Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: Sources,methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012

Estimates of the worldwide incidence and mortality from 27 major cancers and for all cancers combined for 2012 are now available in the GLOBOCAN series of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. We review the sources and methods used in compiling the national cancer incidence and mortality estimates, and briefly describe the key results by cancer site and in 20 large “areas” of the world. Overall, there were 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million deaths in 2012. The most commonly diagnosed cancers were lung (1.82 million), breast (1.67 million), and colorectal (1.36 million); the most common causes of cancer death were lung cancer (1.6 million deaths), liver cancer (745,000 deaths), and stomach cancer (723,000 deaths).     

Risk for oral cancer associated to smoking, smokeless and oral dip products

Oral cancer is one of the most common life threatening diseases in India. Tobacco and alcohol are considered to be the most risk factors for oral cancer. This study was conducted to investigate the association of tobacco and poly-ingredient oral dip products with oral cancer. A case-control study of 350 cases and 350 controls, over a period of 19 months, between February 2005 and September 2006 was carried out in Pune, India. The self-reported information about the consumption of tobacco, poly-ingredient oral dip products, alcohol, dietary habits and demographic status were collected by a researcher made questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify the risk of substances abuse. The frequency of smoking, smokeless and oral dip products in cases were significantly higher than controls (P < 0.0001). Among smoking types, bidi (P < 0.0001, OR = 4.1 95% CI = 2.4 - 6.9), of smokeless types, chewing tobacco (P < 0.0001, OR = 8.3, 95% CI = 5.4 - 13.0) and mishiri (P < 0.0001, OR = 3.3, 95% CI =2.1 - 5.4), and of oral dip products, consumption of gutkha (P < 0.0001, OR = 12.8, 95% CI =7.0 - 23.7) and supari (P < 0.0001, OR = 6.6, 95% CI =3.0 - 14.8) indicated strong association with oral cancer upon adjustment. This study provides strong evidence that gutkha, supari -areca nut- chewing tobacco (tobacco flakes), bidi smoking and mishiri (tobacco powder, which applied as a tooth and gum cleaner) are independent risk for oral cancer.     

Cellular immune response of Mastomys and gerbils in experimental filariasis

Summary
objective  To determine mitogenic and antigen-specific cellular immune responses of two species of rodents, viz . Meriones unguiculatus and Mastomys coucha to assess the usefulness of the A. viteae/Mastomys model for cellular immune studies in experimental filariasis.
methods  Lymphocyte blast transformation test (LTT) using spleen cells of normal and A. viteae infected animals.
results  The proliferative response of gerbils was much higher than that of Mastomys to both ConA and filarial antigens. Cells of both species of rodents did not respond to microfilarial (mf) antigen, however, their mitogenic response differed during infection. Some degree of nonspecific suppression was observed in gerbils during prepatent and patent stages of infection, while Mastomys revealed highest proliferation during patent microfilaraemia. Mastomys cells did not respond to adult or mf antigen,while adult-specific proliferation was detected in the case of gerbils.
conclusion  The A. viteae /gerbil model shows more similarity to human filarial infection regarding cellular immune response. Markedly low responsiveness of a high percentage of Mastomys and wide variations in the cellular response to nonspecific mitogen limit the usefulness of Mastomys coucha in immunological studies, especially cellular immunity.     

Phenotypic Diversity for Agro-Morphological Traits in 105 Landraces of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) from Santhal Parganas, Jharkhand, India

One hundred five accessions of traditional rice landraces collected from tribal areas of Santhal Parganas, Jharkhand, India were characterized for 11 qualitative and 13 quantitative traits. The study revealed high degree of variation in agro-morphological traits of rice accessions with a Shannon diversity Index ranging from 0.236 to 0.951. The coefficient of variation was more than 10 % for most of the characters, highest being total number of spikelets per panicle (39.75 %). Considering the farmers’ traditional knowledge and experimental findings, genotypes identified for desirable attributes are:- leaf area (>50.0 sq cm) in landraces Gangasar, Banspallah and Bhedia; ear bearing tillers (>12.0 nos) in Lahana; long panicle (>30.0 cm) in Laldhan and Bahiar, higher number of primary branches/panicles (>15.0 nos) in Laldhan; 100-grain weight (2.80 g) in Badhan dhan, Tohfan and Sathi whereas fine grain (kernel length 7.2 mm and L/W ratio 3.0 or more) in Jalad, Kalamkathi, Kalama and Banspalah-1. The genotype Kalamkathi, a fine grained variety with good yield potential and other quality attributes can be used in the breeding programmes to develop high yielding fine grained variety which could be of good market value for the farmers. Similarly, scented varieties like Govindbhog, Katarni and Tulsimanjari found potential parents for developing high yielding non-basmati, short grained aromatic varieties. Promising accessions suiting to different land situations/ecosystems and donors for various economic traits are discussed.     

Altered contractions to endothelin-1, phenylephrine, potassium chloride and relaxations to acetylcholine at various stages of renal hypertension in the rat.

This study is aimed at investigating the contraction and relaxation responses in the thoracic and abdominal aortae at various stages of hypertension. Hypertension in the rats was produced by aortic banding and the responses in the abdominal and thoracic aortic rings were studied 2 and 8 weeks after aortic banding. Contractile responses to phenylephrine ( 10(-6)M), KCl (80 mM) or to endothelin-1 ( 10(-12)to 10(-6)M) and the relaxation responses to acetylcholine ( 10(-7)to 10(-5)M) were similar in the thoracic and abdominal rings of normotensive rats. The intact thoracic rings from 2 week aortic-banded hypertensive rats (ABHR) showed attenuated responses to all the contractile agents used. However, the relaxation to acetylcholine was not altered. In the rings from 8 week ABHR, the responses to contractile agents were not significantly altered but the acetylcholine-induced relaxations were significantly attenuated. The endothelial-derived relaxing factors might act to antagonize the vasoconstrictive responses during the onset of hypertension but might be disabled, as the endothelial dysfunction becomes predominant after 8 weeks of hypertension. The results thus suggest that the contractile and relaxant responses are differentially altered during different stages of hypertension.     

Thoracoabdominal pseudocyst of pancreas: An rare location,managed by retrocolic retrogastric Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy

Pseudocyst formation is a common complication of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Most common site of pseudocyst is lesser sac; mediastinal extension of pseudocyst is rare. Other possibilities of posterior mediastinal cyst must be considered. This patient presented with computed tomography abdomen with thorax showing a large thoraco-abdominal pseudocyst with right sided pleural effusion. It was confirmed to be pancreatic pseudocyst by analyzing fluid for amylase and lipase during surgery. In our patient, the pseudocyst was accessible transabdominaly. Cystogastrostomy was not possible as it was causing twisting of cardio-esophageal junction; we did retrocolic and retrogastric Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy. Only two such cases were reported in literature.     

Profile of hematological abnormalities of Indian HIV infected individuals

Background  

Hematological abnormalities are a common complication of HIV infection. These abnormalities increase as the disease advances. Bone marrow abnormalities occur in all stages of HIV infection.