Role of Polylactic-Polyglycolic Acid (Plga Co-Polymer) In Maintaining Alveolar Height and Width Following Extraction of Teeth

Background: This study was undertaken to consider the successful use of biodegradable osteosynthetic graft material polylactic- polyglycolic acid sponge as biodegradable root replicas which is placed as immediate implants in extraction socket to preserve the dimensions of alveolar process. Methods:A split mouth study was conducted on 20 patients who were selecte for orthodontic extraction of 1st and 2nd premolar teeth in the outpatient department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peoples College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bhopal from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2010. One socket in each patient was randomly selected as test site (T) in which polylactic-polyglycolic acid sponge (Alvelac®) was inserted and the contralateral socket was taken as control site (C), which was allowed to heal naturally. Results: The test and control sites were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. Measurements recorded with regards to clinical (bucco-palatal width and height of the alveolus) and radiologically (mesio-buccal, mid buccal, disto-buccal). Clinical and radiological measurements shows there is a statistically significant decrease in bucco-palatal width and height of the alveolus on the control site as compared to that of the test site. Analysis of CT SCAN shows greater bone density on test site. Conclusion: The use of PLGA scaffolds (Alvelac®) significantly reduces the bone resorption both in height and width of the extracted socket. The quality of bone preserved when PLGA scaffolds is used, is of good quality to retain implants.

Small cell lung cancer: an update on therapeutic aspects.

Small cell lung cancer comprises approximately 20% of all lung cancers and continues to be a difficult management issue. More than two-thirds of cases present with extensive disease, which has spread beyond the himithorax and regional ipsilateral nodes. While response rates to chemotherapy are relatively high, durable responses are rare, and long-term survival rates are anecdotal. Although many attempts have been made to develop new therapies, a combination of etoposide with either cisplatin or carboplatin remains the most widely used first-line therapy for extensive disease. For those with limited disease, chemotherapy with concomitant radiotherapy (given with the first or second cycles of chemotherapy) is considered the standard of care. Over the last decade, several new drugs and targeted agents have been identified with the aim to improve outcome of this malignancy. In this review we highlight recent developments in the management of this tumour.

Quality of life measures in lung cancer.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Survival has not improved significantly in spite of newer therapies. In view of the high-symptom burden and severe morbidity, evaluation of quality of life (QOL) becomes important in these patients. Several instruments are now available for this purpose, and have demonstrated good correlation with performance status, symptoms, and survival. Quality of life assessments also help in comparing different therapeutic regimes, thus allowing selection of the appropriate modality. Problems of inconsistent interpretability and high-patient dropout rate poses a challenging problem that needs to be tackled. In spite of these drawbacks, QOL is now considered to be an essential component of lung cancer management and should be performed routinely. Such a practice will help the physician plan appropriate treatment strategies and set practical therapeutic goals.