A novel case of left atrial and right lung mass turned out to be unconventional metastasis of uterine leiomyosarcoma with a review of literature.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is a rare malignancy arising from the myometrial smooth muscle wall, and cardiac metastases are extremely rare. Metastasis to the heart is a very unusual finding, and atrial metastasis is even rarer. Here, we report a case of a 45 year old woman who presented with dyspnea and pleural effusion and had a significant history of hysterectomy done for ULMS. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left atrial mass, which was resected and revealed to be a metastasis of leiomyosarcoma on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Metastatic ULMS may rarely present as a left atrial mass with acute clinical presentation. Detailed clinical history and accurate diagnosis are vital for further management.

Prevalence and Patterns of Nodal Metastasis Among Oral Cavity Cancer Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Lip and oral cavity cancer remains the most common cancer among Indian males and third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in India. Cervical lymph node metastasis is one of the most important prognostic factors in oral cavity cancer. The aim of present study was to estimate the prevalence of nodal involvement and analyse patterns of nodal metastasis in oral cavity cancer patients. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted between January 2019 and June 2020. Patients of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma undergoing surgery with simultaneous neck dissection were included. Data pertaining to the clinical profile, treatment and histology details were collected and analysed. Results: A total of 63 patients were included in present study. Out of 63 patients, unilateral neck dissection was performed in 47 (75%), while 16 (25%) underwent bilateral neck dissection. Overall clinical and pathological nodal positivity rates were 75% and 52%, respectively. Level I (48%) followed by IIa (20%) were most commonly involved stations. Combined involvement of level IV and V was seen in only 5%, and no skip metastasis was reported in level IV and V. Conclusion: Level I and II are the most commonly involved stations in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Oral SCC has a predictable nodal spread pattern with no skip metastasis to level IV/V noted in present study. There is a need for good quality randomised control trials to optimise the treatment protocols in clinically node-positive patients with respect to level IIB and V dissection.

A rare case of ovarian gonadoblastoma flourishing into malignant mixed germ cell tumour with review of literature.

Gonadoblastoma is an extremely rare neoplasm of the ovary showing admixture of germ cells and sex cord cells. It may be associated with gonadal dysgenesis. Gonadoblastoma cells may give rise to individual germ cell tumours or mixed germ cell tumours with variable tumour components. Very few cases of ovarian gonadoblastoma admixed with malignant germ cell tumours have been recorded worldwide. Because of the rareness of the tumour, a component of gonadoblastoma might be overlooked on microscopic examination. Here we report a rare case of ovarian gonadoblastoma giving rise to an admixture of immature teratoma and dysgerminoma. We discuss microscopic features, immunohistochemistry findings and review of literature.

Risk Benefit Analysis of Routine Thymectomy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancers: A Systematic Review.

Background Central compartment lymph node dissection (CLND) is a part of the surgical management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Therapeutic CLND is done to address clinically significant central compartment nodes in patients with DTC, while prophylactic CLND is performed in the presence of high-risk features in the absence of clinically significant neck nodes. Removal of thymus-unilateral or bilateral-during CLND to achieve complete clearance of level VI and VII lymph node stations and address thymic metastasis is debatable. Objective The present systematic review was conducted to summarize the evidence, delineating the role of thymectomy during CLND in patients with DTC. Methods Electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched from their inception to July 2020 using keywords-thyroid neoplasms or tumors, thyroidectomy, and thymectomy-to identify the articles describing the role of thymectomy during CLND in DTC. A pooled analysis of surgicopathological outcomes was performed using metaprop command in STATA software version 16. Result A total of three studies and 347 patients-total thyroidectomy (TT) with bilateral thymectomy in 154, TT with unilateral thymectomy in 166, and TT alone in 27 patients with DTC-were included in the systematic review. The pooled frequency of thymic metastasis was a mere 2% in patients undergoing either unilateral or bilateral thymectomy. The routine addition of thymectomy does not result in better lymph node clearance. Unilateral and bilateral thymectomy were associated with high chances of transient hypocalcemia (12.0% and 56.1%, respectively). Conclusion Routine thymectomy is not warranted during CLND, considering minimal oncological benefit and high risk of postoperative hypocalcemia.

Distribution and determinants of submandibular gland involvement in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Though the submandibular gland (SMG) is routinely sacrificed for several reasons during neck dissection in patients undergoing curative surgery for oral cavity cancers, it might be an innocent bystander and should be considered for preservation. This study aimed to identify the incidence, different patterns of invasion, and risk factors of SMG involvement in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of the patients who underwent upfront curative surgery for a biopsy-proven oral cavity SCC. A consistent protocol-based treatment strategy was followed during the study period. Data about clinical profile including demographics, clinical and histology details, and treatment profile were extracted and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 303 patients underwent unilateral and bilateral neck dissections contributing 79.2% (n = 240) and 20.8% (n = 63) of patients respectively. The common primary sites were buccal mucosa (n = 129, 42.5%), tongue (n = 100, 33.0%) and alveolar gingiva (n = 52, 17.2%). A total of four SMGs showed tumor involvement resulting in a prevalence of 1.09% per neck dissection (n = 366) and 1.32% per patient (n = 303). Of these four cases of SMG involvement, one patient with alveolar cancer had direct tumor invasion while the other three (alveolar cancer - two, tongue cancer - one) patients had neck node metastasis. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms a very low incidence of SMG involvement in patients with oral cavity cancer who undergo neck dissection. It is often observed in patients with high neck node burden (≥N2 disease and the presence of extracapsular spread) or direct invasion by the primary tumor.

Lack of Oncological Benefit from Bursectomy in Radical Gastrectomy: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Resection of the omental bursa has been suggested to reduce peritoneal recurrence and facilitate a complete oncological resection during a gastrectomy. The addition of this procedure increases technical complexity and prolongs the procedure. Published data regarding the oncological benefit of this procedure are conflicting. We hypothesized that a bursectomy during a radical gastrectomy does not improve overall survival. METHODS: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline, a comprehensive literature search of 3 electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase) was conducted to identify the clinical studies that compared bursectomy with no-bursectomy in radical gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma. Qualitative and quantitative data synthesis was performed using RevMan software. A random-/fixed-effect modeling was used depending upon the heterogeneity. Bias and quality assessment tools were applied. The study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42019116556). RESULTS: Of 8 studies assessing the role of bursectomy in gastric adenocarcinoma, 6 (75%) were included - of which 2 (33%) are randomized controlled trials. Of 2,904 patients, 1,273 (%) underwent a bursectomy. There was no statistically significant difference in either overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.89, 95% CI 0.75-1.06, I2 = 14%) or disease recurrence (HR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.84-1.20, I2 = 22%) in the bursectomy group compared to the no-bursectomy group. CONCLUSION: There is no additional oncological benefit of adding bursectomy to radical gastrectomy in all patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Primary salivary gland-type tumors of the lung: A systematic review and pooled analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Primary salivary gland-type tumors of the lung (PSGTTL) are rare intrathoracic malignant neoplasms. Their description in literature is largely limited to a few case series and case reports. A systematic review and pooled analysis of the previously reported cases of PSGTTL is presented here. METHODS: Electronic database of PubMed using keywords "lung neoplasm" AND "salivary gland tumors" was used to identify the papers documenting the PSGTTL. Filters (publication date from January 1, 1900--December 31, 2015, Humans and English) were applied to refine the search. A pooled analysis of clinical, pathological, treatment, and survival data was performed. RESULTS: The present systematic review included 5 studies and a total of 233 patients. Mean age of the patients was 41 years (range 6-80 years) and there was a male preponderance (1.3:1). Common pathological types were mucoepidermoid (MEC) (56.6%), adenoid cystic (ACC) (39.5%), and epithelial-myoepithelial cancer (3.8%). Tumors were located in the central airways (trachea and major bronchi) in 43.3% of patients. Weighted median tumor size was 4.2 cm. Surgery was the primary treatment undertaken in 82.4% of the patients, while radiotherapy and chemotherapy were also used in 15.9% and 9.4% of the patients. Lymph node involvement was seen in 15.2% of the patients. Disease recurrences were observed in 21.1% of the patients (12.9% and 37.5% in MEC and ACC, respectively). Three-, 5-, and 10-year weighted overall survival was 86.4%, 81.4%, and 73.6% (93.8%, 90.0%, and 85.0%, respectively, for MEC and 76.7%, 62.8%, and 50.5%, respectively, for ACC). CONCLUSION: Surgery is the primary treatment of PSGTTL to achieve long-term survival. Role of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the management of PSGTTL warrants further studies.

The Role of Prophylactic Octreotide Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy to Prevent Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula: A Meta-Analysis of the Randomized Controlled Trials.

Introduction A postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). A pharmacologic approach using perioperative octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analog having an inhibitory action on pancreatic exocrine secretion, was proposed to reduce the incidence of the POPF. Despite contradictory results in various randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the prophylactic octreotide has been widely used in the last two decades to reduce the POPF. The present meta-analysis aims to assess the effectiveness of the prophylactic octreotide in preventing the POPF following PD. Methods A literature search was performed in the PubMed for the RCTs that compared the prophylactic octreotide with the placebo following PD published prior to October 2016. Review manager (Cochrane Collaboration's software) version RevMan 5.2 was used for analysis. Those RCTs which had compared the prophylactic Octreotide with placebo to reduce the POPF following PD were considered eligible for the meta-analysis. The low quality (Jadad score of two or less) RCTs or those including mixed pancreatic resections without reporting specific pancreaticoduodenectomy outcomes were excluded. The effect size for the dichotomous and the continuous data was displayed as the odds ratio (OR) and the weighted mean difference (WMD), respectively, with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). A fixed effect or random effects model was used to pool the data according to the result of a statistical heterogeneity test. The heterogeneity between the studies was evaluated using the Cochran Q statistic and the I 2 test, with p < 0.05 indicating significant heterogeneity. Results There were eight RCTs available for the analysis. A total of 959 patients were included in the meta-analysis-492 received the prophylactic octreotide and 467 patients received the placebo. The prophylactic octreotide was not found to significantly decrease the total number of the POPF (OR, 1.03'; 95% CI: 0.73-1.45; p -value 0.85) or the clinically significant POPF (OR, 0.76; 95% CI: 0.35-1.65; p -value 0.49) compared with the placebo. There was also no difference in the duration of hospital stay (WMD, 1.19; 95% CI:1.84-4.23; p -value 0.44) or the postoperative mortality (OR, 2.04; 95% CI: 0.87-4.78; p -value 0.10) between the two groups. The prophylactic octreotide was also not found to significantly delay the gastric emptying (OR, 0.76; 95% CI: 0.41-1.40; p -value 0.38). Conclusion The present meta-analysis does not support the role of the prophylactic octreotide to prevent the POPF following PD.

Minimizing Post-operative Complications of Groin Dissection Using Modified Skin Bridge Technique: A Single-Centre Descriptive Study Showing Post-operative and Early Oncological Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Historically, groin dissections are associated with high morbidity. Various modifications have been described in the literature with inconsistent outcomes. The aim of this paper is to highlight modified skin bridge technique to minimize all post-operative complications of groin dissection without compromising early oncological outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study of the computerized cancer database was performed to retrieve details of all the cancer patients who had undergone groin dissections during January 2012 to September 2016. Data pertaining to clinical profile including demographics, clinical and histopathological details, treatment profile, procedure-related morbidity and relapse patterns were extracted and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients underwent 105 groin dissections during this period. Out of 105 groin dissections, 43 were inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) and 62 were combined ilio-inguinal lymph node dissection (IILND). The most common diagnosis was carcinoma penis (25%) followed by malignant melanoma (14.6%) and squamous cell carcinoma (13.33%) of lower extremities. Overall, the most common complications were seroma (14.28%) and skin edge necrosis (7.61%) followed by surgical site infection (4.76%). After a median follow-up of 17.64 months (IQR 5-61.53), a total of 18 patients (24%) developed recurrence. CONCLUSION: Groin dissection still remains an important diagnostic as well as therapeutic procedure justifying its potential of morbidity. Modified skin bridge technique is a very effective method to minimize all post-operative complications with optimal early oncological outcomes.

Clinical Spectrum, Treatment and Relapse Patterns in 353 Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Alveobuccal Complex Treated with a Curative Intent: A Retrospective Study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in Indian subcontinent with alveobuccal complex as most common cancer sub site. Cancers of Alveobuccal complex provides maximum challenge and management guidelines are not clear. The aim of the present study is to provide comprehensive demographic, clinical and treatment outcome data of alveobuccal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients treated at a tertiary care cancer center in North India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An analysis of prospectively maintained database in department of surgical oncology at Dr BRA-IRCH, AIIMS, Delhi, India was performed. All alveobuccal cancer patients who had undergone surgery from 1995 to 2010 were included for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 353 patients were included for analysis. Mean age was 49.75 years (SD ±12.04) with male and female ratio of 4:1. Composite resection without mandible was done in 25 % patients and 75 % underwent mandibular resection. Neck dissection was performed in 347 patients. Nodal deposits were identified in 124 (35.73 %) neck dissection specimens. Margin negative resection was performed in 89.5 % cases. After a median follow up of 30 months, 87 (24.64 %) patients developed disease relapse and 25 (7.08 %) patients developed second primaries. Overall 5-year disease free survival (DFS) was 57.65 % and 5 year overall survival (OS) was 59.86 %. CONCLUSION: Among Indian oral cancer patients alveobuccal complex is most common sub site. Majority presents in locally advanced stage and reasonably good outcomes can be achieved with quality control surgery and judicious use of radiotherapy.

Adjuvant radiotherapy versus observation following lumpectomy in ductal carcinoma in-situ: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The role of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) following lumpectomy for ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) was addressed in four major randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which were conducted two to three decades ago. Initial results of these trials suggested the protective role of RT in reducing the ipsilateral breast recurrences. Long-term results of all these four trials, based on more than 10-years follow-up data, have recently been published. A meta-analysis of four published RCTs which have addressed the role of adjuvant RT following lumpectomy for DCIS was conducted. Review manager (Cochrane Collaboration's software) version RevMan 5.2 was used for analysis. Evaluated events were ipsilateral breast recurrences (both DCIS and invasive), regional recurrences, contralateral breast events, distant recurrences, and overall mortality. The events were entered as dichotomous variable. The present meta-analysis included four RCTs and a total of 3680 patients - 1710 received adjuvant RT following lumpectomy while 1970 patients did not receive any adjuvant treatment. Patients who received RT had almost half of risk of ipsilateral breast recurrence (RR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.45-0.62) and regional recurrence (RR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.32-0.91) compared to those who did not receive adjuvant treatment - there was absolute risk reduction in 15% (95% CI = 12%-17%) for ipsilateral breast recurrences in adjuvant RT treated patients. There was no significant difference in distant recurrence (RR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.74-1.53), contralateral breast events (RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.98-1.52) and overall mortality (RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.79-1.09). Though addition of postoperative RT to lumpectomy does not reduce overall mortality, the present meta-analysis confirms that it decreases the ipsilateral breast and regional recurrence by almost half.

Surgical management of bronchopulmonary carcinoids: A single center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Bronchopulmonary carcinoids are uncommon tumors with relatively indolent biological behavior but a distinct malignant potential. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. Our aim was to study preoperative characteristics, surgical approaches, and outcome in patients with bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was done in the Department of Surgical Oncology of a Tertiary Teaching Hospital of North India. The case records of all the patients who underwent surgical treatment for lung neoplasms and were diagnosed to have bronchopulmonary carcinoids were reviewed. Details concerning the clinical presentation, preoperative therapy, operative procedure, postoperative complications, and outcome were retrieved from the case records. RESULTS: Sixteen patients who underwent surgical treatment were found to have bronchopulmonary carcinoids on histopathological examination. The median age of the patients was 34 years (range 18-62 years). There were 11 men and five women. All patients were symptomatic, and the median duration of symptoms was 12 months (range 6-72 months) before presentation. Six patients had received antitubercular treatment before presentation, and one patient had been treated with chemotherapy due to misdiagnosis. Surgical procedures included six pneumonectomies (one with carinoplasty), four bilobectomies, three lobectomies, and three bronchoplastic procedures (two with lobectomy and one with bilobectomy). There was no postoperative mortality; three patients had morbidity in the form of lobar collapse, prolonged pleural collection, and surgical site infection. With a median follow-up time of 11 months (range 2-85 months), all the 16 patients are alive and disease-free. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed presentation and misdiagnosis of bronchial carcinoid are major concerns in North India. Adequate surgical resection can be performed without undue morbidity and is associated with good long-term results.

Extraskeletal orbital mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: surgical approach and mini review.

Extraskeletal orbital mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (MC) is an extremely rare and highly aggressive tumour. It has characteristic radiological features and pathognomic histological biphasic pattern. Radical resection with negative margins is the mainstay of treatment; role of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy is yet not well defined. We report a rare case of 18-year-old man who was diagnosed to have orbital MC. He presented with locally advanced disease with no vision in the affected eye. He underwent right orbital exenteration; a transcranial intradural approach was used to divide the optic nerve, and the temporalis muscle flap was utilised to fill the exenterated orbit. Though optic nerve involvement is rare in orbital MCs, a transcranial approach may be used effectively to avoid traction on optic chiasma and ensure margin-free resection in case of optic nerve involvement up to orbital apex. Unfortunately, prognosis remains dismal in MCs despite treatment.

A Comparative Study of Clinical Profile and Relapse Patterns in TRIPLE-NEGATIVE and Non-Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Curative Intent.

Molecular subtyping in breast cancer is recently emerging as an important determinant of treatment and outcomes, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been established as a distinct clinical entity with unique features and adverse outcomes. A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained computerized breast cancer database was performed, and all the non-metastatic female breast cancer patients undergoing potentially curative multimodality treatment between 2005 and 2012 were included for analysis. Patients with incomplete information regarding ER, PR, and HER2/neu status were excluded. All the eligible patients were divided into TNBC and non-TNBC group based on molecular subtyping. A comparative analysis between the two groups was performed to analyze the clinical spectrum and patterns of relapse. A total of 861 patients qualified for the final analysis and the proportion of TNBC was 254 (29.5%) and non-TNBC was 607 (70.5%). Patients in the TNBC group were slightly younger than the non-TNBC group (median age 46 vs. 49, p value = 0.006). TNBC group had a higher breast conservation surgery (BCS) rate, and there was no difference in the need for chemo and radiotherapy between two groups. The overall recurrence rates were significantly higher in TNBC group compared to non-TNBC group (26.8 vs. 19.3%, p value = 0.01). Local disease recurrences were significantly higher in TNBC compared to non-TNBC (7.9 vs. 3.1%, p value = 0.002). Both the regional and systemic recurrences were higher in TNBC group compared to non-TNBC, though the difference failed to attain statistical significance (for regional recurrences 2.4 vs. 1.5%, p value = 0.36; for systemic recurrences 23.2 vs. 17.8%, p value = 0.06). The brain metastasis was significantly higher in TNBC group (6.7 vs. 3.3%, p value = 0.02). In addition, time to relapse was also significantly less in TNBC cohort (16.1 vs. 22.1 months). TNBC accounts for almost one-third of the breast cancer patients with a relatively younger age at presentation, higher volume of disease burden and high breast conservation rates. Despite a standard multimodality therapy the local, systemic, and CNS recurrence rates are high in TNBC and majority relapse within first 2 years after completion of therapy.

Deep Vein Thrombosis in Indian Cancer Patients Undergoing Major Thoracic and Abdomino-Pelvic Surgery.

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in Indian patients undergoing surgery for thoracic and abdomino-pelvic malignancies. A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care cancer centre in North India. Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients who underwent curative surgery for thoracic and abdomino-pelvic malignancies during the period March 2014 to March 2015 were enrolled in the study. Perioperative pharmacological antithrombotic prophylaxis was not prescribed to any of the patient as per the institutional protocol. All the patients underwent colour duplex ultrasound of the bilateral lower limbs - preoperatively to determine the baseline status, and on 7th and 28th day postoperatively to look for presence of DVT. None of the patient in the study cohort showed clinical or radiological evidence of lower limb deep vein thrombosis. Our study suggests very low incidence of deep vein thrombosis in Indian patients undergoing surgery for thoracic and abdomino-pelvic malignancy.

Preoperative therapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy associated with dismal treatment outcomes. Presence of two distinct histopathological types distinguishes it from other gastrointestinal tract malignancies. Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment in locally advanced esophageal cancer (T2 or greater or node positive); however, a high rate of disease recurrence (systemic and loco-regional) and poor survival justifies a continued search for optimal therapy. Various combinations of multimodality treatment (preoperative/perioperative, or postoperative; radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy) are being explored to lower disease recurrence and improve survival. Preoperative therapy followed by surgery is presently considered the standard of care in resectable locally advanced esophageal cancer as postoperative treatment may not be feasible for all the patients due to the morbidity of esophagectomy and prolonged recovery time limiting the tolerance of patient. There are wide variations in the preoperative therapy practiced across the centres depending upon the institutional practices, availability of facilities and personal experiences. There is paucity of literature to standardize the preoperative therapy. Broadly, chemoradiotherapy is the preferred neo-adjuvant modality in western countries whereas chemotherapy alone is considered optimal in the far East. The present review highlights the significant studies to assist in opting for the best evidence based preoperative therapy (radiotherapy, chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Modified skin bridge technique for ilio-inguinal lymph node dissection: A forgotten technique revisited.

Ilio-inguinal lymph node dissection (IILD) is a commonly performed surgical procedure for a number of malignant conditions involving mainly the male and female genitalia, and the skin; however the postoperative morbidity of IILD, due to high frequency of flap necrosis, wound infection and seroma formation, has always been a major concern for the surgeons. The aim of the study is to highlight a modified skin bridge technique of IILD using two parallel curvilinear incisions to minimize postoperative skin flap necrosis. This technique was successfully employed in 38 IILD during May 2012 to November 2013. None of the patient had flap necrosis. Two patients developed seroma while another two patients had superficial surgical site infection; they were managed conservatively. Modified skin bridge technique for IILD is an effective method to minimize flap necrosis without compromising the oncological safety.

Lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer: Contentious issues.

The stomach is the sixth most common cause of cancer worldwide. Surgery is an important component of the multi-modality treatment of the gastric cancer. The extent of lymphadenectomy has been a controversial issue in the surgical management of gastric cancer. The East-Asian surgeons believe that quality-controlled extended lymphadenectomy resulting in better loco-regional control leads to survival benefit in the gastric cancer; contrary to that, many western surgeons believe that extended lymphadenectomy adds to only postoperative morbidity and mortality without significantly enhancing the overall survival. We present a comprehensive review of the lymphadenectomy in the gastric cancer based on the previously published randomized controlled trials.

Targeted therapy of gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are mesenchymal neoplasms originating in the gastrointestinal tract, usually in the stomach or the small intestine, and rarely elsewhere in the abdomen. The malignant potential of GISTs is variable ranging from small lesions with a benign behaviour to fatal sarcomas. The majority of the tumours stain positively for the CD-117 (KIT) and discovered on GIST-1 (DOG-1 or anoctamin 1) expression, and they are characterized by the presence of a driver kinase-activating mutation in either KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor α. Although surgery is the primary modality of treatment, almost half of the patients have disease recurrence following surgery, which highlights the need for an effective adjuvant therapy. Traditionally, GISTs are considered chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistant. With the advent of targeted therapy (tyrosine kinase inhibitors), there has been a paradigm shift in the management of GISTs in the last decade. We present a comprehensive review of targeted therapy in the management of GISTs.