Predicting recurrence in oral cavity cancers: a review of 116 patients with buccal mucosa carcinoma in northwestern India

Background@#Oral cavity cancers, the second most common type in India, are responsible for 10% of the overall cancer burden. With a recurrence rate of 30% to 40% and a 5-year survival rate of 50%, these malignancies account for substantial morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in treatment modalities, survival rates following treatment completion have not improved significantly. The present study aimed to establish specific epidemiological and pathological factors responsible for recurrence after treatment completion in buccal mucosa cancers. @*Methods@#A retrospective analysis of the data of 116 patients treated for biopsy-proven cancers of the buccal mucosa was undertaken 1 year after treatment completion. Factors such as age, sex, education, lymphovascular invasion, extranodal extension (ENE), perineural invasion, depth of invasion, and pathological margin status were compared between patients who presented with recurrence and those who did not. Statistical significance was set at p 10 mm did not show statistically significant associations. @*Conclusion@#Neck node metastasis, ENE, and margins of resection < 5 mm were the histopathological factors associated with recurrence in cancers of the buccal mucosa.

Stormy Course of a Huge Submitral Aneurysm Causing Low Cardiac Output State

Submitral aneurysm is a rare structural abnormality of congenital or acquired aetiology. Most reported cases are from Africa. Unless promptly treated surgically this condition is invariably fatal. We report a case of a young Indian male who presented with dyspnea of recent onset, diagnosed to have a massive submitral aneurysm causing low cardiac output and compression of cardiac structures.

Message from the Chairman.

It is imperative that medical education takes into account the social, cultural, economic and geographical aspects of the nation. It should address the health problems of each and every individual with diverse socioeconomic status. It is necessary to provide them adequate learning and resource sharing channels to strengthen the health literature and information dissemination mechanism which would ultimately streamline relevant and responsive means to eradicate various diseases. I am extremely happy to learn about the positive initiative taken by the MGM Institute of Health Sciences in bringing out a scientific journal, MGM Journal of Medical Sciences.