Objectives. This study aims to determine perceptions of physicians in our institution on the role of telemedicine in cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess its perceived benefits and barriers. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study of physicians involved in cancer care in a tertiary referral hospital in the Philippines. We administered a 21-item online survey questionnaire between August to October 2020. Results. We received and analyzed 84 physician responses. Ninety-six percent of physicians currently use telemedicine, an increase from 59% pre-pandemic. Eighty-nine percent use telemedicine for follow-up virtual consults, while 75% use telemedicine for case discussions in multidisciplinary meetings. The mean number of monthly patient consults conducted through telemedicine increased to 29.5 (SD: 24.8) from a pre-pandemic mean of 7.7 (SD: 18.7). Eighty-four percent of respondents perceived its main benefit as an infection control measure. The other perceived benefits of telemedicine include convenience (78%), accessibility to cancer care (72%), cost-effectiveness (68%), and time efficiency (44%). A quarter of the respondents believed that telemedicine has the potential to improve cancer outcomes. Ninety-two percent of the respondents expressed that they will use telemedicine occasionally in their practice. Conclusion. Telemedicine was perceived by Filipino physicians in a tertiary hospital as an acceptable solution for the provision of cancer care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Tele-oncology should be further investigated to maximize patient and physician satisfaction and improve cancer outcomes. Data from this study can be used to improve oncology practice and service delivery to suitable patients during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the prognostic value of surgical interventions done among patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) Methods: A five-year retrospective chart review of 25 patients was done and baseline characteristics determined. Patients discharged alive as of the time of last chart entry were followed up by phone interview or personal visit. Overall survival was the main outcome measure which was plotted as Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared via log-rank test. The incidence of complications surrounding tracheostomy and thyroidectomy were also noted. Methods: Design: Ambispective Cohort Study Setting: Tertiary National University Hospital Participants: All private and public (charity) patients seen at the wards or clinics diagnosed with ATC via fine needle cytology or tissue histopathology. Results: All patients presented with either stage IV-B or stage IV-C disease. A significant difference in survival curves was noted when comparing between the two stages (p<.05). Subgroup analysis per stage revealed no significant difference in overall survival when comparing patients who did not undergo surgery, those who underwent tracheostomy or those who underwent thyroidectomy for both IV-B (p=.244) or IV-C (p=.165) disease. The incidence of complications for tracheostomy was 60%, the most common being mucus plugging. For thyroidectomy, the incidence of complications was 80% with hypocalcemia being the most common> <.05). Subgroup analysis per stage revealed no significant difference in overall survival when comparing patients who did not undergo surgery, those who underwent tracheostomy or those who underwent thyroidectomy for both IV-B (p=.244) or IV-C (p=.165) disease. The incidence of complications for tracheostomy was 60%, the most common being mucus plugging. For thyroidectomy, the incidence of complications was 80% with hypocalcemia being the most common. Conclusion: The current available data fails to demonstrate any significant survival advantage of tracheostomy or thyroidectomy when performed among similarly staged patients. Keywords: anaplastic thyroid cancer; thyroidectomy; tracheostomy; survival

Pyoderma Gangrenosum (PG) was first described in 1916 as “phagedenisme geometrique”, after a French dermatologist observed rapidly progressing, cutaneous necrotic lesions with sharp borders.1 In 1930, Brunsting and his colleagues at the Mayo Clinic coined the term Pyoderma Gangrenosum, because it was initially thought to arise from staphylococcal and streptococcal infections which were observed in 5 of their patients.2 The exact etiology and pathogenesis is still unknown. To date, only a few cases of PG have been shown to affect the ears, all showing no gender or age predilection.3 We report another such case.   CASE REPORT A three-year-old girl presented at the emergency room with a non-healing, erythematous papule over her left ear lobule, allegedly following an ear piercing one month prior. She was initially treated at another institution with oral antibiotics. Despite treatment, her mother noted rapid worsening of the lesion, eventually developing into a painful ulceration and affecting the left eyelid as well. At the time of examination, the patient presented with a painful, necrotic plaque around the left eyelid with serpiginous borders (Figure 1) and ear lobule with erythematous, advancing borders (Figure 2A, B). There were no systemic co-morbidities noted. The working diagnosis then was necrotizing fasciitis and she was immediately started on systemic intravenous antibiotics which she did not respond to. Laboratory tests showed elevated CRP, but procalcitonin, C-ANCA and ANA were all normal. Tissue cultures of both eyelid and earlobe, as well as blood cultures, revealed no growth. Wedge biopsy of the eyelid ulceration revealed neutrophilic dermatitis. Biopsy of the ear lobule revealed suppurative granulomatous dermatitis with secondary leucocytoclastic vasculitis. Further workups for infection and possible systemic diseases were all unremarkable. A pathergy test was negative. A diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum was made after excluding systemic and infectious causes. The patient was started on systemic prednisone at a dose of 1mg/kg/day which she slowly responded to. Surgical reconstruction of the earlobe was to be planned once the ulceration completely healed; unfortunately, this patient was lost to follow-up