comprises seven sections with statements and sub-statements with strength of evidence and recommendation.

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Appendicular Skeleton Chondroblastoma-an Experience from a Tertiary Care Cancer Center.

PURPOSE: To evaluate safety and long-term efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation in treatment of chondroblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis comprised 27 consecutive patients with histopathologically proven chondroblastoma treated by RF ablation. The tumors were located in the proximal humerus (n = 6), proximal tibia (n = 8), proximal femur (n = 6), distal femur (n = 5), acromion process (n = 1), and lunate (n = 1). In 19 patients (70.3%), the tumor was in the weight-bearing area of the bone. Clinical response was assessed by comparing pain scores and functional assessment by Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score before and after ablation. Patients were followed for a minimum of 1 year to rule out complications and recurrence. RESULTS: Technical success rate was 100%. Mean pain score before the procedure was 7.34 (range, 7-9); all patients experienced a reduction in pain, with 25 (92.6%) patients reporting complete pain relief at 6 weeks. Mean MSTS score before the procedure was 15.4, whereas mean MSTS score at 6 weeks after the procedure was 28.6, suggesting significant functional improvement (P < .0001). Two patients developed osteonecrosis and collapse of the treated bone. There were no recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous RF ablation is a safe and effective option for treating chondroblastoma of the appendicular skeleton.

Towards standardization of management of gallbladder carcinoma with obstructive jaundice: Analysis of 113 cases over 10 years at a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Presence of jaundice in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is considered a sign of inoperability with no defined treatment pathways. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all surgically treated GBC patients from January 2010 to December 2019 was performed for evaluating etiology of obstructive jaundice, resectability, postoperative morbidity, mortality, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Out of 954 patients, 521 patients (54.61%) were locally advanced gallbladder carcinoma (LAGBC: Stage III and IV) and 113 patients (11.84%) had jaundice at presentation. Thirty-four (30%) patients had benign cause of obstructive jaundice. Median OS of the whole cohort (n=113) was 22 months (16.5-27.49 months) with resectability rate of 62% (70/113). Median OS of curative resection group (n=70) was 32 months and DFS was 25 months. Treatment completion was achieved in 30% (n= 21/70) patients with median OS of 46 months and median DFS of 27 months. Isolated bile duct infiltration subgroup fared the best with median OS of 74 months with a 5-year survival of 66.7%. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection as a part of multimodality treatment improves survival in carefully selected locally advanced gallbladder cancer patients with jaundice. Early introduction of systemic therapy is the key in the management of this disease with aggressive tumor biology.

Clinical course of severe COVID19 treated with tocilizumab and antivirals post-allogeneic stem cell transplant with extensive chronic GVHD.

Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are an immunocompromised group who are likely to develop severe complications and mortality because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report here a 61-year-old male patient of primary myelofibrosis who underwent an allo-HSCT 6 years earlier, had chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) involving the liver, lung, eyes, and skin, (with recurrent episodes of pulmonary infections) who developed severe COVID-19. The patient was treated with tocilizumab, and a combination of lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, interferon-ß1b. He was discharged after 31 days with full recovery. Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against IL6, has been shown to benefit respiratory manifestations in severe COVID19. However, this is first report, to our knowledge, of its use and benefit in a post HSCT recipient.

Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is influenced by the type of transport medium: Implications for diagnosis and monitoring.

It is unclear if the use of a molecular transport medium (MTM) containing guanidine isothiocyanate (GITC) would be advantageous over the CDC recommended, commonly used viral transport medium (VTM). We retested 70 SARS-CoV2 cases by RT-PCR in varying stages of follow-up using MTM and VTM in parallel and found discrepant results of RNase P, E and N genes. Majority (81%) patients tested positive with MTM as compared with VTM (27.1%). Even patients who were sampled 3 weeks after diagnosis demonstrated a significant discrepancy in the positivity rates between MTM vs VTM raising concerns about the clinical utility of VTM.

Giant cell tumors of the sacrum: is non-operative treatment effective?

PURPOSE: Giant cell tumors of sacrum in which surgery could endanger important neural components were treated with short term denosumab, angioembolisation and radiotherapy in different combinations to provide a non-operative function preserving treatment option. METHODS: Between April 2013 and April 2017, 13 sacral GCTs [proximal extent of disease-S1 (10), S2 (2) and S3 (1)] were treated. Age ranged from 20 to 50 years. One patient had loss of bladder control at presentation. Treatment protocol included short term denosumab, angioembolisation and radiotherapy in different combinations. Patients were evaluated every 10-12 weeks. If disease ceased to progress no further treatment was advised. In case of progress, patient was advised additional denosumab and/or angioembolisation and/or radiotherapy till disease stopped progressing. RESULTS: 10 patients have non-progressive disease and are asymptomatic, 2 have non-progressive disease with occasional pain, 1 patient died. Follow-up duration (since final non-progression of disease) ranged from 15 to 54 months (mean 31 months). Total number of angio embolisation sessions ranged from 0 to 12 (mean = 4), total number of denosumab doses ranged from 5 to 16 (mean = 9). Five patients did not receive any radiotherapy, 5 received 50.4 Gy and one patient each received 50.4 + 30 + 12 Gy, 50.4 + 30 Gy and 50.4 + 12 Gy. The patient with loss of bladder control at presentation recovered. There were no other long-term complications. CONCLUSION: This study offers a non-surgical management option that provides good mid-term local control while preserving neurological function in these complex lesions.

Do palliative embolization in unresectable, unsalvageable recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer patients help?

BACKGROUND: Bleeding from the unsalvageable recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer is not an uncommon occurrence. It is extremely distressing for the patients and their family members and also to the treating doctors. One of the ways to manage this crisis is by selective embolization of the bleeding vessel. METHODOLOGY: In this retrospective study, we audited the patients with unresectable, unsalvageable recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer who underwent selective (palliative) embolization for bleeding at our institute between Jan 2015 and Nov 2019, and assessed its possible benefit in terms of bleeding free interval achieved. RESULTS: Twenty-six palliative embolization was done during the above mentioned period. The majority were male patients (n = 23, 88.4%) with a median age of 54.5 years. The performance status (PS) of most patients was 2 (n = 15, 57.6%). The most common bleeding vessel was the external carotid artery or one of its branches, most commonly lingual artery (n = 5). The bleeding vessel was identified and embolized with PVA/gel foam/coil/glue. All the procedures were uneventful. Out of 26 patients, 3 patients had another bleeding episode subsequently. Most patients had 20 days to 21 months of bleeding free interval. The cost involved in the procedure was between 400 and 2100 US dollars. CONCLUSIONS: Selective embolization is an option to be considered in certain patients with unresectable, unsalvageable recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer, when they present with sudden and massive bleeding to the emergency department, at centres where the facility and expertise for this procedure might be available.

Interventional Radiology in Obstetric Emergencies.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the common causes of morbidity as well as mortality among pregnant women. Obstetric hemorrhage embolization (OHE)/uterine artery embolization (UAE) is the preferred treatment for PPH which has failed medical therapy. In cases of placental accreta spectrum (PAS), balloon catheter can be prophylactically placed in internal iliac arteries (IIAs) bilaterally before delivery to enable postpartum control of bleeding. An inferior vena cava (IVC) filter can be placed under fluoroscopy for a pregnant woman with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for whom anticoagulation is contraindicated or needs to be stopped at the time of labor. Injection of chemical into the gestational sac can be performed under ultrasonography (USG) guidance to treat ectopic pregnancy. Percutaneous or transvaginal drainage of a collection can be done by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) guidance for puerperal sepsis. Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) is performed for obstructive ureterolithiasis in case of urosepsis or significant stone burden. Sonography should be used for the guidance of interventional radiology (IR) procedures whenever possible. Fluoroscopy must be used only if necessary, giving special attention to radiation-sparing maneuvers. How to cite this article: Kulkarni S, Shetty NS, Gupta A, Rao S, Bansal H. Interventional Radiology in Obstetric Emergencies. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(Suppl 3):S273-S278.

Mandatory preoperative COVID-19 testing for cancer patients-Is it justified?

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has caused substantial disruptions in routine clinical care. Emerging data show that surgery in coronavirus disease (COVID)-positive cases can be associated with worsening of clinical outcomes and increased postoperative mortality. Hence, preoperative COVID-19 testing for all patients before elective surgery was implemented in our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-two asymptomatic cancer patients were preoperatively tested for COVID-19 using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction technique with nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabbing. All negative patients were operated within 72 hours, and positive patients were quarantined for a minimum 14 days before re-swabbing. RESULTS: In our cohort, 21 of 262 (8.0%) asymptomatic preoperative patients, who were otherwise fit for surgery, tested positive. After adequate quarantine and a negative follow-up test report, 12 of 21 (57%) had an operation. No major postoperative morbidity due to COVID-19 was noted during the immediate postoperative period before discharge from the hospital. CONCLUSION: Routine preoperative COVID-19 testing was successful in identifying asymptomatic viral carriers. There was no incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 disease in the postoperative period, and there was no incidence of morbidity attributable to COVID-19. These data suggested a beneficial role for mandatory preoperative COVID-19 testing.

Emerging role of multimodality treatment in gall bladder cancer: Outcomes following 510 consecutive resections in a tertiary referral center.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gall bladder cancer (GBC) is a disease with high incidence in India. We analyzed the outcomes of patients with suspected GBC who underwent surgical exploration. METHODS: Analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing surgical exploration for clinic-radiologically suspected GBC from January 2010 to August 2015. Outcomes as well as factors influencing survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Five hundred and ten patients underwent surgery for suspected GBC. Of these 400 had histologically proven malignancy. Eighty patients were deemed inoperable. Radical cholecystectomy was performed in 153 patients, revision surgery for incidental GBC in 160 and port site excision in seven patients. A total of 112 received peri-operative chemotherapy or chemoradiation. Majority were stage III (36%, n = 144) and stage II (31.8% n = 127). At a median follow up of 28.4 months, the median overall survival (OS) was not yet reached. Median disease free survival (DFS) was 33.4 months. Lymph node involvement, stage of the disease and resection status were the main factors influencing outcomes (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Surgery alone is curative only for early GBC (Stage I). Combination of surgery and peri-operative systemic therapy results in favorable outcomes even in stage II/III disease. Potentially, multimodality treatment may add meaningful survival for this disease with inherently aggressive tumor biology.

Liver resection for HCC outside the BCLC criteria.

PURPOSE: Surgical resection still remains the mainstay of management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). At present, Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) staging is the most widely used tool to guide treatment; however, criteria for offering surgery as curative treatment are restrictive. We aimed to evaluate short-term and long-term outcomes of HCC after resection, even for patients outside BCLC criteria for resection. METHODS: Data was collected from a prospective database from GI and HPB Department, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Study period was from June 2010 to June 2015. RESULTS: One hundred three patients of HCC were operated during this period, of which 100 underwent complete resection. Patients were staged according to the BCLC classification (BCLC stage A-25, B-64, C-11). Preoperative therapy was administered in 36 (36%) patients. At median follow-up of 21 months, overall 3-year survival for BCLC stages A, B, and C was 55.2, 62.7, and 37.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In today's era of liver transplantation, resection (especially for larger tumors) may still be the preferred treatment option, considering problems and difficulties in donor availability, cost, and long waiting list for liver transplant. With evolving modern surgical technique, long-term survival benefit can be achieved with acceptable safety in most BCLC stage B and selected BCLC stage C patients and those who either do not fit into the transplant criteria or cannot afford transplant. Carefully designed trials are required to further elucidate these results.

Experience with non-cremophor-based paclitaxel-gemcitabine regimen in advanced pancreatic cancer: Results from a single tertiary cancer centre.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Gemcitabine combined with non-cremophor-based paclitaxel is one of the standards of care in advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer. This study was undertaken to retrospectively evaluate real world non-trial outcomes with this combination. METHODS: Patients with histologically proven advanced inoperable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), treated with non-cremophor-based paclitaxel-gemcitabine combination (PG) (gemcitabine-nanoxel or gemcitabine-abraxane) between January 2012 and June 2015, were retrospectively analyzed. Response assessment was done every 8-12 wk with computed tomography scan and responses were measured as per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours 1.1 criteria where feasible. Toxicity was recorded as per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4 criteria. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients with PDAC were treated with the combination. Of these, 83.3 per cent of patients had metastatic disease. The median number of chemotherapy cycles administered was three. The objective response rate for the whole group was 30.8 per cent. Grade III/IV toxicities were seen in 35.9 per cent of patients. Median PFS was 5.6 months and median OS was 11.6 months. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Non-cremophor-based paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine appeared efficacious for advanced pancreatic cancers in routine clinical practice. Within the confines of a single-centre retrospective analysis, gemcitabine-nanoxel and gemcitabine-abraxane appeared to have similar efficacy and toxicity in advanced pancreatic cancers.

Outcome of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in "locally advanced/borderline resectable" gallbladder cancer: the need to define indications.

BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) exclusively in gallbladder cancer (GBC) are few and there are no randomized trials on the subject. Locally advanced GBC and indications for NACT in GBC are not yet clearly defined. METHODS: We analysed 160 consecutive GBC patients who received NACT based on clinico-radiologic criteria suggesting high-risk disease (TMH Criteria) from January 2010 to February 2016. RESULTS: On initial assessment, 140 (87.5%) patients had T3/T4 disease and 105 (65%) patients were node positive. Response rate and clinical benefit rate was 52.5% and 70% respectively. Sixty six (41.2%) patients could undergo curative intent resection. With a median follow-up of 33 months, the median OS and EFS of the entire cohort were 13 and 8 months respectively. Patient undergoing curative surgery had a statistically superior OS (49 vs. 7 months; p = 0.0001) and EFS (25 months vs. 5 months; p = 0.0001) compared to those who did not. CONCLUSION: Locally advanced GBC remains a disease with poor prognosis. Chemotherapy with neoadjuvant intent in locally advanced/borderline resectable GBC showed good response rates. This resulted in curative surgical resection or disease stabilisation in significant proportion of patients. Patients who undergo definitive surgery after favourable response to NACT experience good survival.