Effect of Preoperative Body Mass Index on Postoperative and Long-Term Outcomes in an East Indian Gastric Cancer Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is a global health concern with varying clinical outcomes. This study aims to investigate the influence of preoperative Body Mass Index (BMI) on survival in patients who underwent curative resection for gastric cancer in Eastern India. METHODS: Data from a prospectively maintained Surgical Oncology database were analysed for patients who underwent curative resection for primary gastric adenocarcinoma between May 2016 and March 2022. Patients with incomplete data were excluded. Preoperative BMI was categorised into three groups: Underweight (< 18.5 kg/m2), Normal (18.5-22.9 kg/m2), and Overweight/Obese (=23 kg/m2). Clinicopathological details, short-term outcomes, and long-term oncological outcomes were assessed. Statistical analysis included survival estimates, Cox proportional hazard models, and subgroup analysis. RESULT: Of 162 patients, 145 met the inclusion criteria. Patients were predominantly male (68%) with middle or lower socioeconomic status. No significant differences amongst BMI groups were observed in performance score, tumour grade, clinical stage, or short-term outcomes. Postoperative complications and 30-day mortality were similar. However, underweight patients had poorer 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) compared to overweight/obese patients (14.3% vs. 39.7%, p = 0.03). Overweight/obese patients showed significantly better 4-year overall survival (OS) than underweight patients (47.8% vs. 20.4%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In Eastern Indian gastric cancer patients undergoing curative resection, preoperative higher BMI (overweight/obese) was associated with better long-term survival. Understanding these findings could guide tailored interventions to improve outcomes in this population.

Invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast and bilateral ovarian mature cystic teratoma with benign Brenner tumor in a postmenopausal woman - An uncommon occurrence.

The synchronous occurrence of bilateral ovarian tumors and breast malignancy often raise the suspicion of a Krukenberg tumor or a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, both of which are uncommon in clinical practice. A 58-years-old postmenopausal woman had a right breast lump and was diagnosed as infiltrating duct carcinoma, no special type, and incidentally detected bilateral adnexal mass with the clinical suspicion of Krukenberg tumor. However, following the radical surgical excision of the right breast and bilateral ovaries, the right breast showed invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) while the ovaries showed mature cystic teratoma (MCT) with benign Brenner tumor. IMPC of the breast along with bilateral ovarian MCT with benign Brenner tumor is an unusual clinical occurrence in a postmenopausal female and thus worthy of documentation. It should be categorized as a non-hereditary synchronous tumor. The histomorphology augmented by immunohistochemistry and appropriate clinical context is pivotal in rendering a correct diagnosis.

CK7+/CK20+/CDX2+ mucinous carcinoma, arising in a mature cystic teratoma of ovary, presenting with disseminated metastasis and pseudomyxoma peritonei.

ABSTRACT: Mucinous carcinomas arising within an ovarian dermoid tumor are rare. Most of the cases reported in the literature show morphological features resembling an appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. They exhibit CK7-/CK20+ immunophenotype similar to carcinomas of the lower gastrointestinal tract. In this report, we have described a case of a well-differentiated mucinous carcinoma arising within a mature cystic teratoma. The mucinous carcinoma showed a spectrum of morphological patterns, including cystadenoma-like areas, proliferative/borderline areas, villous adenoma-like areas, and areas of invasive carcinoma. In addition, our case showed some unusual findings, namely, diffuse CK7 positivity, associated pseudomyxoma peritonei, and metastasis to lungs. These features were not demonstrated in any of the previously reported cases. Our case shows that the teratomatous mucinous neoplasm of the ovary may show CK7+/CK20+/CDX2 + immunoprofile making it immunohistochemically indistinguishable from a primary ovarian mucinous neoplasm or a metastatic mucinous carcinoma of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the nipple in an adult male: A case report and brief review of literature.

This is a case report of a rare and uncommon primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nipple in a male patient. The patient presented with an ulcerated growth over the left nipple for the last 20 years, which progressed over the last 6 months. He underwent wide local excision with level II axillary lymph node dissection, and one out of 42 lymph nodes harvested showed metastatic deposit. The patient was planned for follow-up with no adjuvant treatment, and had no evidence of local-regional or distant recurrence at 24 months follow-up. The primary invasive SCC of male nipple is very rare, and its diagnosis is challenging as it can be confused with other clinical conditions. However, a histopathological examination with immunohistochemistry can differentiate primary SCC nipple from other differential diagnoses. The treatment options for cutaneous SCC include surgical excision, cryotherapy, electrosurgery, topical ointments, definitive radiation therapy, and photodynamic therapy. Regional lymph node dissection in SCC nipple could potentially have therapeutic and prognostic significance.

Margin to Depth of Invasion Ratio: A Significant Predictor of Survival in Patients With Oral Cancer.

PURPOSE: A common definition of a clear margin (≥5 mm) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) for all stages is a subject of controversy. Studies have shown that even 1- and 2-mm margins are adequate, and few studies have identified dynamic resection margin as a criterion. We aimed to study the margin to depth of invasion ratio (MDR), margin to tumor thickness ratio (MTR), and margin to tumor size ratio (MSR) as prognostic markers for survival. Notably, to our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the role of MDR in OSCC. METHODS: A prospectively maintained head and neck cancer database was analyzed from January 2017 to February 2023. The MDR, MTR, and MSR were calculated for each patient. Survival outcomes were analyzed using the Cox proportional model and the Kaplan-Meier method. Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) were used to compare different ratio models. X-tiles software was used to identify the optimal cutoff value of MDR. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty patients in the database were assessed, of which 123 eligible patients were enrolled in the study. MDR was an independent predictor of disease-free survival (DFS) on multivariate analysis. The MDR model had the lowest values on AIC and BIC analyses. A cutoff value of 0.5 for MDR showed a significant correlation with DFS and overall survival. CONCLUSION: MDR was the best predictor of recurrence of all the three ratios studied. The minimum safe surgical margin can be calculated by multiplying the depth of invasion by 0.5. This study signifies the role of dynamic resection margin criteria on the basis of MDR in defining clear margins.

Laparoendoscopic hybrid procedure - Oncologically safe and feasible option for gastrointestinal stromal tumours of the stomach.

Minimally invasive resection of gastrointestinal stromal tumours of the stomach is a feasible alternative to the traditional open approach, without the need for advanced laparoscopic training, as lymph node dissection is not necessary and excision with a negative margin is the only requirement. The loss of tactile feedback is a known drawback of laparoscopic surgery, causing difficulty in assessing the margin of resection. Earlier described laparoendoscopic techniques require advanced endoscopic procedures, which are not readily available in all places. We present a novel method wherein we use an endoscope to guide the resection margins during laparoscopic surgery. In our experience of five patients, we were able to successfully use this technique to get the negative margins pathologically. This hybrid procedure can thus be used to ensure adequate margin, keeping all the benefits of laparoscopic surgery.

Correlation of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake values on PET-CT scan with histological prognostic markers in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan utilizes 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG), based on the principle of higher glycolytic activity and reduced glucose-6-phosphatase levels in cancer cells. This imaging modality is usually advised in the metastatic evaluation of stage III breast cancer patients. The correlation of maximum standard uptake values of primary lesion with different pathological and molecular markers has not been studied extensively. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the data was performed from our prospectively maintained breast cancer database. All the patients who had undergone 18-FDG PET-CT scan at initial evaluation for staging between June 2017 and April 2020 were included in the study. One-way ANOVA test or Student's t-test as appropriate was performed to assess the difference of means in maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) of the primary lesion and axillary nodes with clinical stage, histological grade, molecular subtype. Bonferroni post hoc test was also applied. RESULTS: Out of 388 patients in the breast cancer database, 45 patients met inclusion criteria. There was a significant correlation of molecular subtype (p = 0.029) with SUVmax of the primary lesion. Higher primary SUVmax was associated with higher T stage (p = 0.01) and higher histological grade (p = 0.06). In each molecular subtype, there was an increase in mean SUVmax of the primary lesion with increasing histological grade and vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: SUVmax of the primary lesion in breast cancer patients reflects tumor biology. Higher SUVmax can predict patients with triple-negative breast cancers and higher grades in primary tumors. However, further large-scale validatory studies are essential.

Inclusion of Perineural Invasion with AJCC-TNM Staging: Outcomes from a South Asian Cohort of Curatively Treated Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of perineural invasion (PNI) in patients with gastric cancer (GC) is high, and patients with PNI positive disease have a poor prognosis compared to PNI-negative disease. The present study aims to study the incidence and evaluate the impact of PNI on the survival outcome of a cohort of South Asian GC patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All consecutive patients undergoing curative gastrectomy were included in the study. The incidence of PNI and correlation with different clinico-pathological features and overall survival was performed. RESULTS: A total of 59.54% had PNI-positive disease and the median OS of PNI + ve patients was 29.3 months, while it was not reached in PNI-ve patients. The PNI positivity was a significant prognostic factor for overall survival both on univariate and multivariate analysis. On TNM-PNI staging, those with TNM stage I/II patients with PNI + ve disease had similar OS to all stage III patients (p = 0.835) and were worse than that of PNI-ve patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The incidence of PNI in gastric cancer is high. The inclusion of PNI with AJCC-TNM staging may better stratify prognostic staging in curatively treated gastric cancer patients.

Metronomic Therapy in Palliation of Oral Cancer Patients-A Home Based Approach at the End of Life.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the development of targeted therapies for the management of oral cancer patients, the cost of treatment is a concern in middle- and low-income countries. The present study assessed the feasibility of low-cost metronomic therapy as an alternative treatment modality in patients with unresectable or inoperable oral cancers. METHODOLOGY: The study was a prospective, single-arm study. Unresectable, inoperable, and metastatic lip and oral cavity cancers were started on metronomic therapy, a combination of oral methotrexate 15 mg/m2 once a week and oral celecoxib 200 mg twice daily, as palliative therapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival. The secondary endpoints were a response to metronomic therapy, compliance, and toxicity. RESULTS: From June 2018 to May 2020, 25 patients were started on metronomic therapy. The median age was 60 years. The median overall survival was 8.8 months. At eight weeks of therapy, 11 patients (44%) had a partial response, ten patients had stable disease (40%), and four patients had progressive disease (16%). The compliance with the therapy was 100%, and one patient (4%) developed grade III toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the resource constraints and cost limitations in low and middle-income countries, oral metronomic therapy in the form of methotrexate and celecoxib should be regarded as a suitable regimen in the palliative treatment of patients with unresectable, metastatic, or advanced, recurrent cancers.

Prophylactic Drain Versus No Drain in Curative Gastric Cancer Surgery-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The adoption of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols has questioned the placement of prophylactic drain after curative gastrectomy. A 2015 Cochrane meta-analysis did not find convincing evidence of routine drain placement in gastrectomy, but the quality of evidence was questioned. The present study compared short-term outcomes of prophylactic drain placement versus no drain in gastrectomy. METHODOLOGY: The study is a prospective, non-inferiority, and randomized controlled trial. Histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach undergoing curative gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was included in the study. Randomization was done intra-operatively. The primary outcome was a postoperative hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included the return of bowel function, achieving adequate enteral feeding, re-surgery, morbidity, and mortality. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-seven patients were registered, of which 108 patients underwent curative surgery, and were randomized to 54 patients in each group. The median age was 55 years (range: 23-78) and 58.5 years (range: 35-80) in the drain and no drain group. No significant difference was noticed in primary or secondary outcomes in both groups. CONCLUSION: Avoid placing a prophylactic drain is not inferior to drain placement following gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for stomach adenocarcinoma. So, routine prophylactic drain placement can be avoided.

A Dosimetric Study Comparing 3D-CRT vs. IMRT vs. VMAT in Left-Sided Breast Cancer Patients After Mastectomy at a Tertiary Care Centre in Eastern India.

Introduction Post-mastectomy radiation in left-sided breast cancer in women continues to pose a significant risk to the underlying lungs and heart. This study analyzed the difference in planning target volume (PTV) coverage and dose to the organs at risk (OAR) by using three different planning methods for the same patient - three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Material and methods Thirty-five left-sided breast cancer patients' post-mastectomy were included in this study, and three different plans for adjuvant radiation were created using 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT. The prescribed dose was 50Gy in 25 fractions. Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done, followed by a pairwise t-test to establish a hierarchy of plan quality and dosimetric benefits. The plans were compared with PTV95, homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), hotspot (V107%), left lung V20Gy, mean lung dose, heart V25Gy, mean heart dose, and integral dose (ID) to the body. Results Both VMAT and IMRT led to improved PTV95% coverage (95.63±1.82%, p=0.000 in VMAT; 93.70±2.16 %, p=0.000; 81.40±6.27% in 3D-CRT arm) and improved CI (0.91±0.06 in IMRT [p<0.05] and 0.96±0.02 for VMAT plans [p<0.05]) as compared to 3D-CRT (0.66±0.11), which was statistically significant on pairwise analysis. In contrast, the difference in HI and reduction in hotspots were not significantly different. Left lung V20 was statistically very different between the three arms with the highest values in IMRT (36.64±4.45) followed by 3D-CRT (34.80±2.24) and the most negligible value in VMAT (33.03±4.20). Mean lung dose was also statistically different between the three arms. There was a statistically significant difference in mean heart dose between the three arms on pairwise analysis. Both the inverse planning methods led to a statistically significant increase in low dose volume (V5 and V10) of the ipsilateral lung, opposite lung, and heart, and increased ID to the body excluding the PTV. Conclusion While both the inverse planning modalities led to increased coverage, better CI, and better HI and decreased high dose volumes in OARs, there was increased low volume irradiation of heart, lungs, and body with VMAT faring marginally better than IMRT in coverage and decreasing lung irradiation with comparable heart irradiation.

Factors predicting perioperative outcomes in patients with myasthenia gravis or thymic neoplasms undergoing thymectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic approach.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors which predict the perioperative outcomes after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) or thymic neoplasms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of consecutive patients who had undergone VATS thymectomy in our institution from August 2016 to April 2018 were collected retrospectively from a prospectively maintained database followed by prospective recruitment of patients who underwent VATS thymectomy from April 2018 to February 2020. RESULTS: A total of 31 patients were included. Females were more common (51.6%), and 29 patients (93.5%) had MG. The most common indication for thymectomy was the presence of both MG and thymoma (51.6%). Most MG patients had moderate disease (55.2%) or severe (24.1%) disease preoperatively. Mean operative time and blood loss were 196.9 ± 63.5 min and 122.5 ± 115.3 ml, respectively. Mean hospital stay was 7.9 ± 6.7 days. The rate of major and minor complications was 16.18% and 35.4%, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis established that MG symptoms >12 months, prolonged invasive ventilation (intubation ≥24 h), and complications were associated significantly with a prolonged hospital stay. Adjusting for outliers, pre-operative disease severity (MG Foundation of America class), and intubation ≥24 h were the only factors that had a significant impact on perioperative outcomes. CONCLUSION: Pre-operative disease severity and post-operative invasive ventilation are strong determinants of perioperative outcomes. Pre-operative optimisation and early extubation protocols can further reduce morbidity in patients undergoing thymectomy by the VATS approach.

Role of metronomic therapy for advanced oral cancers and predictors of response: Multi-institutional feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: In an era of targeted therapies, patients with cancer in resource-constraint countries continue to struggle to find affordable care. METHODS: The present study is a multicenter prospective single-arm study. Patients with expected delay in surgery, unresectable or metastatic cancers, and patients not suitable for surgery or conventional chemotherapy were included. Oral methotrexate 15 mg/m2 once a week and oral celecoxib 200 mg twice daily was used for metronomic therapy. RESULTS: At 8 weeks, a clinically complete response was seen in 2.5%, partial response in 46.6%, stable disease in 39.8%, and disease progression in 11%. Size less than 4 cm, alveolobuccal subsite, and well-differentiated histology were significantly associated with no disease progression. CONCLUSION: Constraint-adapted approach of using methotrexate and celecoxib is economical with good compliance, minimal toxicity, and good efficacy. It is feasible for use in diverse settings. Individualized selection of patients based on response predictors may maximize metronomic therapy's benefit.

Primary malignant giant cell tumor of the sternum.

Primary malignant giant cell tumor (PMGCT) is a diagnosis based on the presence of a high-grade sarcomatous component along with a typical benign giant cell tumor (GCT). We report the first case of PMGCT of the sternum in a 28-year-old male with painless swelling over the manubrium sterni. The differential diagnoses of PMGCT and giant cell-rich osteosarcoma were considered. Surgical resection was performed, and the reconstruction was done with a neosternum using polymethyl methacrylate and prolene mesh. At 30 months follow-up, the patient is disease-free.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy: Preservation of arch of Azygos vein in prone position.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for oesophageal cancer has gained wide popularity in recent years due to its improved morbidity and mortality outcomes. We describe our modified technique of MIE in prone position with preservation of the arch of azygos vein. In our experience with 14 patients, the mean operative duration was 378 min (standard deviation [SD] 378 ± 59 min) and the mean blood loss was 390 ml (SD 390 ± 142 ml). The mean lymph node count was 28 (range 17-54). The Visick score was I in 12 (85.7%) patients and II in 2 (14.3%) patients at follow-up. The preservation of azygos vein arch is a technically feasible procedure and may be associated with a better quality of life outcome.

RRBP1 rewires cisplatin resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma by regulating Hippo pathway.

BACKGROUND: Chemoresistance is one of the major factors for treatment failure in OSCC. Identifying key resistance triggering molecules will be useful strategy for developing novel treatment methods. METHODS: To identify the causative factors of chemoresistance, we performed RNA sequencing and global proteomic profiling of human OSCC lines presenting with sensitive, early and late cisplatin-resistance patterns. RESULTS: From the common set of dysregulated genes from both the analysis, RRBP1 was identified to be upregulated in both early and late cisplatin-resistant cells with respect to the sensitive counterpart. Analysis of OSCC patient sample indicates that RRBP1 expression is upregulated in chemotherapy-non-responder tumours as compared to chemotherapy-responder tumours. Genetic (knockout) or pharmacological (Radezolid, represses expression of RRBP1) inhibition of RRBP1 restores cisplatin-mediated cell death in chemo-resistant OSCC. Mechanistically, RRBP1 regulates Yes-associated protein1 (YAP1), a key protein in the Hippo pathway to induce chemoresistance. The PDC xenograft data suggests that knockout of RRBP1 induces cisplatin-mediated cell death and facilitates a significant reduction of tumour burden. CONCLUSION: Overall, our data suggests that (I) RRBP1 is a major driver of cisplatin-resistance in OSCC, (II) RRBP1 regulates YAP1 expression to mediate cisplatin-resistance, (III) Radezolid represses RRBP1 expression and (IV) targeting RRBP1 reverses cisplatin-induced chemoresistance in advanced OSCC.