An audit of brain tumor patients treated in 5 years at a single institute: Our regional cancer center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Brain tumors constitute a small presentation of all cancers (1.4%) and cancer related deaths (2.5%). Most of the brain tumors are malignant and carry bad prognosis and even if those which are benign still can interfere with brain functions that are required for daily living. We did an audit of brain tumor patients treated in our center and see their prognosis in correlation with different histological types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 497 patients treated at our center from June 2007 to June 2012 of different histological types. All the patients underwent complete central nervous system examination and thorough workup including hematological investigations, radiological investigations, and confirmation of histological type by biopsy. These patients were then treated with surgery followed by radiotherapy or upfront curative radiotherapy as per staging and then kept on regular follow-up as per institutional protocol. RESULTS: Majority of patients were astrocytomas (309 patients) followed by a pituitary adenoma (39 patients), oligodendroglioma (33 patients), medulloblastoma (22 patients), arteriovenous malformations (19 patients), craniopharyngioma (16 patients), and recurrent brain tumors (12 patients). There were few cases of central nervous lymphoma, meningioma, melanocytoma, ependymomas, schwannomas, hemangiopericytoma, gliosarcoma, and primitive neuroectodermal tumor. The histological types vary differently regarding presentation, treatment, and prognosis. CONCLUSION: Astrocytomas are the most common tumors in presentation (309 patients) in which the high-grade astrocytomas carried worse prognosis. Benign tumors such as pituitary adenomas, schwannomas, and craniopharyngiomas had the best prognosis with survival seen up to almost last follow-up.

Combined external beam radiotherapy and vaginal brachytherapy versus vaginal brachytherapy in stage I, intermediate- and high-risk cases of endometrium carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Randomized trials on the effect of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with or without vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) for endometrial carcinoma are very few. In view of this, the current study was conducted with the hypothesizes: whether the escalated dose of 26 Gy (VBT alone) in comparison with various major international trials (PORTEC-2) has any difference in rates of disease-free and overall survival with fewer adverse effects in low resource setting like India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An open-labeled, non-inferiority, randomized control trial was undertaken at a regional cancer center among patients with stage IA or IB high-intermediate risk endometrial carcinoma. A total of 50 patients were divided equally among two arms of combined EBRT with VBT (arm I) and VBT alone (arm II). A dose of 50-50.4 Gy in 25-28 fractions of EBRT with 2 fractions of VBT 6.5 Gy each were delivered to patients in arm I and 4 fractions of VBT 6.5 Gy each to patients in arm II, and were followed up for 60 months. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 36.5 months, two patients developed loco-regional recurrence in arm II, three (arm II), and one (arm I) developed distant metastasis. The 5-year survival rates for arms I and II were 96.0% vs. 92.0% overall, and 88.0% vs. 84.0% disease-free, respectively, and were not found to be statistically significantly different. Dermatological, gastro-intestinal toxicities, and cystitis were lower in the VBT group compared to combined group. CONCLUSIONS: VBT alone is as effective as EBRT+VBT in ensuring loco-regional control and achieving comparable survival rates, with fewer toxic effects for patients with stage I intermediate- and high-risk endometrial carcinoma. The dose escalation did not make a difference in the survival rates and was like in the other major trials (PORTEC-2).

Prospective study of sequential volumetric changes of parotid gland in early oropharyngeal carcinoma patients treated by intensity-modulated radiation therapy: An institutional experience.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: During course of radiation therapy, anatomical variations occur risking overdose of parotid gland. We tried to quantify volume of parotid gland and mean dose to parotid gland after every 10 fractions (#). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted the prospective study from July 2016 to May 2017 in 25 patients of early-stage oropharyngeal carcinoma. Patients had Karnofsy Performance Score of 80-100, median age was 54 years, and 18 patients were males. Patients were planned with intensity-modulated radiation therapy planning with dose as 66 Gy/30# to planning target volume (PTV) including primary and 54 Gy/30# to PTV-nodal including elective neck irradiation. After each 10#, replanning was done, and variations in parotid volume were studied including Dmean (mean dose to parotids) and D50 (the dose delivered to 50% of volume). Other tumor characteristic like PTV of primary was also assessed and minimum PTV volume covered by 95% isodose line was kept as 95%. RESULTS: Average parotid volumes decreased by the mean value of 10% and 6% for the left and right parotids, respectively, and PTV of primary target decreased by mean of 13%. The difference in Dmean doses to parotid glands was 32% and 42% and difference in D50 dose was 30% and 35% on the left and right side, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The parotid volumes differ considerably during adaptive planning done after every ten fractions. These differences in parotid volumes and doses received to parotid glands play a significant role in the risk of xerostomia observed during later follow-up.

Analysis of X-knife and surgery in treatment of arteriovenous malformation of brain.

BACKGROUND: The goal of treatment in arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is total obliteration of the AVM, restoration of normal cerebral function, and preservation of life and neurological function. AIM: To analyze the results of X-knife and surgery for AVM of the brain. The endpoints for success or failure were as follows: success was defined as angiographic obliteration and failure as residual lesion, requiring retreatment, or death due to hemorrhage from the AVM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 2002 to May 2007, 54 patients were enrolled for this study. Grade I AVM was seen in 9%, grade II in 43%, grade III in 26%, grade IV in 9%, and grade V in 13%. Thirty-eight patients were treated by microsurgical resection out of which Grade I was seen in 5 patients, Grade II was seen in 17 patients, Grade III was seen in 9 patients and Grade V was seen in 7 patients. Rest of the sixteen patients were treated by linear accelerator radiosurgery out of which Grade II was seen in 6 patients, Grade III was seen in 5 patients and Grade IV was seen in 5 patients. The follow up was in range of 3-63 months. In follow up, digital subtraction angiography/ magnetic resonance angiography (DSA/MRA) was performed 3 months after surgery and 1 year and 2 years after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). RESULTS: Among the patients treated with X-knife, 12/16 (75%) had proven angiographic obliteration. Complications were seen in 4/16 (25%) patients. Among the patients treated with microsurgical resection, 23/38 (61%) had proven angiographic obliteration. Complications (both intraoperative and postoperative) were seen in 19/38 (50%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-one percent of patients were candidates for surgical resection. X-knife is a good modality of treatment for a low-grade AVM situated in eloquent areas of the brain and also for high-grade AVMs, when the surgical risk and morbidity is high.