Clinicopathologic Profile and Treatment Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults: A Multicenter Study From India.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) in young adults is a rising concern in developing countries such as India. This study investigates clinicopathologic profiles, treatment patterns, and outcomes of CRC in young adults, focusing on adolescent and young adult (AYA) CRC in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). METHODS: A retrospective registry study from January 2018 to December 2020 involved 126 young adults (age 40 years and younger) with CRC. Patient demographics, clinical features, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were analyzed after obtaining institutional ethics committees' approval. RESULTS: Among 126 AYA patients, 62.70% had colon cancer and 37.30% had rectal cancer. Most patients (67%) were age 30-39 years, with no significant gender predisposition. Females had higher metastatic burden. Abdominal pain with obstruction features was common. Adenocarcinoma (65%) with signet ring differentiation (26%) suggested aggressive behavior. Limited access to molecular testing hindered mutation identification. Capecitabine-based chemotherapy was favored because of logistical constraints. Adjuvant therapy showed comparable recurrence-free survival in young adults and older patients. For localized colon cancer, the 2-year median progression-free survival was 74%, and for localized rectal cancer, it was 18 months. Palliative therapy resulted in a median overall survival of 33 months (95% CI, 18 to 47). Limited access to targeted agents affected treatment options, with only 27.5% of patients with metastatic disease receiving them. Chemotherapy was generally well tolerated, with hematologic side effect being most common. CONCLUSION: This collaborative study in an LMIC offers crucial insights into CRC in AYA patients in India. Differences in disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and limited access to targeted agents highlight the need for further research and resource allocation to improve outcomes in this population.

Prognostic value of metastatic lymph nodal ratio in squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus: A three-step extrapolative study.

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) and transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) are the two most common surgical approaches for carcinoma esophagus. Several studies have shown lymph nodal involvement to be one of the most important prognostic factors in carcinoma esophagus. AIMS: The primary objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the ratio of positive lymph nodes to excised lymph nodes, namely the metastatic lymph nodal ratio (MLNR) as a prognostic factor in the survival of patients with carcinoma esophagus. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a prospective database. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of the operated esophageal cancer patients treated at a tertiary cancer center in South India between January 2002 and December 2006. Statistical analysis was done with the help of SPSS version 17 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Proportions were compared using the Chi-square test. Survival data was generated using life table methods. Differences in survival estimates were compared using log-rank test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our study emphatically showed that the survival outcomes of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus can be discriminated based on the MLNR groups, and it can be a reliable prognostic indicator. The overall survival for patients undergoing TTE, or THE for the entire cohort of patients was however not statistically significant. Whether a more aggressive TTE is a better esophageal cancer operation or whether MLNR is the factor that can significantly impact survival regardless of the technique is an issue that would require further investigation.

Exploring the role of technitium-99m dimercaptosuccinyl acid (V) scan in medullary carcinoma thyroid patients with postoperative persistent hypercalcitoninemia in the era of positron emission tomography-computerized tomography.

BACKGROUND: Many radio-pharmaceuticals have been used over the years to localize the recurrences in patients with medullary carcinoma thyroid (MCT), including iodine-131-metaiodobenzylguanidine, thallium-201, technitium-99m dimercaptosuccinyl acid [Tc-99m DMSA (V)], Tc-99m methoxyisobutylisonitril, Tc-99 ethylenediamine diacetic acid/hydrazinonicotinyl-Tyr (3)-octreotide, and In-111 diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid-octreotide with varying sensitivities and specificities. AIMS: The aim of this study is to explore the role of Tc-99m DMSA (V) scan in MCT patients with postoperative persistent hypercalcitoninemia in the positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) era. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 53 patients with proven sporadic MCT, who presented to our institution over a period 28 years from 1985 to 2012, was performed. Patients with persistently elevated levels of serum calcitonin (>150 pg/ml) were initially evaluated by a DMSA scan if conventional imaging failed to localize any focus of disease. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the postoperative levels of serum calcitonin significantly correlated with the overall survival of our patients and can possibly serve as a good prognostic marker. Tc-99m DMSA (V) scans demonstrated a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 56%, a positive predictive value of 50%, and a negative predictive value of 80% in detecting metastasis in postoperative persistent hypercalcitoninemia. Our study showed that Tc-99m DMSA (V) scanning is an affordable and a reasonably sensitive imaging agent for localization of recurrent/metastatic disease. PET-CT seems to be a useful complementary tool and needs to be kept in the armamentarium for diagnosis of recurrence especially in cases of discordance between Tc-99m DMSA (V) scan and the serum calcitonin levels.

Left Sided Amyand's Hernia, A Rare Occurance: A Case Report.

This is a case report about a 35 year old man admitted with complains of obstructed left sided inguinal hernia. On exploration of the left inguinal canal to our surprise a normal appendix was found in addition to a gangrenous omentum. Resection of the gangrenous omentum was done. Appendectomy was done. This case is reported for its rare occurance as only three such cases of left sided amyand's hernia has been reported so far in literature[4-6].

Evisceration of Appendix through the Drain Site: A Rare Case Report.

Placing a drain after surgery is a usual procedure in any emergency abdominal operation. The drain is removed as soon as its purpose of draining the intraabdominal collection in served. Evisceration of intraabdominal organs through the drain site is a rare occurance. This case report is about an 12 year old girl who was admitted with blunt trauma abdomen. After completion of emergency laparotomy a drain was placed in the right lower quadrant. When the drain was removed on the 6th post operative day, the appendix eviscerated out of the drain site. The wound was extended a little and an appendectomy was done. This case is presented for its rarity as only two similar instances have been reported in literature so far.

Ectopic thyroid tissue masquerading as a lateral neck mass: a case report.

The tissue bud that ultimately becomes the thyroid gland arises initially as a midline diverticulum in the floor of the pharynx. When the median thyroid analage does not descend in normal fashion, a lingual thyroid can result. It is thought that any thyroid tissue found in the lateral aspect of the neck, including around the vascular structures of the neck, may represent metastatic deposits from well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. This is a case report of a 35 year old male presenting to the out-patient department with a swelling in the lateral aspect of the neck. The MRI report showed an enlarged level 2 lymph node in the lateral aspect of right side of the neck for which surgery was done and the specimen sent for HPE. Histopathological report gave a surprising report of thyroid tissue with normal follicular cells. But literature says that thyroid tissue lateral to the normal thyroid tissue is essentially metastatic papillary carcinoma. Only very few previous case reports showing the existence of ectopic thyroid in the lateral aspect of the neck have been documented (1,2,3). This case has been reported for its rarity.

Correlation of interleukin-6, serum lactate, and C-reactive protein to inflammation, complication, and outcome during the surgical course of patients with acute abdomen.

In the present scenario, doctors have to rely on radiological methods for diagnosis of acute abdomen in addition to their clinical skill. The use of serum markers for assessing the outcome of such patients is still debatable. Our aim was to evaluate whether the combined use of serum lactate, interleukin (IL)-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP) is able to simultaneously establish both the septic status and the prognosis of acute abdomen. Ninety-nine patients undergoing surgery for acute abdomen were taken up for the study. The patients were divided into 4 groups based on the level of sepsis. Serum lactate, IL-6, and CRP were determined in the serum of all the subjects. It was found that serum lactate determination, using the cutoff value < 3.9 mM, had a high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (83%) in differentiating patients with severe sepsis from those with sepsis. IL-6 came next with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 81%. The AUC for serum lactate (0.922), IL-6 (0.912), and CRP (0.719) in differentiating between patients with severe sepsis and those with sepsis also proves the superiority of serum lactate and IL-6. The combined use of serum lactate and IL-6 would allow us to simultaneously establish the prognosis of patients with acute abdomen (r(2) = 0.368, P = 0.008). The combined use of serum lactate and IL-6 is useful in simultaneously establishing both the severity of sepsis and, hence, the prognosis of acute abdomen.

Clinical significance of preoperative serum interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein level in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a disease that continues to plague females during their entire lifetime. IL-6 and CRP are found to be elevated in various inflammatory and malignant diseases and their levels are found to correlate with the extent of the disease. The primary objective of this study was to determine the preoperative serum levels of IL-6 and CRP in breast carcinoma, and to correlate them with the staging of the disease and the prognosis. METHODS: 59 female patients admitted for breast cancer were identified for the study and were subjected to thorough evaluation. Serum levels of IL-6 were assessed via Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA), and CRP was measured via immunoturbidimetry. Histological findings included tumour size, lymph node (LN) metastasis, and tumour staging. Relevant investigations were made to find out the presence of distant metastasis. Statistical analysis of the data was then processed. RESULTS: Increases in cancer invasion and staging are generally associated with increases in preoperative serum IL-6 levels. IL-6 and CRP levels correlated with LN metastasis (P < 0.001, P < 0.001) and TNM stage (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). Tumour invasion and the presence of distant metastasis is associated with higher IL-6 levels (P = 0.001, P = 0.009). When we established the cutoff value for IL-6 level (20.55 pg/dl) by ROC curve, we noted a significant difference in overall survival (OS; P = 0.008). However, CRP evidenced no significance with regard to patient's OS levels. Serum IL-6 levels were correlated positively with CRP levels (r² = 0.579, P < 0.01) CONCLUSION: Serum levels of IL-6 correlates well with the extent of tumor invasion, LN metastasis, distant metastasis and TNM staging thus enveloping all aspects of breast cancer.

Liver abscesses with pyopericardium: Laparoscopic management in a preterm neonate.

We report a 28-day-old neonate presenting with signs of fever, abdominal distension, and refusal to feed. The baby was diagnosed to have multiple liver abscesses which ruptured and a tract lead to the pericardium resulting in a pyo-pericardium. Laparoscopic drainage of the abscess cavities and the pyo-pericardium was performed. An extensive search of the literature revealed that this case is the youngest one to have undergone such simultaneous laparoscopic drainage.