ABSTRACT
Background: Oral cancer being one of the most common malignancies in the low-income group in India. It usually presents in an advanced stage limiting treatment options. The mainstays of treatment being surgery and radiotherapy both being lifestyle changing procedures. Aims and objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of life for oral cancer survivors after surgery in comparison with radiotherapy using ICF questionnaire Materials and methods: Oral cancer patients who underwent surgery (25 patients) and Radiotherapy (25 patients) in Stanley medical college for stage 1 and stage 2 lesions of oral carcinoma for past 3 Years (2013-2015) were enrolled. Results: The study showed that surgery as primary therapy provided a better quality of life than radiotherapy alone in the treatment of oral cancer patients. Conclusion: After comparing the results primary surgery for oral malignancy seems to be the treatment of choice as long as the tumor is amenable to surgical resection. Radiotherapy though resulting in a lower quality of life is very efficacious for unresectable tumors.
ABSTRACT
Aims: Anomalies of the corpus callosum have been associated with varied brain and somatic malformations. It has been associated with diverse genetic causes with identifiable syndromes. We aim to report a case of corpus callosal agenesis (CCA) associated with mental retardation and hyperactivity. Presentation of case: We report case of a 7 year old boy having CCA, abnormal facial morphological features, mental retardation and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), devoid of any chromosomal rearrangements or somatic malformations known to be associated with corpus callosal changes. Discussion: Symptoms in CCA are often related to concurrent migrational disorders, not to the callosal anomaly itself. Although multiple genetic etiologies have been associated, no single gene has been proved to be implied in all cases of CCA. Conclusion: This case highlights importance of recognizing mental retardation and ADHD as a presentation of isolated CCA which may occur without any known chromosomal malformation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: In India, approximately 65% of mothers deliver at home, and a community-based study evaluating the cost of vaccinating newborns with the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 48 hours has not been undertaken previously. This policy planning study was done to evaluate the costs of such immunization in India. METHODS: All mothers delivering in the study area (population 65,000) over a 1-year period were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg; ELISA), and babies of positive mothers were vaccinated starting at birth. The cost of such selective vaccination was calculated. The cost of nursing time required for universal immunization was calculated from the data on nursing time required for vaccination in the selective vaccination program. The national cost of universal immunization without testing was calculated as well as cost-benefit and cost-utility in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved. Sensitivity testing considering economies of scale was also factored in. RESULTS: 1100 mothers delivered during the study period. 252 were primiparous. Nationwide universal vaccination would cost Rs 48,000 per QALY saved, which was double the per capita GNP of the country; discounted at 3% the cost was Rs 260,000. CONCLUSIONS: Universal immunization vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine is not cost-beneficial in India, since cost of every life-year gained with it will exceed India's per capita GNP.