Evaluation of Outcomes of Mucinous Ovarian Cancer Treated at a Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital in Pakistan.

Syed Abdul Mannan HamdaniObjective To evaluate the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) patients in an Asian population. Study Design Descriptive observational study. Place and Duration of Study Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from January 2001 to December 2016. Methods Data of MOC were evaluated for demographics, tumor stage, clinical characteristics, tumor markers, treatment modalities, and outcomes from electronic Hospital Information System. Results Nine-hundred patients with primary ovarian cancer were reviewed, out of which 94 patients (10.4%) had MOC. The median age was 36 ± 12.4 years. The most common presentation was abdominal distension 51 (54.3%), while the rest presented with abdominal pain and irregular menstruation. Using FIGO (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) staging, 72 (76.6%) had stage I, 3 (3.2%) stage II, stage III in 12 (12.8%), and 7 (7.4%) had stage IV disease. The majority of patients 75 (79.8%) had early-stage (stage I/II), while 19 (20.2%) presented with advanced-stage (III & IV). The median follow-up duration was 52 months (range 1-199 months). Among patients with early-stage (I&II), 3- and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 95%, while for advanced stage (III&IV), PFS was 16% and 8%, respectively. The overall survival (OS) in early-stage I&II was 97%, while for advanced stages III & IV, the OS was 26%. Conclusion MOC is a challenging and rare subtype of ovarian cancer requiring special attention and recognition. Most patients treated at our center presented with early stages and had excellent outcomes, while advanced-stage disease had dismal results.

A Rare Presentation of Dual Ovarian Pathologies: Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary and Mucinous Ovarian Cancer.

The small cell carcinoma of ovaries co-occurring with mucinous ovarian cancer is a rare event. We report a 21-years-old lady with a composite tumour comprising small cell carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma of ovaries. The incidental finding of the left ovarian cyst led to further workup and revealed a solid cystic mass in the left adnexal area pathologically proven to be mucinous ovarian carcinoma. The initial surgery was deferred upon the patient's request. After a few more cycles of chemotherapy, at the completion of surgery as per ovarian protocol, the pathological evaluation showed small cell carcinoma in the left ovary with a residual focus of mucinous carcinoma. In contrast, the right ovary also showed surface deposits of small cell carcinoma. The patient's clinical condition deteriorated very rapidly after that, and she passed away. Early recognition of small cell carcinoma in a composite tumour is critically essential for timely intervention.

An Unusual Occurrence of Uterine Metastases in a Case of Invasive Ductal Breast Carcinoma.

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women and has a high proclivity for metastasizing, yet it seldom affects gynaecological organs. We present a case of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast that metastasized to the uterus following initial curative treatment. Our patient was taking tamoxifen, which can induce endometrial hyperplasia and make diagnosis more complicated.

Cisplatin-Induced Bradycardia: A Silent Risk Observed in Two Different Clinical Cases.

Cisplatin is a platinum-containing drug that inhibits DNA synthesis by inhibiting cross-linking, denaturing DNA strands. It is used in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents to treat several types of cancers. Numerous adverse effects have been reported with this compound. However, it is considered a safe medication in terms of cardiotoxicity. In this report, we discuss the case of two patients who experienced bradycardia while receiving cisplatin as part of combination therapy. A workup was undertaken to rule out other possible causes of bradycardia, and the diagnosis of cisplatin-induced bradycardia was made.

Skull Base Osteomyelitis: A Single-Center Experience.

Background Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is an uncommon entity and carries a high mortality rate. It can be be odontogenic, sinogenic, or otogenic in origin, in addition to being a complication of skull surgery/trauma. Pseudomonas is one of the most commonly identified pathogen. The goal of the study is to describe the clinical spectrum, microbiologic characteristics, treatment, and its response among different patients with SBO. In addition, we compared the outcomes of bacterial and fungal osteomyelitis. Methodology This is a single-center retrospective analysis of patients with SBO who presented to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre Lahore, Pakistan between January 1998 and September 2019. A total of 15 patients with SBO were identified. Results SBO was common in males (79.9%) with a high body mass index. Diabetes mellitus was the most common co-morbid condition (46.62%). Bacterial etiology was seen in 46.62% and fungal isolate was detected in 6.66% of the patients; 26.64% were culture-negative and the remaining had a mixed culture. The mean duration of treatment was 17.58 ± 10.85 weeks. Overall, five (33.3%) patients were cured and did not have a recurrence of symptoms at six months, while three (19.98%) had a recurrence of symptoms at six months from the end of the treatment; six (39.96%) patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusions Patients with SBO can present with various conditions, and early identification of the condition and a positive culture growth can guide optimal treatment.

Achieving Complete Radiological and Bio-Chemical Response as a Predictor of Long-Term Survival in Stage IV Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

Objective Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is common among ovarian cancers. The majority of existing literature shows combined data of stage III and stage IV. Therefore, we aimed to look for whether achieving complete radiological and biochemical response after initial treatment of stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer as a predictor of long-term survival in the Pakistani population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted of patients with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed and treated from 2006-2013 at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. Overall survival was defined as the number of months between patients' diagnosis at the hospital and any cause of death or last follow-up date. Kaplan Meier curve was used to report the overall survival. The log-rank test was used to distinguish the survival difference in complete and no complete response. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result A total of fifty patients of stage IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma, with a mean age of 53 ± 2 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and suitable patients underwent interval-debulking surgery. Among these fifty patients, twenty-one (42%) patients who achieved complete radiological and biochemical response had a median survival of greater than five years. Patients without co-morbidities (46%) and having good performance status (52%) showed better results of the treatment. Patients' tolerance to chemotherapy with good response and fit enough to undergo interval-debulking surgery, achieving complete radiological and biochemical response after initial induction therapy were significantly associated with long-term survival (P<0.05). Conclusion Outcomes of patients who present with stage IV EOC remains dismal. Patients who achieved complete radiological and biochemical response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval-debulking surgery was significantly associated with long-term survival.