Value of urinary microalbumin test in cancer patients with borderline serum creatinine level

Background: Micralbuminuria (MA) is an early sign of incipient renal damage and cancer patients are at the risk of developing kidney diseases due to the use of nephrtoxic chemotherapeutic agents.Methods: A pilot study of urinary microalbumin on 41 patients with borderline serum creatinine was carried out at regional cancer centre of North-East India during the period from June to August 2014. The patients whose serum creatinine levels were between 1.2 mg/dl to 1.3 mg/dl were considered as borderline for the present study. The assays were performed with a dimension Rxl max random access biochemistry analyzer.Results: Out of 41 cases, 22 (53.6%) had MA, M:F = 1.75, 65 years 2 (9.0%) patients were detected with urinary microalbumin. Chi square test showed P = 0.695 (Fisher’s exact P value).  Conclusion: Testing of urinary microalbumin can be done in cancer patients with borderline serum creatinine level in order to identify patients at risk of developing kidney disease.

EvoCut : A new Generalization of Albert-Barab\'asi Model for Evolution of Complex Networks

With the evolution of social networks, the network structure shows dynamic nature in which nodes and edges appear as well as disappear for various reasons. The role of a node in the network is presented as the number of interactions it has with the other nodes. For this purpose a network is modeled as a graph where nodes represent network members and edges represent a relationship among them. Several models for evolution of social networks has been proposed till date, most widely accepted being the Barab\'asi-Albert \cite{Network science} model that is based on \emph{preferential attachment} of nodes according to the degree distribution. This model leads to generation of graphs that are called \emph{Scale Free} and the degree distribution of such graphs follow the \emph{power law}. Several generalizations of this model has also been proposed. In this paper we present a new generalization of the model and attempt to bring out its implications in real life

Correlation between ABO blood groups and various cancers in the north eastern region of India: a retrospective observational study

Background: Numerous studies have documented the association of the ABO blood groups with the occurrence of cancers. Aim was to find out an association of ABO blood groups and various cancers in the North Eastern region of India.Methods: The study was a retrospective observational study that included 1000 cases and 1000 controls. The data included the ABO blood typing of the selected cancer sites which were head and neck, esophagus, stomach, breast, cervix, and ovary. Patients who attended blood bank of regional cancer center with requisition for blood transfusion from 2014 to 2016 were included. The control group was healthy blood donors. Chi square test was used to assess the difference among the compared groups. Risk was calculated by regression analysis. P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant at 95% confidence interval.Results: Out of 1000 cases and 1000 controls, O blood group were seen in 377 (37.7%) and 395 (39.5%) cases and control, respectively. Significant reduced odds ratio (OR) in non O blood groups for head and neck, esophagus, stomach, and breast was observed. In case of carcinoma cervix, OR for B group was 1.5 (P=0.05), and for blood group A OR=2.2 (P=0.02) was seen in carcinoma ovary.Conclusions: In the studied population, patients with O blood group are at an increased risk of developing head and neck, esophagus, stomach, and breast cancers

Burden of head and neck cancers in Kamrup urban district cancer registry of Assam, India: a retrospective study

Background: Head and Neck cancers are basically squamous cell carcinomas. It is the fifth most common cancer and the sixth most common cause of cancer mortality in the world. Incidence of cancer as a whole for all sites is fourth highest in Kamrup Urban District (KUD) in males (AAR 185.2) and second highest (AAR 156.3) in females out of all Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) in India. Incidence of head and neck cancers in KUD is quite high both nationally and internationally. This retrospective study was carried out to assess the incidence pattern of head and neck cancers in Kamrup Urban District of Assam, India for the period of 2009-2011.  Methods: Cancer is not notifiable in India, so method of collecting information on cancer was active in PBCR Guwahati. A total of 4416 cases were registered during the three years (1st January 2009- 31st December 2011) of which 2508 were male and 1908 female. Statistical analysis used: Age Adjusted Rate (AAR), Crude Rate (CR) and Population pyramids are provided by NCRP-ICMR.Results: The relative proportion of head and neck cancers of total cancer cases registered in KUD constitutes 26% (654/2508) and 12% (225/1908) in male and female respectively. In males cancer of hypopharynx (AAR 14.7) was most common followed by tongue (AAR 9.4) and mouth (AAR 7.7). In females cancer of mouth (AAR 7.6) is most common followed by cancer of tongue (AAR 3.2).Conclusion: The pattern and incidence of various head and neck cancers is of utmost importance for primary prevention and early detection to adequately manage these cancers comprehensively in the community.