Papers by Ramesh Nimmagadda
Frontiers in Oncology, Feb 11, 2022
Background: Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is one of the most curable malignancies with a 5-year surviva... more Background: Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is one of the most curable malignancies with a 5-year survival of over 80%. Most published literature from low-middle income countries comes from single institute experience. Methodology: The OncoCollect Lymphoma group registry was set up in 2017 and has 9 major participating sites across India. Data of newly diagnosed classical HL (CHL) patients, treated between 2011 and 2017, were collected using OncoCollect software. The clinical features, subtypes, prognostic stratification, treatment patterns, response to first-line treatment, and 5-year outcomes were analyzed. All statistical analysis was done using Microsoft R Open statistical software linked to OncoCollect software. Results: There were 939 newly diagnosed CHL patients with a median age of 38 (range, 18-99) years at presentation. The male-to-female ratio was 2.07:1. Histological subtypes included mixed cellularity, CHL (MC, CHL), nodular sclerosis, CHL (NS, CHL), lymphocyte-rich, CHL (LR, CHL), and lymphocyte-depleted, CHL (LD, CHL), in 60.60%, 26.94%, 9.80%, and 2.66%, respectively. At presentation, 50.43% had B symptoms and 53.35% had advanced disease. 29.71% of advanced-stage patients had high Hodgkin IPI score. 79% and 21% of patients received 1st-line treatment with chemotherapy alone or combined modality treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The most common first-line chemotherapy was ABVD-based regimen (94.68%). The overall response rate was 93.48%. Complete response rates among early-stage favorable and unfavorable risk groups were 92.73% and 86.79%, and those among advanced-stage low-and high-risk groups were 76.64% and 69.78%, respectively. The median relapse-free follow-up duration was 51 months (IQR 22-69). A significant difference was found in 5-year EFS between the early-and advanced-stage disease 83.53% and 73.55% (p = 0.00087), respectively. Similarly, significant difference was found in EFS among early-stage patients treated with a combination of 4-cycle chemotherapy and radiotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone 88.57% and 66.33% (p = 0.0042), respectively.
Journal of Clinical Oncology, May 20, 2009
e11515 Background: Racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes are attributed to differences in ... more e11515 Background: Racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes are attributed to differences in baseline tumor characteristics, stage, and socioeconomic factors. However, little is known about racial differences in treatment-related toxicities. We hypothesized that racial and ethnic differences result in differential tolerance to chemotherapy and possibly compromise to the dose intensity of adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: Data was collected from 4 international collaborating centers (University of Miami, JBCRG (Japan Breast Cancer Research Group), University of Hong Kong, and Tom Baker Cancer Center) at which patients of different ethnic background have been treated for non metastatic breast cancer with same adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy of FEC 100: fluorouracil 500 mg/m2, epirubicin 100 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 100 mg/m2). Racial/ethnic differences in toxicities were assessed by first episode of grade 2 or higher toxicity. Analysis of data was performed at the University of Miami. Results: Treatment-related toxicities are compared according to four race/ethnicity groups (120 Caucasian from USA and Canada (C), 16 African American (AA) from USA and Canada, 141 Japanese Asian (JA), and 23 Asian from Hong Kong (HKA)) (Table). JA and HKA had a significant higher rate of grade 3 or higher toxicity compared with C or AA women; 65%, 61%, 28%, and 31% respectively. However, there were no significant differences in chemotherapy dose intensity or density across the 4 race/ethnicity groups. Conclusions: This unique study noted racial differences in acute toxicity in women with breast cancer who were treated with FEC 100 chemotherapy. However, there are several limitations including the retrospective nature of our study, differences in practice across four countries, and different number of patients available for comparison. This study is ongoing and further statistical analyses are planned when a larger sample size is reached. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, Jul 1, 2019
Context and Aims: The disease pattern and presentation of breast cancer in India are thought to d... more Context and Aims: The disease pattern and presentation of breast cancer in India are thought to differ from the West. The purpose of this study is to describe and to discuss the presentation, clinicopathological data, and survival from an urban specialist breast center in Southern India. Materials and Methods: Prospectively collected data were analyzed for clinicopathological details, treatment variables, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Cumulative survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method for patients treated from 2007 to 2011. Results: A total of 1671 patients were operated at our center from January 2007 to December 2016. Average age at diagnosis was 54.2 years. Over 70% had Stage I and Stage II disease, infiltrating duct carcinoma was predominant in 88.2%. Average clinical tumor size was three centimeters. Breast conservation was performed in 22.4%. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 44.6%. Estrogen-receptor positivity was seen in 64.6%, 22.2% were Her2Neu positive. Triple negative disease was seen in 19.1%. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan–Meier curves for 540 patients treated from 2007 to 2011. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 70 months with 10% lost to follow-up. In our study population, the 5 years overall survival rate is 88.3% and disease-free survival is 85.7%. Conclusion: Our study reflects a higher percentage of early breast cancer with outcomes comparable to the West. More research is required to understand the genetic predisposition in our population.
European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2019
cancer surgery, with <3% being the optimal. This study evaluates the rates of local and distant r... more cancer surgery, with <3% being the optimal. This study evaluates the rates of local and distant recurrence at one symptomatic centre. Methods: Data including patient demographics, tumour characteristics and surgical treatment from all patients undergoing breast surgery between 2011 and 2012 was collected from MDT, electronic patient records; operation notes and pathology reports. The endpoints in this study were local and distant recurrence; and disease-free survival. Results: There was 3.4% local and 8.5% distant recurrences. The median time to local and distant recurrence was 33.7 months (9.4-88.0) and 35.4 months (5.7-76.9) respectively. Nodal stage predicted local recurrence, with an OR for stage N3 of 8.353 (p¼0.023) and also predicted distant recurrence in stage N3 with an OR of 17.085 (p¼<0.0001). Mastectomy was associated with a worse outcome compared to wide local excisions for distant recurrence (OR 2.456, p¼0.037). Conclusion: The ABS mandatory target for local recurrence was met by this centre. Distant and local recurrences were more likely to occur after 3 years and nodal status predicted both with high fidelity. Furthermore, mastectomy was associated with higher rates of distant recurrence.
Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, 2017
Limited Indian data are available on the rate of colistin nephrotoxicity and other risk factors c... more Limited Indian data are available on the rate of colistin nephrotoxicity and other risk factors contributing to the development of this important side effect. This study aims to generate data on colistin nephrotoxicity from a large cohort of Indian patients. Retrospective cohort study. Case record analysis of patients who received colistin, in an oncology center in India, between January 2011 and December 2015. Nephrotoxicity was assessed using risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage (RIFLE) criteria. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Out of the 229 patients, 13.1% (30/229) developed abnormal RIFLE. Abnormal RIFLE group (n = 30), in comparison to the normal renal function group (n = 199), had higher number of patients in intensive care unit (ICU) (96% vs. 79%, P = 0.02), higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score (23 vs. 19 P = 0.0001), Charlson score (5.9 vs. 4.3, P = 0.001), mechanical ventilation (90% vs. 67%, P = 0.016), 28 ...
Indian Journal of Cancer, 2014
The management of hormone receptor-positive Her2-negative breast cancer patients with advanced or... more The management of hormone receptor-positive Her2-negative breast cancer patients with advanced or metastatic disease is a common problem in India and other countries in this region. This expert group used data from published literature, practical experience, and opinion of a large group of academic oncologists, to arrive at practical consensus recommendations for use by the community oncologists.
Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, 2013
Context: The distribution of various subtypes of lymphomas in India is different from other parts... more Context: The distribution of various subtypes of lymphomas in India is different from other parts of the world. There is scarce multicentric data on the pattern and outcomes of lymphomas in India. Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the histopathological and the clinical pattern and treatment outcomes of lymphomas in India based on the retrospective data collected from a multicenter registry. Materials and Methods: Retrospective data was collected at 13 public and private hospitals in India for patients diagnosed with lymphoma between January 2005 and December 2009. The data collection was performed in the setting of a multicenter lymphoma registry Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Results: Non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma (NHL) constituted 83.17% and Hodgkin′s lymphoma (HL) for 16.83% of the 1733 registered and analyzed cases. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common NHL (55%) followed by follicular ly...
Frontiers in Oncology
BackgroundDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest subtype of lymphoma, standard CH... more BackgroundDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest subtype of lymphoma, standard CHOP was the treatment of choice, 42% of patients received rituximab, and 29% of patients were lost to follow-up during therapy, were reported in a study that collected retrospective data at 13 public and private hospitals for patients diagnosed with lymphoma between January 2005 and December 2009. The OncoCollect Registry was set up in 2017 to address the challenges in the collection of retrospective data through chart review, recording access to anthracycline and rituximab-based treatment, and to study outcomes and any improvement in the patient follow-up.MethodologyThe OncoCollect Lymphoma group registry was set up at a national level with 9 participating centers. Lymphoma patients registered at these centers between 2011 and 2017 were included. The clinical features, prognostic stratification, associated comorbidities, response to first-line treatment, and 3-year outcomes of adult pati...
Scientific Reports, Apr 3, 2020
The present analysis reports the clinical, pathological, treatment profile and overall survival (... more The present analysis reports the clinical, pathological, treatment profile and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes of consecutive breast cancer patients from three Indian centres, who underwent curative surgery as their first treatment. Among the 3453 patients, stage I, II, and III cases were 11.75%, 66.79%, and 21.64%, respectively while hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative, triple negative (TNBC) and hormone receptor any/HER2 positive cases were 55.2%, 24.2% and 20.6%, respectively. The five-year OS in the entire cohort, node-negative and node-positive patients were 94.1% (93.25–94.98), 96.17% (95.2–97.15) and 91.83% (90.36–93.31), respectively, and the corresponding DFS were 88.1% (86.96–89.31), 92.0% (90.64–93.39) and 83.93% (82.03–85.89), respectively. The five-year OS in hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative, TNBC and HER2 subgroups were 96.11% (95.12–97.1), 92.74% (90.73–94.8) and 90.62% (88.17–93.15), respectively, and the corresponding DFS were 91.59% (90.19–93.02), 85.46% (82.79–88.22) and 81.29% (78.11–84.61), respectively. This is the largest dataset of early breast cancer patients from India with survival outcome analysis and can therefore serve as a benchmark for future studies.
Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 2017
Research Article IntroductIon Management of infections due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative ... more Research Article IntroductIon Management of infections due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB) is a therapeutic challenge. [1-3] Colistin-based combination therapy (CCT) is a popular strategy employed against these infections. There are multiple studies and systematic reviews supporting this approach. [4-10] On the contrary, a meta-analysis of all the available combination studies questioned the effectiveness of combination strategy. [11] A retrospective study of colistin monotherapy (CMT) versus CCT against CRGNB bloodstream infections from our own center revealed equivalence of both approaches, except in a subgroup of neutropenic patients with Enterobacteriaceae infections where CCT arm performed better. [12] There are no published data from India comparing CCT and CMT against CRGNB nonbacteremic infections. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effectiveness of both strategies against CRGNB nonbacteremic infections. subjects and Methods Retrospective analysis of patients who had carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGNB) nonbacteremic infections identified over a period of 4 years (January 2012-December 2015) was done by medical record review at a 300-bedded tertiary care oncology, neurosurgical and orthopedic center in India. The Background: Superiority of colistin-carbapenem combination therapy (CCCT) over colistin monotherapy (CMT) against carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial (CRGNB) infections is not conclusively proven. Aim: The aim of the current study was to analyze the effectiveness of both strategies against CRGNB nonbacteremic infections. Design: This was a retrospective observational cohort study. Subjects and Methods: Case record analysis of patients who had CRGNB nonbacteremic infections identified over a period of 4 years (January 2012-December 2015) was done by medical record review at a tertiary care center in India. Statistical Analysis: P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox regression. Results: Out of 153 patients (pneumonia 115, urinary tract infection 17, complicated skin and soft-tissue infection 18, intra-abdominal infection 1, and meningitis 2), 92 patients received CCCT and 61 received CMT. Univariate analysis revealed higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, pneumonia as the diagnosis, and Klebsiella as the causative organism to be the risk factors for higher 28-day mortality (P = 0.036, 0.006, 0.016, respectively). Combination therapy had no significant impact on mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.327-2.535, P = 0.857). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher APACHE II score and infection due to Klebsiella were found to be independent risk factors for higher mortality (OR = 3.16 and 4.9, 95% CI = 1.34-7.4 and 2.19-11.2, P = 0.008 and 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions: In our retrospective single-center series of CRGNB nonbacteremic infections, CCCT was not superior to CMT. Multicenter large observational studies or prospective randomized clinical trials are the need of the hour.
Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, 2013
The distribution of various subtypes of lymphomas in India is different from other parts of the w... more The distribution of various subtypes of lymphomas in India is different from other parts of the world. There is scarce multicentric data on the pattern and outcomes of lymphomas in India. The aim of this study is to evaluate the histopathological and the clinical pattern and treatment outcomes of lymphomas in India based on the retrospective data collected from a multicenter registry. Retrospective data was collected at 13 public and private hospitals in India for patients diagnosed with lymphoma between January 2005 and December 2009. The data collection was performed in the setting of a multicenter lymphoma registry Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) constituted 83.17% and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) for 16.83% of the 1733 registered and analyzed cases. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common NHL (55%) followed by follicular lymphoma (11%). CHOP was the most common ...
Indian Journal of Dermatology
Hand and foot syndrome (HFS) is a well-known complication of chemotherapeutic drugs given in a do... more Hand and foot syndrome (HFS) is a well-known complication of chemotherapeutic drugs given in a dose-dense manner. Our patient was a 52-year-old female with metastatic breast carcinoma on salvage chemotherapy regimen with docetaxel at a dose of 60 mg/m(2). The patient had grade 3 HFS characterized by symmetrical, tender, and erythematous skin lesions over the palms and soles associated with dysesthesia necessitating interruption of treatment. She developed this syndrome at a much lower dose than previously described due to her altered hepatic function. An insight regarding this unique distressing side-effect and assessment of various contributing factors would help us identify and treat the patient at the earliest.
Indian journal of cancer, 2019
CONTEXT The management of breast cancer in older patients is challenging due to factors such as c... more CONTEXT The management of breast cancer in older patients is challenging due to factors such as comorbidities, limited mobility, functional dependence, cognitive functions, and socioeconomic aspects. Data about the outcomes in elderly patients with breast cancer in our country are sparse. AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical and pathological variables, treatment, and survival outcomes of elderly women (those of 70 years and above) with women under 50 years and those between the ages of 50 and 69 years treated at our center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Prospectively collected clinical and pathological data from January 2007 to December 2014 were recorded and entered into OncoCollect™ software. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft R Open software. Survival analysis was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS A total of 1226 Stage I-III breast cancer patients were treated between January 2007 and December 2014. Of these, 11.3% (139) were aged 70 ye...
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Papers by Ramesh Nimmagadda