Colorectal carcinoma in a ten-year-old girl: A case report

Colorectal carcinoma is very rare in childhood. In this case report, we depict a ten-year-old girl who presented with features of intestinal obstruction which turned out to be due to poorly differentiated mucin secreting adenocarcinoma of descending colon. Only increased awareness of this malignancy in this age-group and a high index of suspicion can help when a child complains of persistent pain of abdomen, altered bowel habits or rectal bleeding, and may provide diagnosis at an earlier stage, thereby improving the prognosis

Iatrogenc hypothyroidism: A consequence of external beam radiotherapy to the head & neck malignancies

Background: Hypothyroidism is a known consequence of external beam radiotherapy to the neck encompassing part or whole of the thyroid gland for over 40 years. Still thyroid function tests are not a part of routine follow up of head - neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy with or without surgery and / or chemotherapy. Aim: Aim of this study was to find out the incidence of hypothyroidism in head - neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy where radiation portals included most or whole of the thyroid gland. Materials and Methods: From September 2001 to November 2003, 187 patients with head-neck malignancies were treated with external beam radiotherapy whose radiation portals included part or whole of the thyroid gland with / without chemotherapy. Thyroid function tests were done at the beginning of treatment, at six weeks after completion of radiotherapy and thereafter at six weeks interval for two years. Results: Out of 187 patients, five were excluded from the study as they were found to be hypothyroid before the initiation of treatment. Another four were excluded from result analysis because they underwent laryngectomy for uncontrolled disease. Of the patients attending the follow up clinic, 17.8 % and 21.8 % were found to have clinical and sub-clinical hypothyroidism at two year. Conclusion: As a significant number of patients develop hypothyroidism following radiotherapy to the neck, thyroid function tests should be included in the routine follow up protocol of such patients. But certain questions have emerged from this study which need a large randomized study to find out the answers

Bone metastasis

Rectal cancers may rarely metastasize in bone and when it occurs, is usually preceded by lung and/or liver metastasis. However, whether it may ever bypasses other organs, particularly lung and liver and metastasizes directly to bone or not, is debatable. Some authors have described the presence of isolated bone metastasis from colo-rectal cancers, whereas others have questioned its′ existence in the absence of lung or liver metastasis. A case of isolated bone metastasis from rectal cancer in the absence of lung or liver metastasis is reported here

PLESIOTHERAPY FOR NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER: INNOVATING TO OVERCOME!

<b>Background:</b> The non-surgical management of non-melanoma skin cancers is an area requiring clinical investigation. Radiotherapy has a role in treatment for a defined subset of patients. <b>Aims:</b> The application of radiotherapy is subject to availability of proper equipment, non-availability of which precludes appropriate radiotherapy in most centers in third world countries. <b>Materials and</b> <b>Methods:</b> The introduction of innovations is needed to circumvent this. Plesiotherapy is such a mode of therapy for non-melanoma skin cancer. <b>Results:</b> In this paper we present successful management of a cohort of non-melanoma skin cancer patients with plesiotherapy using stepping source ¹⁹² Ir HDR source. <b>Conclusions:</b> Plesiothrapy is an effective mode of therapy for non-melanoma skin cancer