Quality-of-life: A study on patients of carcinoma breast and its pitfalls in Indian society.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally outcomes of treatment have been limited to survival. However, the disease and its treatment may have an impact on Quality-of- Life (QoL). The major concerns for patients of carcinoma breast involved are survival, appearance and a fear of recurrence. In Indian society we may need a separate and modified approach to assess QoL. AIMS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the QoL of patients of carcinoma breast and to ascertaining pitfalls for suitable correction in future studies on Indian patients. MATERIALS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; METHODS: 250 diagnosed patients of carcinoma breast were studied by a questionnaire on physical and psychological parameters. The results were assessed for applicability to our clientele. RESULTS: We found that majority of patients enjoy a good and non-capacitating QoL. Factors that may contribute to poorer health perceptions and QoL include experiencing a menopausal transition as part of therapy, and feeling more vulnerable after cancer. Overall QoL was better in the older and illiterate patients. Patients with no co morbidity and early stage disease fared better against patients with co morbidities and advanced stage of malignancy. The parameters used in QoL studies in west may not be directly applicable to Indian patients but it does give us a start. We need to adapt to these parameters and draw our conclusion. But there are many methodological challenges inherent in working with our population. Researchers interested in studying our clientele's QoL need to be cognizant of certain issues to ensure high quality results.

Pleural and transdiaphragmatic retroperitoneal metastasis developing two and half years after resection of invasive thymoma.

We report transdiaphragmatic pleural and retroperitoneal metastasis developing two and half years after resection of invasive thymoma (Masaoka stage III; WHO type B1, lymphocyte-rich) in a 34-year-old man. Post-surgery, he received radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Follow-up computed tomography (CT) one year post-surgery did not reveal any local recurrence or metastasis. He remained asymptomatic throughout. A follow-up CT done two and half years later revealed an enhancing retrocrural-retroperitoneal (posterior pararenal space) soft tissue mass measuring 12 cm x 10 cm x 6 cm. Another enhancing deposit was found in the left pleural space. This lesion was found infiltrating into the subjacent lung. Both these deposits were resected along with wedge resection of the affected subsegment of the lung. Histopathology confirmed these lesions to be metastases from the lymphocyte-rich thymoma.

LIVER RESECTION FOR METASTASES FROM COLORECTAL CANCER.

Five percent of patients with liver secondaries from colorectal carcinoma are potentially resectable and several studies have demonstrated significantly improved survival following resection. Two hundred and ten patients operated for colorectal carcinoma were followed up. Computed tomography confirmed potentially resectable metastasis to the liver in 38. On exploration 18 patients who had 4 or less hepatic metastases and no extrahepatic disease, underwent resection of their secondaries. Fourteen were males and 4 females with a mean age of 43.5 (SD 13.6, range 18-72) years. Ten patients presented with synchronous liver metastasis and 8 had metachronous disease. There was no post-operative mortality. All 18 have been followed up. for a median period of 23.5 (range 12-38) months. Seven patients are alive and well with no evidence of recurrence at a median period of 28 months (survival 39%). Four are alive with local recurrence in the liver. Median time to recurrence was 22 months. Seven patients have died of disseminated disease. The disease free survival at 28 months is 39% and the overall survival 61%. A close follow-up protocol for all patient undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer is essential, if such patients are to be selected early.

PAROTOID TUMOURS: A STUDY OF 65 CASES.

Sixty five patients who had undergone surgery for parotid tumours over a period of nine years were studied retrospectively. There were 45 males and 20 females. There were 49 benign and 16 malignant tumours. Age ranged 35-69 years; mean 47 years. Pain (6%) and facial palsy (3%) were unusual features. Size of tumour at presentation varied from 1.5 to 12 cm. Superficial parotidectomy was the commonest operation performed and Total/Radical/Extended parotidectomy was done in selected cases. Postoperative radiotherapy was used in six cases. No recurrences were noted following surgery for benign tumours. However a local recurrence rate of 37% was found for malignancies (6/16 cases). This paper aims to review the experience of managing these tumours in the setting of service hospitals.

INVESTIGATION OF BREAST LUMPS: AN EVALUATION.

70 patients with 72 palpable breast lumps were assessed by Physical Examination (PE), Mammography (MG), Ultrasound Scan (USS) and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC). The individual and collective value of these investigations have been assessed and a cost effective algorithm suggested.

IMMUNOBIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF VARIOUS GASTROINTESTINAL AND PRIMARY HEPATIC MALIGNANCIES.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha fetoprotein levels (AFP) were assayed by enzyme-labelled immunoassay in 75 cases of gastrointestinal (GI) and primary hepatic malignancies. Mean CEA levels were found to be significantly higher (p<0.005) in metastatic non-operative group of GI malignancies (range 5.32 ng/mL to 175.2 ng/mL) as compared to early pre-operative cases (range 1.25 ng/mL to 33.2 ng/mL) and post-operative cases (range 1.41 ng/mL to 22.24 ng/mL). Variable levels of AFP were visualised in 12 cases of primary hepatic malignancies with eight cases having values less than 100 ng/mL. When both CEA and AFP were assayed simultaneously, the markers were helpful in differentiating cases of primary hepatic malignancies with low levels of CEA from 3 cases of secondaries in the liver where CEA levels were found to be highly raised (80.4 ng/mL to 146.4 ng/mL). To evaluate the variation of CEA and AFP levels in different patients having same stage of the disease, immunological monitoring for the functions of T and B cells was carried out by estimation of cytokine, i.e. interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1a), interleukin-2R (II-2R) and various immunoglobulins. IL-1a and 1L-2R levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the groups of patients having higher CEA and AFP. This indicates an important T cell (TH1 and TH2) function in the tumour antigen production.

ADENOCARCINOMA STOMACH A REVIEW OF 168 CASES.

Medical records of 168 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma treated at Malignant Diseases Treatment Centre, Command Hospital (SC) Pune over a ten year period were analysed. Laparotomy was performed in 146 patients; in 82 patients a gastric resection was done, palliative gastrojejunostomy was done in 42 patients, while in 22 patients only a diagnostic biopsy was done. The resection was considered to be curative in 21 patients. Overall operative mortality was 12.3%. According to the international TNM Classification 16% patients were in Stage I, 13.7% in Stage II, 34.3% in Stage III and 35.8% in Stage IV. A significant correlation was found between five year survival rate and overall stage of disease as well as regional lymph node involvement (p < 0.001). Significantly better survival rates were seen in those who had curative resection as opposed to palliative resection (p < 0.01). Overall survival rate at five years in our patients was 8.3% this poor outcome was probably related to the advanced stage of disease at presentation.

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Skin.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma commonly arises from the major and minor salivary glands. Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma is extremely rare. The tumour was hard, non-tender, and fixed to the underlying stucture with visible congested veins. Histopathologically, large cell masses with adenoid or cribriform pattern, forming cystic spaces at places were seen. Solid epithelial nests and a few ductal structures were also seen. Plumonary metastases were another unusual feature in our patient perhaps not reported before.