Orbital Exenteration: Tumour Diversity and Survival-Report from a Cancer Centre of Northeast India.

Orbital exenteration is a mutilating surgery which involves the removal of the entire contents of the bony orbit, including the globe, extraocular muscles and periorbital fat, and many times includes the eyelids. Since it leads to severe disfigurement, it is an infrequent procedure largely indicated in malignant conditions. The current study aims to report the clinicodemographic profile and treatment outcome of orbital exenteration patients done in a cancer care center in Northeast India. This is a hospital-based retrospective study between January 2017 and December 2021, including patients undergoing orbital exenteration. All patient and treatment-related data were retrieved from the record of hospital files. A total of 18 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 51 ± 18 years and male: female ratio was 1:1. Most patients had primary in orbit (55.6%). The most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma, (8/18, 44.4%), followed by basal cell carcinoma (two patients, 11.1%). After a median follow-up was 25 months (range 3-92), the median DFS of the study population was 31.4 months. The five-year overall survival of the patients was 54%. Orbital exenteration is an infrequent surgery due to the associated disfigurement and hence reserved for conditions where eye preservation is impossible. We tried to report the experience of orbital exenteration from a single cancer center for five years.

Clear cell Odontogenic Carcinoma Mandible Mimicking oral Cavity Squamous cell Carcinoma: An Intriguing case with Review of Literature.

Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma (CCOC) is a rare odontogenic neoplasm with high risk of recurrence and aggressive behaviour. Presence of clear cells in head and neck is hallmark, but not pathognomic for the entity. Deceptive behaviour admist wide range of differentials, poses an immense diagnostic challenge. An incisional biopsy with appropriate immunohistochemistry is prudent for diagnosis. We herein report atypical case of CCOC mimicking squamous cell carcinoma, in a tertiary cancer center in North Eastern part of India.

Pattern of Nodal Metastasis in Relation to Size of the Primary Tumour in Well-Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma.

This study was conducted to see the pattern of neck node metastasis in relation to the size of primary tumour in Well-differentiated thyroid cancer. A prospective study on 50 patients was carried out in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Dr B. Borooah Cancer Institute from 1st August, 2018 to 31st July, 2019. All new cases who had not previously received treatment were included which were histopathogically proven. Residual and recurrent cases were not taken into account. Most common age-group affected was 21-30 years (24%). It was more common in females (84%). Papillary thyroid cancer has been found to be the most common histological type of WDTC (88%), out of which the classical variant of PTC constitute 72%. 46% of them had tumour size > 4 cm 88% cases had cervical neck node metastases, out of which 72% were unilateral and 16% were bilateral. The commonest level involved was level VI. There is a definite correlation (clinical and histological) between increased involvement of positivity of lymph node in relation to size of the primary tumour in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

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.

Lifestyle, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and other factors could impede nasopharyngeal cancer survivorship: a five-year cross-sectional study in North Eastern India.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) is one of the leading cancers in India's north-eastern (NE) region affecting a section of the population each year. A proportion of the NPC cases are observed to recur even after therapy, indicating the involvement of other factors. We aimed to explore the NPC and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) burden in the NE region and investigate the prognostic factors for the NPC patients' poor survival and recurrence. NPC patients' information was obtained from different state hospitals between 2014 and 2019. PCR and Sanger sequencing were performed to detect EBV types. Statistical analysis, including forest plot analysis, Kaplan-Mayer survival plot, Log-rank test, cox hazard regression, and Aalen's additive regression model, were performed to determine prognostic factors for the NPC patients' lower survival and recurrence. We observed an increased incidence of NPC and EBV infection in the past five years. Step-wise statistical analyses pointed out that variable such as non-professionals (B = 1.02, HR = 2.8, 95%CI = 1.5,4.9) workers (B = 0.92, HR = 2.5, 95%CI = 1.4,4.4), kitchen cum bedroom (B = 0.61, HR = 1.8, 95%CI = 1.2,2.8), mosquito repellent (B = 0.60, HR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.1,2.7), nasal congestion (B = 0.60, HR = 1.8, 95%CI = 1.2,2.8), lower haemoglobin level (B = 0.92, HR = 2.5, 95%CI = 1.3,4.9), tumor stage IV (B = 2.8, HR = 1.8, 95%CI = 1.6,14.3), N2 (B = 1.4, HR = 4.0, 95%CI = 1.8,9.1), N3 (B = 1.9, HR = 6.4, 95%CI = 2.8,15.3), and M+ (B = 2.02, HR = 7.5, 95%CI = 4.1,13.7) revealed significant correlation with NPC patients' poor prognosis (p < 0.05). The presence of viral factors also showed a significant association with NPC patients' decreased survival. We concluded that factors related to day-to-day life with EBV infection could be the individual predictor for NPC incidence, lower survival, and disease recurrence. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-022-00789-5.

An Early Experience of Microvascular Surgery in a Tertiary Cancer Centre in North East India.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular surgery is a highly technique sensitive and evolving speciality in reconstructive oncosurgery. There is a definite learning curve associated with it. In this case series, we describe our initial experience in microvascular surgery at a tertiary cancer centre in North East India. METHODS: It is a retrospective observational case series done at a tertiary cancer centre in North East India from May 2018 to Jul 2018. The first ten cases of our free flap journey till now were included in the study. Data were collected from patient records and the hospital online reporting system. All data were analysed using SPSS. RESULTS: In our series, 8 patients were male and 2 patients were female. The mean age in the series was 37 years. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 4 the patients, osteosarcoma for 2 of patients and adenoid cystic carcinoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and low-grade soft tissue sarcoma 1 case each. Out of the ten free tissue transfers, one free ALT flap for total maxillary defect failed during the 4th postoperative day and the patient was managed with a prosthesis. The average hospital stay during the case series was 10.6 days. CONCLUSION: Microvascular surgeries are very complex surgeries. The presence of a good, well-trained plastic surgery team working in conjunction with other specialities is paramount for a good outcome. A dedicated team, cooperative administration, fine and good infrastructure with high-quality equipment are the basic necessities for creating a good microsurgery unit.

Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Emergency Tracheostomy During COVID 19 Pandemic: Our Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre in North-East India.

Airway management in the form of tracheostomy may be done as an emergency or elective procedure depending on when the patient presents and it usually involves a multi-disciplinary team including the anesthesiologist and emergency physician. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with emergency tracheostomies carried out for patients presenting with tumors in the aerodigestive tract during this period of covid 19 pandemic and their outcomes. This is a cross sectional observational study. All the patients who underwent emergency tracheostomy at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, India, during the period 24th March, 2020 to 23rd September, 2020(6 months) are included in this study. A total of 115 patients underwent 117 emergency tracheostomies (two underwent redo tracheostomies). Median age of patients was 55 years. More than 85% of patients were male. The most common initial presenting complaint was dysphagia (40%) followed by dyspnea (25%). Most common site of tumor was pyriform sinus cancer (45.2%). Almost 45% of patients presented with stage IVA. Complications were seen in 10 patients (8.7%). These included stomal stenosis in 4(3.5%), primary hemorrhage in 3(2.6%), subcutaneous emphysema, infection and wound break down each in one patient (0.9% each). Among the eight residents who performed these procedures, five developed covid 19 symptoms subsequently, and were tested covid positive. Emergency tracheostomy is a safe procedure for patients; however it carries a higher risk of covid transmission despite using proper precautions.

A Non-Randomised Matched-Pair Prospective Study to Evaluate Nutritional Assessment and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcome in Head and Neck Cancer.

Introduction: Nutrition plays a significant role in the life of every individual and helps in recovering from any injury including surgery. Pre-treatment malnutrition is found in 15%-40% of cases and can influence treatment outcome. The study aims to determine the impact of nutritional status on the post-operative outcome after head and neck cancer surgery. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery for a period of one year from May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Only surgical cases were taken up for the study. The cases (Group A) had a thorough nutritional assessment and dietary intervention if necessary. The dietician did the assessment via Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) questionnaire. After the evaluation, they were again subdivided into two subgroups depending on their nutritional status - well nourished (SGA-A) and malnourished (SGA-B and C). Dietary counselling was given for minimum 15 days preoperatively. The cases were compared with a matched control group (Group B). Results: Both the groups were well matched in terms of the site of primary tumour and duration of surgery. Around 70% were found to be malnourished in Group A. With dietary counselling, there has been a significant improvement in various parameters of post-operative outcome (P < 0.05). Discussion: This study highlights the close association and the importance of nutritional assessment for all head and neck cancer cases planned for surgery for an uneventful post-operative outcome. Adequate nutritional assessment and dietary intervention in the pre-operative period can go a long way in reducing post-operative morbidity in surgical patients.

Quantifying Remission Probability in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic progressive disorder and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The concept of T2DM remission and the reversal of diabetic parameters to normal levels has been gaining momentum over the past years. T2DM remission is increasingly being recognized by various global guidelines. Multiple models have been developed and validated for quantifying the extent of remission achieved. Based on favorable clinical evidence, T2DM remission can be considered as the therapeutic goal in diabetes management and, in select cases, as an alternative to expensive treatment options, which can be burdensome as T2DM progresses. This narrative review discusses the available strategies, such as lifestyle interventions, physical activity, bariatric surgery, medical nutrition therapy, and non-insulin glucose-lowering medications, for achieving T2DM remission. Although the concept of T2DM remission has emerged as a real-world option, effective implementation in routine clinical practice may not be feasible until long-term studies prove the efficacy of different approaches in this regard.

Screening for diabetes in India should be initiated at 25 years age.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines state that screening for diabetes should be done at 30 years of age in India. METHODS: Investigators from multiple sites in India were involved in providing data regarding patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) aged 30 years or less. Other relevant studies were also reviewed. RESULTS: Overview of published and unpublished data show increasing prevalence of T2D in individuals 30 years and less. About 3/4th of them had overweight/obesity. CONCLUSION: Screening for diabetes in India should start at 25 years in non-pregnant adults instead of 30 years as currently stipulated.

Current Practices and Gaps in Management of Dyslipidemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Accordance with American Diabetes Association (ADA) Guidelines: A Subset Analysis from a Real-World, Cross-Sectional Observational Study (LEADD Study).

BACKGROUND: Diabetic dyslipidemia is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). American Diabetes Association (ADA) provides internationally accepted guidelines to manage dyslipidemia in T2DM. OBJECTIVE: To assess if ADA guidelines are followed for managing dyslipidemia in patients with T2DM in India. METHODS: This was a subset analysis of a prospective, cross sectional, observational study (LEADD Study) conducted at 199 sites across India to evaluate dyslipidemia management practices in T2DM patients (N=4002), in a real-world setting. The data was stratified based on age and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and ASCVD risk factors to record the percentages of T2DM patients achieving LDL-C target and treated optimally with the Guideline directed intensity of statin. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: As per ADA 2018 targets: LDL-C levels (<100mg/dL) were seen in 30.6% of participants. High intensity statins were prescribed to 13.4% of the participants with LDL levels ≥100 mg/dL. ASCVD risk assessment details were available for 89.2% of participants. Data was not available for smoking and albuminuria. In participants <40 years of age, 80% and 64.2% with ASCVD and ASCVD risk factors, respectively, did not achieve target LDL-C levels. In this age group, 15.6% and 83.3% of participants with ASCVD risk factors and ASCVD group, respectively, were not receiving statins in the recommended dose. In participants ≥40 years of age, 88.0% and 91.5% with ASCVD and ASCVD risk factors, respectively, did not have LDL-C levels as per ADA 2018 targets. In this age group, 87.2% and 77.9% of participants with ASCVD risk factors and ASCVD, respectively, were not receiving statins in the recommended dose. CONCLUSION: The sub-analysis of LEADD study shows sub-optimal adherence to ADA 2018 guidelines for management of diabetic dyslipidemia.

BAX -248 G>A and BCL2 -938 C>A Variant Lowers the Survival in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Could be Associated with Tissue-Specific Malignancies: A Multi-Method Approach.

BACKGROUND: The association of BAX -248 G>A and BCL2 -938 C>A with different cancers created conflicts.  We studied the correlation and the effect of these polymorphisms in patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC).  Methods: PCR-RFLP and Sanger sequencing were used to detect polymorphisms. Statistical analysis including forest plot and Kaplan-Meier Log-rank test was conducted to investigate the association and effect of these SNPs on the NPC patients' survival. The computational study was performed to investigate the possible regulatory role between these polymorphisms and the poor survival of NPC patients. Meta-analysis was executed to check the tissue-specific association of these polymorphisms in the context of global cancer prognosis. RESULTS: We observed an increased and significant association of BAX -248 G>A [GA:OR=5.29, 95%CI=1.67,16.67, P=0.004; GA+AA:OR=5.71, 95%CI=1.82,17.90, P =0.002; A:OR=5.33, 95%CI=1.76,16.13, P=0.003], and BCL2 -938 C>A [CA:OR=2.26, 95%CI=1.03,4.96, P=0.04; AA:OR=3.56, 95%CI=0.97,13.05, P=0.05; CA+AA:OR=3.10, 95%CI=1.51,6.35, P=0.002; A:OR=2.90, 95% CI=1.59,5.29, P=0.0005] with the risk of NPC. Also, these SNPs were strongly correlated with poor survival in NPC patients (lower estimated survival mean, lower estimated proportion surviving at 5 years with p <0.05). The computational study showed that these SNPs altered the binding affinity of transcription factors HIF1, SP1, PAX3, PAX9 and CREB towards promoter (Lower p indicates strong affinity). The meta-analysis revealed the tissue-specific association of these polymorphisms. BAX -248 G>A showed a significant correlation with carcinomas [A vs G:OR=1.60, 95%CI=1.09,2.34, P=0.01; AA vs GG:OR=2.61, 95%CI=1.68,4.06, p <0.001; AA+GA vs GG:OR=1.53,95%CI=1.04,2.25, P=0.02); AA vs GG+GA:OR=2.53, 95%CI=1.65,3.87, p <0.001], and BCL2 -938 C>A with other malignancies [A vs C:OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.26,1.66, p <0.001; AA vs CC:OR=2.07, 95%CI: 1.15,3.72, P=0.01; AA+CA vs CC:OR=1.42, 95%CI=1.18,1.72, p <0.001; AA vs CC+CA:OR=1.89, 95%CI=1.02,3.50, P=0.04]. CONCLUSIONS: BAX -248 G>A and BCL2 -938 C>A was associated with poor survival in NPC patients. It may increase cancer susceptibility through transcriptional regulation. Moreover, these SNPs' effects could be tissue-specific.
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Dysbiosis of salivary microbiome and cytokines influence oral squamous cell carcinoma through inflammation.

Advanced combinatorial treatments of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy do not have any effect on the enhancement of a 5-year survival rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The discovery of early diagnostic non-invasive biomarkers is required to improve the survival rate of OSCC patients. Recently, it has been reported that oral microbiome has a significant contribution to the development of OSCC. Oral microbiome induces inflammatory response through the production of cytokines and chemokines that enhances tumor cell proliferation and survival. The study aims to develop saliva-based oral microbiome and cytokine biomarker panel that screen OSCC patients based on the level of the microbiome and cytokine differences. We compared the oral microbiome signatures and cytokine level in the saliva of OSCC patients and healthy individuals by 16S rRNA gene sequencing targeting the V3/V4 region using the MiSeq platform and cytokine assay, respectively. The higher abundance of Prevotella melaninogenica, Fusobacterium sp., Veillonella parvula, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella pallens, Dialister, Streptococcus anginosus, Prevotella nigrescens, Campylobacter ureolyticus, Prevotella nanceiensis, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and significant elevation of IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, GM-CSF, and IFN-γ in the saliva of patients having OSCC. Oncobacteria such as S. anginosus, V. parvula, P. endodontalis, and P. anaerobius may contribute to the development of OSCC by increasing inflammation via increased expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and GM-CSF. These oncobacteria and cytokines panels could potentially be used as a non-invasive biomarker in clinical practice for more efficient screening and early detection of OSCC patients.

Locoregional Flaps in Oncoreconstruction at a Tertiary Cancer Centre in North East India: a Review Through a Plastic Surgeon's Eye.

Local flaps are important parts of oncoreconstruction. The idea of writing this article is to give knowledge to my fellow aspiring plastic surgeons about the common locoregional flaps that are essentially done in a tertiary cancer centre. This is a retrospective study carried out in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, from May 2018 to April 2019. Musculoskeletal and soft tissue, head and neck and thorax and gynaecological malignancies which required locoregional flaps for reconstruction were taken up for the study. Flap reconstructions performed by oncosurgeons are not included in the study. We have done a total of 74 locoregional reconstructions during this 12-month period apart from 43 free tissue transfers. In our study, age ranged from 12 to 84 years. Most commonly performed flap during this time was pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. Complications of various flaps were assessed. Out of the 74 flaps, total necrosis of one flap occurred, and re-surgery was required in one case. Most of the oncosurgeons have a good idea of locoregional reconstructions in cancer centres. In such centres, the need of plastic surgeon for locoregional reconstruction is mainly for complex reconstructions and unfamiliar anatomic locations, for second flap after initial local flap failure or after free flap-related complications.

TLR9 Polymorphisms Might Contribute to the Ethnicity Bias for EBV-Infected Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy in most parts of the world, but is endemic in some ethnic groups. The association of NPC with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is firmly established; however, the mechanism is still unclear. TLR9 is well known for its essential role in viral pathogen recognition and activation of innate immunity. Here, we report a set of TLR9 polymorphisms in the TIR-2 domain of the TLR9 protein collected from the EBV-infected NPC samples from northeast Indian populations sharing the aforesaid ethnicity. The occurrence of mutations is significantly high in these samples as we found a p value of <0.0001 at a significance level of 0.05. These might play an important role for the lack of function of TLR9 and thus for the higher occurrence of EBV-mediated NPC in such ethnic groups.

A Survival Analysis of Hypopharyngeal Cancer Patients: A Hospital-Cancer registry Based Study.

To study the survival in patients affected with hypopharyngeal cancer among treatment groups and different stages. Data of hypopharyngeal cancer patients diagnosed from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2010 was used in the present study. The cases were analyzed for gender, age group distribution, sub-sites at presentation, stage at diagnosis and the type of treatments. Survival from the date of first diagnosis was estimated and hazard ratios were calculated. Survival probability and hazards ratios (HR) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox-proportional regression analysis respectively. Censoring of patient who survived longer than 5 years was done. Active follow-up was done for the survival analysis. The study cohort included 217 patients and treatment compliance was observed in 46.9% of cases. The median age at diagnosis was 57 years (range 24-90), 86.2% of cases were locally advanced cases (stage III and IV), pyriform sinus was major sub-site (96%), radiotherapy was main treatment modality alone in 84.8% of cases, median survival was 31 months and 5-year overall survival was 36.9%, and HR for stage IV was 1.9 (P = 0.03, 95% CI - 1.04 to 3.7). In developing setting of North East India, radiotherapy was the main modality of treatment for hypopharyngeal cancer patients, and understanding the clinical parameters and survival of this group of cancers is crucial for its control.

Redo Tracheostomy: Our Experience, Problems Encountered and How to Overcome Them.

Tracheostomy is a life-saving procedure done electively or most commonly in emergency basis. In patients with diagnosed case of cancer in upper airway tract they usually require tracheostomy at some point of time during their whole treatment procedure. Patients receiving radiotherapy or chemotherapy or combination of these are at high risk of developing post treatment changes in neck anatomy. Redo tracheostomy due to any reasons in such types of patients is a surgical challenge. The purpose of this article is to share our surgical technique in redo tracheostomy. During a period of two years 39 patients with diagnosed cancer in head neck region underwent redo tracheostomy at the hand of the author. Twenty-six patients were had received chemoradiation for their primary cancer and 6 patients were planned for second surgery due to recurrence disease in oral cavity. Reasons for redo tracheostomy are: sixteen patients were post chemoradiation on follow up with accidental expulsion of tube, 17 patients were recurrence/residual disease and 6 patients were plan for second surgery due to recurrence disease. In 9 cases the surgery was started by other doctor and taken over by the author due to profuse bleeding (5 cases) and failure to localised the trachea (4 cases). Among the 39 patients successful redo tracheostomy was possible in all. Mild surgical emphysema was encountered in 3 patients which was not significant. There was no other complication related to tracheostomy till the patients were discharge from the hospital. When redo tracheostomy is required in a post chemoradiation patients maintaining the proper dissection plane and procedure is important to avoid unnecessary complication intraoperatively.

Metastatic involvement of level IIb nodal station in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A clinicopathological study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Level IIb metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 110 newly diagnosed oral cavity cancer patients requiring surgery as the primary modality were included in the study. Preoperative clinical examinations were done and tumor-node-metastasis staging was noted. Intraoperatively, Level IIb nodal tissue was dissected and sent separately. RESULTS: A total of 129 neck dissections (58 SOHD, 67 modified neck dissections, and 4 radical neck dissections) were carried out in 110 patients (males = 80 and females = 30), 91 patients required unilateral neck dissection, and 19 patients required bilateral neck dissection. Out of these 129 neck dissections, only 4 (3.2%) neck dissections (in a total of 3 patients out of 110 patients) had Level IIb positive (with bilateral Level IIb involvement in one patient). CONCLUSIONS: Dissection of the Level IIb region in patients with OSCC may be required only in cases with advanced N stage, positive Level IIa lymph nodes, and extracapsular spread. Furthermore, in tongue cancers (high propensity of isolated Level II involvement), retromolar trigone, and floor of mouth cancers, routine Level IIb clearance should be considered.

Assessment and clinicopathological correlation of matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Nasopharyngeal cancer is not a common disease in most parts of the world. In India also, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not a common cancer, except for the Northeastern region of the country. Expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in the tumor cells is related to tumor invasion and metastasis. The aim of the present study is to analyze the expression of MMP9 in NPC and evaluate its prognostic implications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 32 histologically confirmed tissue samples of NPC were examined by immunohistochemical staining to assess the expression of MMP9. Clinicopathological parameters and levels of MMP9 expression in the tumor tissue were analyzed using Chi-square test. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method and was compared using log-rank test. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 32 tissue samples of NPC, 23 (71.9%) were male and 9 (28.1%) were female. 7 (21.9%) patients presented in T1 Stage, 8 (25.0%) in T2, 12 (37.5%) in T3, and 5 (15.6%) in T4 Stages, respectively. 29 (90.6%) patients presented with lymph node metastasis. MMP9 expression level was significantly correlated with patient's age (P = 0.033), tumor histology (P = 0.017), tumor stage (P = 0.021), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.011). The 5-year overall survival is higher for low-level expression as compared to high-level expression of MMP9 (P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: MMP9 is an important prognostic factor for NPC. High expression of MMP9 is associated with cervical lymph nodes metastasis and poor survival outcome.

Squamous cell carcinoma of upper alveolus: An experience of a tertiary care center of Northeast India.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to analyze the clinical behavior and the impact of nodal metastasis on the prognosis of upper alveolus squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 110 patients with SCC of the upper alveolus (International Classification of Diseases-10-C03.0) diagnosed during 2010-2015 were reviewed. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method and was compared using log rank-test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 110 patients, 59 were males and 51 were females. Forty-six (41.8%) patients presented with lymph node metastasis. Fifty-three (51.8%) patients presented in Stage IVA, thirty (27.3%) patients in Stage IVB, ten (9.1%) patients in Stage III, 12 (10.9%) patients in Stage II. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 71.1% in Stage II, in Stage III it was 65.6%, in Stage it was IVA 56.7%, and in Stage IVB it was 19.4% (P = 0.02). The 5-year OS for node negative compared with node positive was 66.3% versus 37.3%, respectively (P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Presence of lymph node metastasis is associated with lower survival rates. Adequate surgical resection with adjuvant treatment, where necessary, offers the best chance of disease control.