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V Raina

Publications and source records attributed to V Raina.

93 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
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Experience with intraluminal radiotherapy in advanced oesophageal cancer.

Despite improvement in the diagnostic modalities, surgical technique, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, mortality and morbidity due to carcinoma esophagus continues to be dismal. Combination of external and intraluminal radio therapy (ILRT) has emerged as a powerful and promising palliative therapy in this disease. Thirty four patients with inoperable cancer esophagus treated with ILRT during June 1991 to December 1993 were evaluated to assess its palliative effects. Seventeen of these patients had received additional chemotherapy and external radiotherapy. Thirteen patients received only radiotherapy (both external radiotherapy + ILRT) and the remaining 4 received only ILRT. They were followed up for a mean period of 8.3 months (range 2 to 28 months) during which one patient was lost to follow up. Eight had a follow up of less than 6 months. Eight (33%) amongst the remaining 25 patients were considered disease free, 15 had recurrent and progressive disease, one developed metastasis and one patient died. In 21 (66%) dysphagia markedly improved. Nine (26%) patients survived beyond 1 year and the median survival for all patients was 8 months. Associated radiation morbidity was documented in 13 (38%) patients. We conclude that combination of external radiotherapy and ILRT is an effective and safe therapy for inoperable esophageal malignancies.

Brachytherapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Breast cancer presentation at a regional cancer centre.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer accounts for 20% of all female cancers in India and most patients present with advanced disease. Many factors may be responsible for the late presentation including the prehospital diagnostic and therapeutic approach towards breast lumps which may be malignant. To evaluate these factors we carried out a prospective investigation at the Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. METHODS: We studied 100 new patients with breast cancer seen in a special clinic over a 12-week period, excluding patients who did not have a palpable lump and those who had had an operation in another hospital more than six months previously. RESULTS: Fifty-seven of the patients were from urban and 43 from rural areas. Only 20 patients were aware of breast cancer before the onset of their illness. They were mainly from an urban background, educated and had a family history of breast and other malignancies. The total duration of illness ranged from 1 week to 10 years (mean 11.3 months) and the time to first visit ranged from 1 day to 9.5 years (mean 6.7 months). The delay between the first contact with a doctor to the date seen in the Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital thus amounted to a mean of 4.6 months. The duration of illness as well as time to first visit was also significantly shorter in urban patients, those who were educated and those who were aware of the disease. Fine needle aspiration cytology was used in 50 patients and was diagnostic in 39. Thirty of the 100 patients had no diagnostic investigations. Of the 43 patients treated elsewhere, the operation had been inadequate in 17 and 27 of the 43 patients were found to have had faulty adjuvant therapy. Many patients did not carry their operation notes and histopathology reports and when these were available, they were often of poor quality. The use of staging investigations was incomplete so much so that in 22 patients the disease could not be staged at all because of poor records. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer is seen in our hospital in an advanced stage because most patients are unaware of the disease. However, the treating physician also contributes to delay in the diagnosis, uses the diagnostic and staging investigations improperly, performs inadequate surgery and prescribes inappropriate adjuvant treatment. Record keeping is also of a poor quality. We need to provide more information to both patients and doctors about breast cancer.

Adult↗