Spectrum of malignant mediastinal masses at a tertiary care centre in Central India

Background: Malignant mediastinal masses can develop from structures that are normally located or pass through the mediastinum during development, as well as from metastases of malignancies that arise elsewhere in the body. Since many tumors that occur in the mediastinum are undifferentiated and have overlapping histologic features, one must consider a broad differential diagnosis and perform a thorough evaluation. This is particularly important since appropriate therapy for various mediastinal tumors differs considerably and may significantly impact survival.Methods: Ours was a retrospective descriptive study of 48 patients who presented or referred to medical oncology department from January 2014 to December 2017 and in whom malignant cause of mediastenal mass was established. All details of the patients pertinent epidemiology, clinical history and pathological including immunohistochemistry details were studied.Results: Out of 48 patients,14 cases (29.2%) were in adolescent and young adult age group (15-29 years). Majority of the patients were symptomatic (91.6%) with most common being cough (87.5%) followed by chest pain (81.5%) and dyspnoea (79.1%). Four of the patients presented with superior vena-caval syndrome. Most of the tumors (64.6%) are in anterior mediastenum region. Histopathological examination revealed non-hodgkins lymphoma in 31.25%, Hodgkins lymphoma in 18.75%, leukaemia in 6.25%, germ cell tumor in 8.33%, thymic neoplasms in 4.16%, neurogenic tumors in 4.16%, lung carcinoma in 10.4% and metastatic carcinoma in 10.4%.Conclusions: Malignant mediastinal masses have a broad range of diagnosis, establishing of which is important. While imaging help in narrowing the differential diagnosis, adequate pathological categorization should be done as many patients responds to specific line of therapy

Epidemiology of cancer in young in central India: An analysis of rural cancer hospital data

Background: Cancers in teenage and young adults (TYAs), though an increasing cause of mortality in our country, have been scarcely studied. The lack of studies of TYAs can significantly affect the outcomes of the youth in the prime of their lives. Aims: The aim of this study was to study the type of cancers in the TYA at a rural cancer center in central India. Design and Methods: A prospective study in the department of medical oncology, from the period of January 2013 till March 2016, was done. Data regarding socioepidemiological factors were collected for new cancer patients between the age group of 15–30 years in semi-structured questionnaire and from the hospital records. Cancers were classified according to the Birch classification. The cases were analyzed according to the epidemiological profile, classification of cancer, and age-wise distribution using descriptive analysis. Results: In this study, out of 5221 cancer patients, TYAs accounted for 327 (6.26%) with 189 males and 138 females (M: F– 1.37:1). The maximum cases were seen in 25–30 years' age group. Carcinoma was the most common malignancy (54.74%) with an increase from 19.56% in the 15–19 years' age group to 64.82% in the 25–30-year-old patients. Conclusion: The present study gives a glimpse of the TYA cancers in the central India. More than half of the young cancer patients suffer from carcinomas with about half of these being head and neck cancers

Bio-efficacy of Herbicides with Different Water Volumes and Spray Timing under Zero Tillage Rice Residue Retention Scenario against Phalaris minor in Wheat

Background: Continuous use of the similar modes of action-based herbicides leads to the development of herbicide resistance in wheat-associated weeds in north-west India. Accelerated development of multiple resistance against most of the available post-emergence herbicides emphasize the use of pre-emergence herbicides. But, the efficacy of pre-emergence herbicide is a matter of concern as surface retained stubbles and/or straw alter herbicide efficacy associated with a direct interception of herbicide. Methods: A field study was conducted for two rabi seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20) to optimize spray volume and time of application for improving the bio-efficacy of pre-emergence herbicides under zero tillage full rice residue scenario. The herbicidal treatments (g/ha) included pendimethalin + pyroxasulfone (1000.0+127.5) as pre-emergence (PE), pyroxasulfone (127.5) as PE, pyroxasulfone (127.5) as early post emergence (EPoE), aclonifen+diflufenican (1002+200) EPoE, halauxifen methyl+ fluroxypyr (7.3+233.4) as EPoE, flumioxazin (100) as PE with two different water volumes 500 and 1000 liter/ha along with pendimethalin fb pinoxaden (1500+50) in 500 l/ha water volume, pendimethalin (1500) as PE in 375 l/ha water volume, weed free and weedy check. Results: The present study showed that pendimethalin + pyroxasulfone as PE with a higher spray volume of 1000 l/ha and alone application of pyroxasulfone as EPoE produced similar Phalaris minor control as with pendimethalin fb pinoxaden (PE fb Post) under full rice residue scenario in zero-till wheat