ABSTRACT
Background: Head and neck cancers constitute 6% of cancers worldwide. The management requires a multidisciplinary approach. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin is the standard approach for locally advanced head and neck cancers. The most commonly used regime uses three weekly cisplatin which is more toxic. Low-dose once-a-week cisplatin is substituted because of perceived lower toxicity and convenience. Methods: Squamous cell carcinoma of stage III, IVA and IVB of oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx were studied for one year. 82 patients were studied. Total dose of radiation was 66Gy/33#/6 ½ weeks from Monday to Friday with inj. Cisplatin 40mg/m2 i.v. infusion weekly.Results: 88% of patients were able to complete five or more weekly chemotherapy cycles with cumulative dose of 200mg/m2. Grade 2 and 3 acute toxicities were seen in weekly cisplatin arm but were conservatively managed.Conclusions: Weekly cisplatin can be used with concurrent radiotherapy as the acute toxicities are manageable and is well tolerated.
ABSTRACT
Primary healthcare workers being grassroot workers in rural areas can be effective in oral health promotion in these areas. Aim: To assess oral health knowledge and practices among primary healthcare workers in Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess oral health knowledge and practices of primary healthcare workers in Shimla using a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using SPSS package version 16. The tests used were t-test and Fisher's exact test. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of 130 subjects, there were 60 (46.2%) males and 70 (53.8%) females. The mean age of the population was 48.4 ± 5.9 with a range of 25–57. The mean knowledge score percent of the population was 51.9 ± 18.2. It was higher for males (52.3 ± 15.0) when compared with females (51.5 ± 20.7). The mean knowledge score percent was positively associated with education and negatively associated with age. Tooth brush was used by 97.7% and tooth paste by 121 (93.1%). The frequency of brushing twice was reported by 79 (60.8%). Conclusion: Though the overall knowledge about oral health is good among primary healthcare workers, the understanding about various aspects is lacking. Therefore, it is recommended that health workers should be given education to enhance knowledge and practices toward oral healthcare and to increase their screening capacity for common dental problem which will serve the community in long way.
ABSTRACT
n 2009, the Medical Council of India (MCI) made a certain number of research publications mandatory for the promotion to higher posts of medical teachers. Responding to this, there was a series of workshops on research and scientific writing for faculty members of a medical college. We decided to explore the opinions and perceptions of the participants on the need and relevance of such efforts, using qualitative methods such as focus-group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interview. The main themes that emerged from the study were as follows: a) presently, there are several hurdles for research and publication; b) recent attempts to upgrade skills of research methodology and scientific writing are encouraging, but need to be sustained; c) the traditional role of clinician - teacher is being replaced with that of clinician-teacher-researcher. Suggestions for future included - a) combined workshops on research methodology and scientific writing skills, b) continuous institutional support system for research and publication, and c) effective mentorship.