We have analysed the results of 246 cases of distal femoral tumours treated by resection and prosthetic replacement between 1988 and 2002. Patient ages ranged from 6-67 years averaging 24 years; 133 were males. The most common tumour was osteosarcoma (67% of patients). The follow-up ranged from 2 to 14 years. Stage II tumours were seen in 72% of patients. The technique of sleeve resection of the quadriceps musculature was followed to achieve local clearance of the tumour. The prosthesis used was a rotating hinge custom mega-prosthesis manufactured locally. The functional result achieved was excellent or good in 87%; 86% of the patients had no evidence of disease, and 13% had died. The 10-year patient survival was 76.9%. Periprosthetic fracture and infection were the most common complications.Résumé Nous avons analysé les résultats de 246 cas de tumeurs fémorales distales traitées par résection et remplacement prothétique entre 1988 et 2002. L'âges des malades s'étendait de 6 à 67 ans avec une moyenne de 24 ans. Cent trente trois étaient des hommes. La tumeur la plus fréquente était l'ostéosarcome (67% des malades). Le suivi était de 2 à 14 années. Des tumeurs de stade II étaient présentes chez 72% des malades. La technique de résection a été conduite pour faire une ablation complète de la tumeur. La prothèse qui a été utilisée était une méga prothèse à charnière rotatoire fabriqué localement. Le résultat fonctionnel obtenu était excellent ou bon dans 87%. Quatre-vingt-six pourcent des malades n'avait pas d'évidence de maladie et 13% étaient morts. La survie à dix ans était de 76,9%. Les fractures périprothétiques et l'infection étaient les complications les plus fréquentes.

Background: Bone marrow derived pluripotent stem cells hold a great promise for therapeutic repair of injured central nervous system. This report is on a six-month old paraplegic Boxer breed canine with traumatic spinal cord injury at the level of T12, which functionally recovered following intralesional transplantation of autologous Bone Marrow Mono Nuclear Cells (BMMNCs) seeded on a Thermoreversible gelation polymer (TGP) combined with intravenous Cell Transplantation. Materials and Methods: Thirty ml of Bone Marrow was aspirated and BMMNCs were isolated. From the total BMMNCs isolated, 20 x 10 6 cells were seeded in 1.5 ml of TGP and implanted at the site of injured spinal cord. A fraction of BMMNCs isolated were stored at-80deg C from which 4.16 x 10 6 BMMNCs were thawed and transfused intravenously by suspending in 2ml saline on the 19th post-operative day. The animal was followed up by assessment every two weeks for a period of two years. Results: Recovery of motor and sensory functions were noticed on the 53rd day, attempt for standing on the 79th day and ambulation on the 98th day after the initial cell transplantation. The animal had satisfactory ambulation on the 133rd day and thereafter the life style of the animal was gradually restored to normalcy. Status quo of this recovery has been maintained for the past two years. Conclusion: The outcome proves the safety of intralesional transplantation of autologous BMMNCs embedded in TGP in spinal cord injury and makes us recommend the same for more number of similar cases.

The Ewing's sarcoma family can present diagnostic difficulties. In the past the basis of diagnosis has been a exclusion. Identification of a specific translocation especially t(11;22) (EWS-FLI 1 fusion gene), which is seen in nearly 85 percent of Ewing's sarcoma cases can help in precise diagnosis. We have carried out a study on twenty patient samples diagnosed to have Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumour (PNET)/small round cell malignant tumour. The study involved RT-PCR analysis for the fusion transcript, followed by sequencing to identify the specific type of fusion. Ninety percent (18/20) of the samples tested were found to be t(11;22) translocations involving EWS-FLI 1 genes. Sixty-one percent (11/18) were found to be type 1 fusion and seven were type 2 (39 percentage). This is the first study in India with quantitative information about the types of EWS-FLI 1 translocations present in Ewing's family of tumours in south Indian patients.

Laparoscopic procedures to treat endometrial cancer are currently emerging. At present, we have evidence to do laparoscopic oncologic resections for endometrial cancer as proven by many prospective studies from abroad such as LAP2 by GOG. So, we have decided to assess the safety and feasibility of such a study in our population with the following as our primary objectives: (1) to study whether laparoscopy is better compared to open approach in terms of duration of hospital stay, perioperative morbidity and early recovery from surgical trauma and (2) to study whether the laparoscopic approach is noninferior to the open approach in terms of number of lymph nodes harvested in lymphadenectomy and rate of conversion to open surgery. We did a prospective nonrandomized comparative study of open versus laparoscopy approach for surgical staging of endometrial cancer from 16th May 2013 to 15th May 2015. To prove a significant difference in the hospital stay, we needed 29 patients in each arm. Thirty patients in each arm were enrolled for the study. The median duration of stay in the open arm was 7 days and in the laparoscopy arm it was 5 days. The advantage of 2 days in the laparoscopic arm was statistically significant ( value 0.006). Forty percent of patients in the open arm had to stay in the hospital for more than 7 days whereas only 3% of patients in the laparoscopy arm required to stay for more than 7 days ( value 0.001). This difference was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the early complication rates between the two arms (20% in open vs. 13% in laparoscopy; value 0.730). There was a conversion rate of 10% in laparoscopy. The median number of nodes harvested in open arm was 16.50 and in the laparoscopy arm, it was 13.50. The difference was not statistically significant ( value 0.086). Laparoscopy approach for endometrial cancer staging is feasible in Indian patients and the short-term advantages are replicable with same oncologic safety as proved by randomized controlled trials.

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