Indian Journal of Cancer Education and Research

Prostate cancer is the second most1 common malignancy diagnosed in males worldwide with an incidence of 5.5% in Indian males.2,3 Most common histopathology is adenocarcinoma constitute 93% a tumor type driven by androgen and increased prostate specifc antigen (PSA). Rarely patient may present with de novo small cell carcinoma of prostate, a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. But patient diagnosed as adenocarcinoma and conversion into Neuroendocrine tumor is extremely rare phenomenon in prostate cancer.
 

Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world among women. Early detection of breast cancer plays an important role in prevention of mortality. Thus, Awareness about breast cancer is an important factor to reduce the incidence and outcomes of the disease. For example, if female university students have sufficient knowledge about breast cancer, they help prevent cancer illness in themselves and in their community.

Objective: To assess the awareness of Breast Self-Examination among Female Students in a Tertiary Care Hospital and to provide information on breast cancer and its detection.

Materials and Methods: A prospective cross sectional study carried out among 311 female students in each group of same participants at tertiary care hospital. Selection of students for assessment was by random sampling. Pre-intervention, educational training and 4 weeks later post-intervention assessments were conducted to assess the changes in knowledge on breast cancer and practices of BSE.

Results: The majority age group of respondents was between 18-22 years. The level of awareness of breast cancer and screening methods was low in pre assessment and the education regarding early detection techniques was thought and the post assessment was done after a week, the level of awareness was improved significantly (p value - 0.001).

Conclusion: No women should be ashamed to have an early detection test for her breast. No one must get a life threatening illness. Thus, this study aims to spread maximum awareness regards the self-examination of breast cancer, which helps to reduce the mortality rate due to breast cancer, the leading cancer disease.

The objectives of the study were to assess the level of anxiety of patients receiving radiation therapy using State Anxiety Inventory, determine the effectiveness of instrumental music on anxiety among patients of experimental group and find out the association between level of anxiety and selected demographic and clinical variables. Wiedenbach's helping art of clinical nursing theory helped the researcher in the development of the conceptual framework. This quasi experimental study with a pretest- posttest control group design and purposive sampling technique was conducted on 40 patients receiving radiation therapy in a selected hospital at Calicut. A structured questionnaire on demographic and clinical profile and State Anxiety Inventory was used to assess the level of anxiety among the sample. The findings of the study revealed that 80% of subjects from both the experimental and control group were having moderate level of anxiety. There was a significant reduction in the level of anxiety among the experimental group after instrumental music intervention (p=0.001). There was a significant difference in the post test level of anxiety among the experimental group than the control group (p=0.001). The level of anxiety had no significant association with socio demographic variables.

Background: Since the introduction of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), its use as a standard of care for patients with clinically node-negative cutaneous melanoma remains controversial in India. We wished to evaluate our experience of SLNB for extremity melanoma.

Methods: This is a retrospective study which was done at our centre from 2013 – 2020 by the Plastic surgery team.From 2013 to 2020, 44 patients (30 men and 14 women) with nonmetastatic melanoma underwent SLNB.

Result: From 2013 to 2020, 44 patients (30 men and 14 women) with non-metastatic melanoma underwent SLNB. The mean age was 56 +/− 16 (16 to 86). Positive sentinel nodes were identified in 12/44 (27%) patients. Single SLN was harvested in 67% of our cases, the mean number of SLN harvested was 1.5 +/− 1 in our study.

Conclusion: Our data confirm previous studies and support the clinical usefulness of SLNB as a reliable and accurate staging method in patients with cutaneous melanoma. However, the benefit of additional CLND in patients with positive SLN remains controversial.

Introduction: Various dose fractionation schemes including conventional fractionation and hypofractionation, are in use for chest wall irradiation in carcinoma breast. Hypofractionation includes a higher dose per fraction with a smaller number of fractions with a biologically equivalent dose.

Aims: To study, analyse and compare the dosimetric and clinical outcomes using conventional fractionation versus hypofractionation. Methods and materials: This observational study includes 20 post-mastectomy patients and is randomized into two arms, with 10 patients in each arm. One arm received radiation as per conventional fractionation, and the other arm received it as per hypofractionation. 3 DCRT plans were generated, and doses to organs at risk were analysed and compared between the two groups. Patients were assessed for acute and late toxicities on follow-up, anda comparison was done between both groups.

Results: Mean dose (D mean) in ipsilateral spine, lung, esophagus, trachea, and, thyroid showed statistically significant difference. The V25 and D mean in the heart, Liver showed no statistically significant difference. Acute toxicities were higher in conventional groups, with higher grades, while late toxicities were equivalent.

Conclusion: Hypofractionation significantly reduces mean doses to organs at risk and toxicities, with comparable locoregional control; hence it is comparable to and can be used in place of conventional fractionation in post-mastectomy breast cancer patients for chest wall irradiation.