Telomere Attrition With Concomitant hTERT Overexpression Involved in the Progression of Gastric Cancer May Have Prognostic and Clinical Implications in High-Risk Population Group From North India.

Genetic instabilities exacerbated by the dysfunction of telomeres can lead to the development of cancer. Nearly 90% of all human malignancies are linked with telomere dysregulation and overexpression of telomerase, an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of telomeric DNA repeats at the ends of chromosomes. The burden of gastric cancer continues to inflict a deterring impact on the global health scenario, accounting for over one million new cases in 2020. The disease is asymptomatic in its early stages of progression, which is attributed to the poor prognosis and overall surge in mortality rate worldwide. Exploiting telomere physiology can provide extensive mechanistic insight into telomere-associated gastric cancer progression and its use as a target in a variety of therapeutic interventions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical implications of c-Myc, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression, and telomere length in patients with gastric cancer. A total of 57 gastric cancer cases and adjacent controls were included in the study. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the expression levels of c-Myc and hTERT. The relative telomere length was measured by MMQPCR using the Cawthon method. Our results indicated that the shorter telomere and increased hTERT expression were associated with gastric cancer progression. The study also highlighted the role of short telomeres and increased expression of hTERT in gastric cancer progression and its association with various etiological risk factors, transcriptional activators, and overall survival among the ethnic Kashmiri population of North India.

Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor (PEComa) of Vulva: a Rare Occurrence.

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is a tumor of mesenchymal origin, with features of perivascular epithelioid cells. The primary sites of PEComa reported are the uterus, vulva, rectum, heart, breast, urinary bladder, abdominal wall, pancreas, retroperitoneum, liver, and uterus. But what is unique is that PEComa of the gynecological tract is very rare. Uterus is the most common location of PEComa reported from female genital tract. PEComa of vulva is extremely rare. A 36-year-old woman presented with vulvar mass. Her final histopathological report came as PECOMA. Ours is the third case of PEComa vulva reported in English literature. After extensive literature search, we found only two previous cases reported of PEComa of vulva. One case was of primary PEcoma of vulva reported from Japan and other from China. Distinguishing among mesenchymal neoplasms, including PEComas, endometrial stromal sarcomas, and leiomyosarcomas, can be difficult. Careful analysis of morphologic and immunohistochemical features is of the utmost importance. Ours is the third such case of PEComa of vulva reported in English literature.

Impact of the Interval between Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Gastrectomy on Pathological Response and Survival Outcomes for Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Meta-analysis.

Background: It is still unknown what is the appropriate time between neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and gastrectomy in cases of gastric cancer. To comprehend the relationship more clearly between waiting time after NACT before having a gastrectomy and survival results, a meta-analysis was done. Methods: Retrospective and prospective research from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were thoroughly reviewed. Research examining the impact of delays of 4, 4-6, and above 6 weeks between the conclusion of NACT and surgery in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer qualified as eligible studies. The pathologic complete response (pCR) rate served as the main outcome indicator. Additional outcome metrics were overall survival (OS) and survival free of illness. Results: The meta-analysis showed that patients with locally advanced gastric cancer with a waiting time for surgery of above 4 weeks compared to those with a waiting time for surgery of below 4 weeks saw a significantly higher pCR rate (pCR) [odds ratio (OR): 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.60; p = 0.02]. The meta-analysis found no appreciable OS differences [hazard ratio (HR): 0.93; 95% CI: 0.76-1.13; p = 0.44). Conclusions: Time to surgery (TTS) had no effect on the survival results, according to our data. Only in the group where delaying surgery by more than 4 weeks after the end of NACT improved pathological response, but had no effect on survival. How to cite this article: Naveed S, Banday SZ, Qari H, et al. Impact of the Interval between Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Gastrectomy on Pathological Response and Survival Outcomes for Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Meta-analysis. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2022;12(2):81-91.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer: A Clinical Review and Update.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy has become a standard staging tool in the surgical management of breast cancer. The positive impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy on postoperative negative outcomes in breast cancer patients, without compromising the oncological outcomes, is its major advantage. It has evolved over the last few decades and has proven its utility beyond early breast cancer. Its applicability and efficacy in patients with clinically positive axilla who have had a complete clinical response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is being aggressively evaluated at present. This article discusses how sentinel lymph node biopsy has evolved and is becoming a useful tool in new clinical scenarios of breast cancer management.

Subdural hematomas: an analysis of 1181 Kashmiri patients.

BACKGROUND: We endeavored to analyze patients of subacute and chronic subdural hematomas studied in a 4-year period at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Kashmir, India. METHODS: The study was a retrospective analysis of 1181 patients of subdural hematomas. Demographic characteristics, clinico-radiologic features, operative modalities, and outcome were studied. Acute subdural hematomas were excluded from the study. RESULTS: The mean age was 60.4 ± 12.4 and males outnumbered females. Chronic subdural collections were more common than subacute subdural hematomas and left side predominated. Two burr holes with closed-system drainage was used in most patients. Incidence of postoperative seizures is very low. Overall recurrence rates were low; however, multilocular hematomas had the highest incidence of recurrence. Morbidity and mortality were 7.53% and 2.96%, respectively. Preoperative neurologic grade correlated with outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Subdural hematomas are common in elderly males. Preoperative neurologic grade dictates the outcome. Multilocular hematomas have a higher chance of recurrence. Craniotomy should be reserved for recurrent hematomas, and there may be a scope of craniotomy for multilocular chronic subdural hematomas at the outset. Antiepileptic prophylaxis is not routinely recommended.

Childhood tumors of the brain: demographic pattern over a ten-year period in the Kashmir Valley.

Brain tumors in children represent the second most frequent tumors in this age group after hematologic malignancies. We highlight the demographic pattern after retrospective analysis of brain tumors in children from geographically and ethnically distinct Kashmir Valley managed in our center between 2000 and 2009. We had a total of 248 pediatric patients with brain tumors. The parameters analyzed were age, gender, location of tumors and histopathological subtypes as well as WHO grade of tumor. We also did a comparison between the frequencies of common varieties of tumor in the first and second 5-year periods. We found that 111 tumors (44.75%) were supratentorial, and 137 (55.25%) were infratentorial. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1. The proportions of low-grade and high-grade tumors were 60 and 40%, respectively. The most common tumor in our series was astrocytoma. The most common tumors in the supratentorial and infratentorial compartments were craniopharyngioma and medulloblastoma, respectively. Our experience reflects a different demographic profile of pediatric brain tumors as compared with other regions of the world.