Submandibular Gland in Neck Dissection: Necessary Fatality or Unfortunate Prey?

Excision of submandibular gland is currently victim in all neck dissections. In this study we intend to estimate the prevalence of submandibular gland involvement in squamous cell oral carcinomas and identify the factors associated with it. This is a single institutional, retrospective observational study conducted from 22 to 2018 to 28 February 2020. 317 patients were included for analysis as per study criteria. The prevalence of involvement of submandibular gland was 3.8%. Increased risk of submandibular gland involvement was associated with involvement of level-Ib nodes (Odds ratio: 13.6, 2.9-63.3, 95% CI and p = < 0.001) and presence of extra-nodal extension (Odds ratio: 67, 8.4-532, 95% CI and p = < 0.001) and perineurial invasion (Odds ratio: 5, 1.6-16.8 and p = 0.003). In oral cancers, especially early stage carcinoma of buccal mucosa, submandibular gland preservation may be feasible in absence of extra-nodal extension and level-Ib involvement.

Patient Reported Outcomes of Scalp and Forehead Reconstruction for Defects Following Oncological Resections (North-East Indian Tertiary Cancer Centre Study).

Background Approximately 1-2% of all scalp tumours are malignant, but they comprise up to 13% of all malignant cutaneous neoplasms. The current study presents our experience of reconstruction of scalp and forehead for malignant tumours treated at our centre. Methods This is a single institutional observational study conducted at a tertiary cancer centre in North East India. Post-operative outcomes related to quality of life of patients were measured with help of FACE-Q scales. Face-Q -Satisfaction with outcome and FACE-Q- appearance related psychosocial distress scores were analysed. Histograms were used for descriptive statistics. Data were checked for normality using Kolmogorov-Smirnova and Shapiro-Wilk test. For non-normal data Wilcoxon test was used. A p value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant at 5% level of significance. Results Mean age of patients was 57.6 ± 14.2 years. The mean defect size was 89.036 ± 81.77 cm2. The mean satisfaction with outcome scores and distress scores at 3-months was 54.9 ± 8.6 and 34.8 ± 8.5 respectively with a statistically significant p value of 0.001.Mean satisfaction scores and psychological distress scores were better at the end of three months when compared to at the time of discharge with a statistical significant p value of < 0.0001. Conclusion Scalp and forehead reconstructions for defects following oncological resections are technically challenging and if chosen carefully with meticulous planning, both local and free tissue transfers give satisfactory outcome in long term follow up. There are lots of reconstruction options for scalp and forehead defects and knowledge of the basic bio-geometry of the each flap is must.

A study of Human Epidermal Growth factor receptor-2 [HER-2] in Carcinoma Oesophagus [Single Institutional Tertiary cancer centre study from North-East part of India].

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal cancer both squamous cell [SCC] and adenocarcinoma have poor outcomes with high morbidity and mortality. Our hospital-based registry for year 2017-2018 showed that oesophageal cancer constituted 22.7% of annual case load. The main objective of this study was to determine the presence of HER-2 receptors in patients with oesophageal carcinoma in our region. METHODOLOGY: From September 2018 to September 2019, data regarding expression of HER-2 receptors was analysed in 133 patients of oesophageal carcinoma. Data were statistically described as frequencies (number of cases) and percentages where appropriate. Chi-square and Fischer's exact test was used to find out the association between categorical variables. A P value less than 0.05 was considered as statistical significant at 95% confidence interval. The statistical analysis was performed using SSPS [statistical package for the social sciences] software version 17.0. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were taken into study. Majority of patients were males (96) with mean age of 52 years. Squamous cell carcinoma was predominant histology. HER-2 receptor positivity was seen in 6.01% of patients. Patients with HER-2 receptor positivity presented in advanced stage with poor functional status and poor grades of differentiation. Statistically significant correlation of Her-2 expression was seen with stage (p = 0.001) and pathology of tumour (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Squamous cell carcinoma of oesophagus still predominates in North-eastern part of India. For studying the role of effective targeted therapies knowledge of frequency of HER-2 receptor positivity is of utmost importance in our population, and our study aims to answer this question. The present study shows low prevalence of HER-2 neu overexpression in our community, probably due to disproportionately high incidence of SCC compared to adenocarcinoma. Patients with HER-2 receptor positivity presented in advanced stage with poor functional status and poor grades of differentiation.

Correction to: An Initial Experience of Shoulder Resections and Reconstruction for Bone Tumours from a Cancer Centre in North-East India.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s13193-021-01292-x.].

Feasibility and Outcomes of Multivisceral Resection in Locally Advanced Colorectal Cancer: Experience of a Tertiary Cancer Center in North-East India

Purpose: Locally advanced colorectal cancer may require an en bloc resection of surrounding organs or structures to achieve complete tumor removal. This decision must weigh the risk of complications of multivisceral resection against the potential survival benefit. The purpose of this study is to review a single-center experience of feasibility of en bloc multivisceral resections for locally advanced colorectal carcinoma and to examine the effect of surgical experience on immediate outcome and rate of R0 resections. Methods: This is a study of 27 patients who underwent multivisceral resection for locally advanced colorectal carcinoma which was performed at our institute from January 2016 to December 2019. Among the 27 patients aged between 21 and 76 years (mean age, 48.67±7.3 years), 13 were males and 14 were females. Overall 18 patients had primary colon carcinoma and 9 had primary rectal carcinoma. All rectal cancer patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation. All patients underwent surgery with curative intent. All patients underwent open surgery of which 66.7% underwent colectomy, 14.8% underwent anterior resection, 11.1% underwent Miles procedure, and 7.4% underwent pelvic exenteration. Results: The mean operative time was 268.14±72.2 minutes and the median amount of blood units transfused was 2.07 units. The mean hospital stay was 13.67±3.4 days. Histologically, 44.4% of patients had well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and 55.6% had moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The final histopathological examinatio n revealed malignant infiltration of the adjacent organs in 19/27 patients (70.4%). Pathological complete response was seen in 2 patients. R0 resection rate achieved was 96.3%. Lymph node metastasis was seen in 66.7% of patients with colon cancer and 11.1% with rectal cancer with overall mean number of harvested lymph nodes being 12.44±3.01. Postoperative complications were identified in 7 patients (25.9%), while mortality was seen in 2 (7.4%). Conclusion: Multivisceral resection for advanced colorectal cancer invading into the adjacent organ may be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality.

An Initial Experience of Shoulder Resections and Reconstruction for Bone Tumours from a Cancer Centre in North-East India.

Advances in surgery and multidisciplinary approach have made limb salvage surgery feasible in most patients with tumours around the shoulder joint. Although resection and reconstruction options are complex, good outcomes can be achieved when performed at a specialised centre. The data of patients with bone tumours who underwent proximal humeral resection and reconstruction in a single cancer centre were prospectively analysed. Comparison between biological and non-biological reconstruction was done in seven patients of which three patients underwent biological reconstruction and four patients had non-biological reconstruction. Measurement data were presented as mean ± standard deviation. The mean values were compared using independent t test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival with log rank test for comparison among groups. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. There were six males and two female patients. Mean follow-up duration was 17.3 months. The mean age of patients was 24.7 ± 16.3 years. The mean functional score for biological reconstruction was 26.3 ± 1.16 and for non-biological reconstruction was 24.5 ± 1.3 with a p value of 0.1. Overall survival of patients with biological reconstruction was 75% and non-biological reconstruction was 100% with a p value of 0.3. Recurrence-free survival for biological reconstruction and non-biological reconstruction was 75% and 100%, respectively, with p value of 0.3. Limb salvage surgery in a dedicated cancer centre is a feasible option for most tumours around the shoulder joint. Biological and non-biological reconstructions both produced acceptable functional outcomes in our patients.

Postoperative pancreatic fistulas after pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancy: A Northeast Indian tertiary cancer center study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is an important cause of major morbidity and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy. We intend to estimate the incidence and study the risk factors and outcomes of patients who developed this dreaded complication. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study. We included all patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at a specialized surgical unit of a single tertiary care cancer center in Northeast India. The period of study was from 23 April 2012 to 27 December 2019. The 2016 update on the definition of POPF by the International Study Group for Pancreatic Fistula was used to define the complication. Chi-square test and Fischer's exact test were applied to categorical variables. t-test was used to quantify mean difference among continuous variables. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: A total of 59 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy during the study period with almost equal distribution among males and females (29 and 30 patients respectively). The mean age of the patients was 54.0 years (range 20-72). Grade A, B, and C pancreatic fistulas were seen in five (8.5%), three (5.1%), and two (3.4%) patients, respectively. Preoperative hyperbilirubinemia, pancreatic duct size ≤3 mm, hypoalbuminemia, preoperative biliary decompression, and prolonged duration of surgery were identified as risk factors for POPF. POPF also resulted in increased 90-day mortality (20%). CONCLUSION: POPF remains a potentially life-threatening complication of pancreaticoduodenectomies. The knowledge and management of modifiable risk factors for this condition may help in mitigating this problem.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on a Tertiary Care Center's Surgical Volume and Outcomes: a Single Institutional Study from Northeast India.

In this study, we aimed to compare the surgical volume and outcomes between this COVID-19 period and data from non-COVID-19 period of last year. A retrospective observational study was done in one single surgical unit of a dedicated oncology center in a peripheral location in India. The comparison was done between patients undergoing major cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic period of 1st April to 30th June 2020, when a nation-wide lockdown was in force, to a comparable period of last year. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software 20.0. A total of 72 patients underwent major cancer surgery during this period, with surgery for breast cancer (n = 26) being the major sub-site operated. This was a significant decrease from the total 209 major cancer surgeries performed during a similar period of last year (2019) (p < 0.05). There were several reasons for the decrease in surgical numbers, including the difficulty in travel and accommodation during the lockdown period. The mean distance of patient's residence from the treating hospital was 45.7 km (range 4 to 165 km). Public transport was in a limbo and inter-state travel was restrictive with mandatory quarantine rules in effect. Morbidity associated with major surgeries was observed to be significantly less during the COVID-19 period compared to the pre-COVID-19 times (8.3% vs 17.2% with a p value of < 0.05), which can probably be attributed to the lesser number of complex surgical procedures being performed. There was no significant difference between the total mortality percentages (2.8% vs 3.8%). A total of 156 PPE kits were used (3-4/per patient) throughout the in-hospital care of the surgical patients included in this study. In the midst of a pandemic, the delivery of surgical cancer care is an essential service and although the surgical volume is significantly hampered due to various reasons, the outcomes are largely unaffected.

A Study of Hormonal Receptors in Esophageal Carcinoma: Northeast Indian Tertiary Cancer Center Study.

Background Esophageal cancers, both squamous cell and adenocarcinoma, have poor outcomes with high morbidity and mortality. Our hospital-based registry for the year 2017 to 2018 showed that esophageal cancer constituted 22.7% of annual caseload. Most of our patients present in advanced stages. The aim of this article was to study the role of hormonal receptors in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods This is a single-institution, prospective, observational study in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Hormonal receptors (estrogen receptor [ER]-α and progesterone receptors) were studied in tumor tissue. Of 160 patients, receptor status was analyzed in 133 patients. Chi-square test was used for the correlation of categorical variables. The value of p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results A total of 133 patients was taken into the study of which 96 were males and 37 were females. The mean age of patients was 52 years. Carcinoma esophagus was predominantly seen in males. Estrogen and progesterone receptors were positive in 9.02 and 4.51% of the study population, respectively. Patients with hormonal receptor positivity presented with poor functional status, higher grades of dysphagia, higher stage, and most of the tumors were poorly differentiated with statistically significant p -values. Conclusion Despite recent advances in various fields of oncology, outcomes of esophageal carcinoma have not improved significantly. Hence, a study of new pathways of pathogenesis in carcinogenesis of esophageal carcinoma is essential. Few recent evidences including our study shows that the hormonal milieu is responsible in the pathogenesis of carcinoma esophagus. The utilization of this data and future study of the role of hormonal therapy might lead to improved outcomes in patients with carcinoma esophagus.

A study of outcomes, technical safety, and feasibility of D-2 lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Lymph node dissection in gastric cancer had been controversial, but recent data have led us to the conclusion that D-2 dissection should be the standard of care for potentially curable advanced gastric carcinoma. In this study, we present our single-institution experience of D-2 lymph node dissection. METHODS: From January 2013 to September 2018, 115 patients of gastric cancer were treated with D-2 gastrectomy, 91 of whom met the criteria for study analysis. Data were statistically described as frequencies and percentages where appropriate. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression was used to assess the risk among groups. A P value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The majority of patients (86.8%) had Clavien-Dindo grade I postoperative surgical complications; 90-day mortality was seen in five (5.5%) patients. Patients with stages I, II, and III had survival rates of 100%, 71.4%; 53.2%, 44.4%; and 27.8%, 28.1%, respectively, for ages <55 and >55 years. Overall recurrence free survival rates were 26 and 28% for <55 years and >55 years, respectively, with a P value of 0.570. On multivariate analysis, positive distal margin and multivisceral resection had a statistically significant hazard ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study conducted in our institute on patients with gastric cancer undergoing D-2 lymphadenectomy has shown that the addition of D-2 lymph node dissection, when performed at high-volume centers, have acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. This can be seen from our grades of postoperative surgical complications, 90-day mortality, and overall 5-year survival.

Nasojejunal Feeding Is Safe and Effective Alternative to Feeding Jejunostomy for Postoperative Enteral Nutrition in Gastric Cancer Patients.

Background and Aim Carcinoma of the stomach is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Surgery for gastric cancer in the form of total or distal gastrectomy is definitive treatment. Feeding jejunostomy (FJ) though improves postoperative nutritional status and outcome, it is not devoid of its complications. In this study, we present the outcomes of nasojejunal (NJ) feeding and FJ and complications associated with them. Materials and Methods It is both retrospective and prospective observational study in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent FJ and those who underwent NJ route of feeding placed intraoperatively. Results A total of 279 patients of gastric cancer who underwent surgery were taken into study, of which, 165 were male and 114 females. FJ was done in 42 and NJ in 237 patients, respectively. Gastrectomy + NJ was done in 128 patients, gastrectomy + FJ in 27 patients, gastrojejunostomy + NJ in 109 patients, and FJ in 15 patients. We had three patients of bile leaks in FJ group, of which one patient had intraperitoneal leak who needed re-exploration; rest of the two had peri-FJ external leaks, who were managed conservatively. Most of the complications of NJ group were minor. Conclusion Our study of 279 patients in gastric cancer has shown that FJ is sometimes associated with major complications with increased hospital stay and morbidity when compared with NJ tube feeding without any difference in nutritional outcomes. Hence, NJ route of postoperative enteral nutrition can be considered as an alternative to FJ wherever feasible in view of its technical safety and minor complications and morbidity.

Primary Ovarian Carcinoma with Rectal Metastasis-a Rare Presentation (a Case Report).

Rectal metastasis from primary ovarian cancer is a rare condition. In this case report, we present a case of 45-year-old female presented with chief complaint of pain abdomen and vomiting and with on and off history of per rectal bleeding. On examination, patient was pallor, hemoglobin level of 5.5 for which she was admitted. On per rectal examination, there was circumferential rectal growth around 7 cm from anal verge. Imaging was suggestive of ovarian lesion with rectal growth. Biopsy and immunohistochemistry of rectal growth was suggestive of metastatic well-differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma probably of ovarian origin. In view of its rare presentation, we want to report this case.

A Study of Clinical Presentation and Management of Malignant Gastric Outlet Obstruction (Northeast India-Based Single-Centre Experience).

Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) occurs when there is mechanical obstruction impending gastric emptying. GOO has both benign and malignant aetiologies. In this paper we want to discuss, clinical presentation and management of malignant GOO. This is a retrospective observational study of 5 years in patients presenting with malignant GOO. Study was conducted in Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, India. Patients with malignant GOO who were operated were included in this study. Chi-square test was used to evaluate association between categorical values. Independent t test and one-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) was used for continuous variables. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. Data were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. A total of 107 patients were included in the study. Mean age of patients was 51 years. Carcinoma stomach was the most common cause of GOO, followed by carcinoma gall bladder, pancreatic cancer and duodenal cancer in decreasing order of frequency. Gastrojejunostomy was done in 96 patients, and palliative gastrectomy with gastrojejunostomy was done in 11 patients. There was improvement in gastric outlet obstruction score in most of the patients after GJ with acceptable patency rates at the end of 90 days. Low albumin levels and poor preoperative performance status were associated with increased 90-day mortality. Patients with malignant GOO usually present in poor general condition. Carcinoma stomach was the major cause of GOO in our setup. Adequate preoperative resuscitation, nutritional assessment and correction of malnourishment are of utmost importance for improving outcome of patients. Surgical gastroenterostomy was effective for palliation of obstructive symptoms in our study with improvement in post-operative oral intake and improved quality of life. Our study of 107 patients with GOO has shown that surgical palliation of GOO in the form of gastrojejunostomy improves oral intake of patients with improved post-operative gastric-outlet obstruction scores. Low albumin levels and poor preoperative poor performance status were associated with increased mortality at the end of 90 days.

Reverse sural flap - A feasible option for oncological defects of the lower extremity, ankle, and foot: Our experience from Northeast India.

BACKGROUND: Soft-tissue management around the lower third of the leg and foot presents a challenge to the surgeon. To achieve local control of tumor, additional surgical margins are required, thus creating large soft-tissue defects. The reverse sural artery flap (RSAF) is a popular option for many of these defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 26 patients who underwent resection of tumor around the lower leg, ankle, and foot, and reconstruction with RSAF was performed at our institute from 2012 to 2018. RESULTS: Among the 26 studied patients, aged between 22 and 71 (mean age: 50.8) years, 5 were female and rest were male. The most common site of involvement by tumor was heel (42.3%), followed by sole (26.9%). The most common histopathological diagnosis was melanoma (61.5%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (26.9%) and soft-tissue sarcoma (11.5%). CONCLUSION: The distally based sural flap is a reliable flap for the coverage of soft-tissue defects following oncological defects of the distal lower extremity and foot.