Patel PS, Sharma VM, Raval GN, Rawal RM, Patel MM, Balar DB, Kapadia AS, Patel DD. Serum lactate dehydrogenase levels in malignant germ cell tumors of ovary. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1996; 6: 328-332. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were examined in 24 patients with germ cell tumors of the ovary to evaluate the usefulness of the enzyme as a tumor maker. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were found to be significantly elevated (P<0.001) in these patients at the time of diagnosis as compared to the controls. Lactate dehydrogenase levels in patients with benign ovarian tumors and controls were comparable. The positive rate of LDH for malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary was 94.5%. The LDH values significantly declined in the patients who responded to treatment. Metastatic or recurrent disease resulted in increased LDH levels. The results indicate that LDH is a useful tumor marker for malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary.

Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. There is a correlation between cancer and hyper coagulation. Carcinoma increases the level of cross-linked fibrin degradation product (plasma D-dimer), indicative of systemic activation of fibrinolysis, hemostasis and angiogenesis. This study attempted to correlate raised plasma D-dimer in breast cancer.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the department of general surgery in GCS hospital, Ahmedabad where in patients admitted and treated for breast cancer between July 2020 to June 2021 were selected. Plasma D-dimer levels were correlated with final histopathological examination of breast specimen.Results: Plasma D-dimer levels were increased with advancing stage of disease, lymph node involvement and lymphovascular invasion. There was no significant relationship with increase in tumour size and histopathological grade of tumour.Conclusions: Plasma D-dimer levels are elevated in breast cancer, especially with advanced stage. It is an important marker of clinical stage, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node involvement. However it does not correlate with tumour size and histological grade. So pre- operative plasma D-dimer level is a safe, cost effective and convenient method for prediction of advanced stage in breast cancer.

Background / Aim: Inguinal hernia is a very common problem. Surgical repair is the current approach. This original article aims to study various methods of inguinal hernia repair over a span of 3 years in a teaching hospital. Methods: All the patients operated electively for uncomplicated inguinal hernia from 2010 to 2012 were selected for the study. They were operated by various methods and followed till 2013. Results: There were total 260 cases of inguinal hernia repair during study period. 210 cases were operated by Lichtenstein method of hernioplasty, 27 by Preperitoneal meshplasty and 23 by TEP. Conclusion: Lichtenstein repair and endoscopic/laparoscopic techniques have similar efficacy. It is found that Lichtenstein's tension free repair is standard and cost effective.

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Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) have been recognized as a biologically distinctive tumor type, different from the smooth muscle and neural tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. They constitute majority of the gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and are considered to be refractory to conventional chemotherapy or radiation. Surgery remains the mainstay of primary tumor management of GIST.Methods: This was a cross sectional study of the diagnosis, management and clinical outcome of cases diagnosed with GIST of the gastrointestinal tract from a teaching institute in a single year and a comparison of findings with previously published cases.­­ Study included patients newly diagnosed with GIST and managed in department of general surgery from 10 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.Results: Most patients were of age group 60-69 years with an almost equal incidence among males and females. Stomach and small bowel were found to be the commonest sites with an equal distribution of 45.45% with an average tumor size of 5 cms.Conclusions: Surgical treatment remains the main stay of management for the GIST, depending on the location, staging and metastasis. Staging laparoscopy may be done to assess respectability as peritoneal deposits can be missed by CT scan. Immunohistochemistry is mandatory in defining GIST.