ABSTRACT
Background: Carcinoma cervix contributes to a major proportion of cancer treatment in tertiary oncology centers. The outcomes are dependent on multiple factors. We conducted an audit to establish the pattern of treatment practiced for carcinoma cervix at the institute and suggest changes thereof to improve the quality of care. Methodology: A retrospective observational study of 306 diagnosed cases of carcinoma cervix was carried out for the year 2010. Data was collected with regards to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results: Out of 306 cases, 102 (33.33%) patients received only radiation therapy and 204 (66.66%) patients received concurrent chemotherapy. The most common chemotherapy used was weekly cisplatin 99 (48.52%), followed by weekly carboplatin 60 (29.41%) and three weekly cisplatin 45 (22.05%). Disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was 36.6% with patients of overall treatment time (OTT) of <8 weeks and >8 weeks showing DFS of 41.8% and 34% (P = 0.149), respectively. Overall survival (OS) was 34%. Concurrent chemoradiation improved overall survival by a median of 8 months (P = 0.035). There was a trend towards improved survival with three weekly cisplatin regimen, however, insignificant. Stage correlated with improved overall survival significantly with stage I and II showing 40% and stage III and IV showing 32% (P < 0.05) OS. Acute toxicity (grade I-III) was higher in the concurrent chemoradiation group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This audit was a first of its kind in the institute and threw light on the treatment and survival trends. It also revealed the number of patients lost to follow-up and prompted us to review the reasons for it. It has laid the foundation for future audits and recognized the importance of electronic medical records in the maintenance of data
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recent advances in radiation technology has allowed to significantly reduce toxicity and improve the efficacy of radical radiotherapy in head and neck and oral squamous cell cancers. Insights into molecular biology of carcinogenesis has opened a window for identifying aggressive clinical situations that may benefit with larger clinical target volume (CTV ) margin, broader levels of nodal coverage, or alternative radiation sensitizers. AIM: To evaluate the potential role of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (elF4E) and p53 as predictive biomarkers in resected margins of head and neck and oral cancers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty patients with oral cancers and 26 patients with head and neck cancers were evaluated for p53 and eIF4E in their negative surgical margins, for pattern of distribution and outcome. RESULTS: In oral cancers, 27 patients (67.5%) were positive for p53 and 10 (25%) for eIF4E in surgically negative margins. For head and neck cancer, the values were 13 (50%) for p53 and 9 (34.6%) for eIF4E. Twelve patients with oral cancers and 8 patients with head and neck cancers had local failure or death. The association with these biomarkers did not achieve statistical significance. However, adjuvant radiotherapy had a significant protective value. It improved median survival from 15 to 21 months in patients positive for p53 (P = 0.018) and from 12 to 20 months (P = 0.03) in those with eIF4E. There was no predictive association of subsite, tumor size, or nodal status. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of p53 and eIF4E in pathologically negative margins may represent a subset of patients who would benefit from early initiation of adjuvant radiation and tailored intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).