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Introduction: Anemia is a common, underestimated problem in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy and has significant adverse effect on the quality of life and outcome. Darbepoetin has been shown to be effective in this setting, but controversy surrounds it actual use. Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected clinical practice data of patients receiving darbepoetin in a real-world setting for this retrospective audit. Patients with baseline hemoglobin (Hb) of

Introduction: Because patients covered by medical insurance are being denied legitimate claims, doctors are working shoulder to shoulder with them and have garnered significant experience in this matter. We, therefore, decided to a systematic survey under the Medic LAWgic banner and presented the data. Methods: A short, 8-question multiple-choice survey was conducted online among doctor clinicians. Duplicate replies were removed. The remaining replies were evaluated, interpreted, and the data are being presented here. Results: A total of 377 doctors responded. The majority (208, 55%) had faced problems with medical insurance claims in more than 10% of their patients. Almost half of them (48%) had outright rejection of the claims in more than 10% of their patients. Reduction in claim amounts was faced in more than 10% instances by 262 (70%). The five most common causes for refusal or rejection of claims included failure of patient to disclose pre-existing illness (234, 62%), other insurance policy terms related issues (157, 42%), oral medication (199, 53%), treatment without admission (155, 41%), and treatment with new modes of therapy (152, 40%). As many as 301/377 (80%) doctors had written letters to the insurance companies for supporting their patients’ claim. Such supporting letters from the treating doctors resulted in the claim being accepted or approved in 216 instances (57%). Discussion: Mediclaim denial is a major and growing problem. People who need financial assistance the most are also the most vulnerable to denial. In the USA, such denial rates ranged from 1% to 45% of in-network claims in the year 2017. Unfortunately, Conclusion: Patients are increasingly facing challenge of medical insurance companies denying legitimate claims. Doctors help by writing to the insurance companies supporting their patients claim and such letters help in the majority of instances. Patients and their families need to follow up aggressively when their claims are not approved, rejected or reduced. They should also request the help of their doctors when facing such challenges.

Introduction: Anemia is a common, underestimated problem in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy and has significant adverse effect on the quality of life and outcome. Darbepoetin has been shown to be effective in this setting, but controversy surrounds it actual use. Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected clinical practice data of patients receiving darbepoetin in a real-world setting for this retrospective audit. Patients with baseline hemoglobin (Hb) of

Purpose Adherence to international antiemetic prophylaxis guidelines like those of ASCO can result in better control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting; however, the extent of implementation of such guidelines in India is unknown. Therefore, this survey was planned. Methods This study was an anonymized cross-sectional survey approved by the ethics committee. Survey items were generated from the clinical questions given in the ASCO guidelines. The survey was disseminated through personal contacts at an oncology conference and via e-mail to various community oncology centers across India. The B1, B2, and B3 domains included questions regarding the optimal antiemetic prophylaxis for high, moderate, and low-minimal emetogenic regimens. Results Sixty-six (62.9%) of 105 responded and 65 centers (98.5%) were aware of the published guidelines. The partial, full, and no implementation scores were 92.5%, 4.5%, and 3.0%, respectively. Full implementation was better for the low-minimal emetogenic regimens (34.8%) than the highly emetogenic regimens (6.1%). The three most frequent reasons for hampered implementation of ASCO guidelines in routine chemotherapy practice cited by centers were a lack of sensitization (26 centers; 39.4%), lack of national guidelines (12 centers; 18.2%), and lack of administrative support (10 centers; 15.2%). Conclusion Awareness regarding ASCO antiemetic guidelines is satisfactory in Indian oncology practices; however, there is a need for sensitization of oncologists toward complete implementation of these guidelines in their clinical practice.

Imatinib mesylate, a signal transduction inhibitor molecule, has been introduced in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) since May 2001. By its unique mechanism of action, the drug has revolutionized the management of chronic phase CML. The drug is generally well tolerated. A number of hematological and non-hematological side-effects have been reported. Fatal bone marrow (BM) aplasia has rarely been reported. A 46-year-old women with chronic phase CML was treated with imatinib. Six weeks later she developed severe pancytopenia associated with fever, chest infection and bleeding. A BM biopsy revealed hypoplasia (BM cellularity < 5%). She died of pulmonary mucormycosis. CML patients on imatinib therapy need close monitoring. Those pre-treated with busulfan and interferon-alpha may be at a higher risk of developing BM aplasia.

Multiple myeloma is a disease for which a number of treatment options are available. The choice of therapy is often based on factors such as cost, ease of administration and faster response as the survival rates are similar with most of the regimens. We assessed the efficacy of a combination of melphalan and dexamethasone as first-line therapy in patients with multiple myeloma who were not candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation.Thirty-four patients with multiple myeloma were included in the study. Patients received a maximum of 12 cycles of chemotherapy consisting of oral melphalan 8 mg/m2 on days 1-4 and oral dexamethasone 40 mg on days 1-4 and days 9-12 every 4 weeks. Patients were assessed for response on the basis of M proteins and a bone marrow biopsy with touch preparation.The median follow up of surviving patients was 40 months. Nine patients (26.1%) had complete response/near complete response (5 had negative immunofixation) and 15 (44%) had partial response. The regimen was well tolerated and there were no therapy-related deaths. The 3-year overall and progression-free survival rates using the Kaplan-Meier method were 53% and 34%, respectively. The median duration of overall and progression-free survivals were 58 and 28 months, respectively.The combination of melphalan and dexamethasone is safe and effective in patients with multiple myeloma who are not candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation.

This is a case report of a young adult presenting with hemorrhagic pleural effusion. Chest CT scan showed loculated pleural effusion with pleural nodule. Whole body PET scan showed thickening of pleura with multiple enhancing pleural nodules with different metabolic activity. Pleural nodule was biopsied which on histopathology showed pleural synovial sarcoma.

6596 Background: Imatinib Mesylate, a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor produces sustained complete hematological response (CHR) in CML patients in chronic phase. There is a paucity of information on the effects of imatinib on the bone marrow (BM) morphology and angiogenesis. We evaluated the sequential changes in these parameters in 22 CML chronic phase patients treated with first line imatinib (400 mg) and compared with 10 controls (non-hematological malignancies). Methods: Trephine BM biopsies were evaluated by means of morphology, morphometry, Gomori’s stain and CD 34 staining. Reticulin fibrosis was graded from grade 1 to grade 4. Microvessel density (MVD) was calculated by counting the microvessels in hot spots (400 ×). Final value was mean of 10 fields. Total vascular area (TVA) was calculated by image analysis and expressed as percentage of the total area. Results: 22 patients were included in the study. Median age was 34 years (range 20–58 years). All patients attained a CHR at a median of 18 days. Major cytogenetic response was seen in 64%, minor response in 27% and no response in 9% of patients. Baseline BM cellularity was increased in all patents as compared to controls. The median cellularity at 6 months and 1 year was decreased to 60% and 50% respectively. The median grade of reticulin fibrosis at baseline was grade 3 as compared to controls (median grade 1). There was a significant decrease in reticulin fibrosis at 6 months and 1 year (median-grade 1, p=0.04). The median MVD at baseline was 8.25 (range 6–26) and was increased as compared to controls (median MVD-3.6). There was a significant decrease in MVD at 6 months and 1 year (median MVD-4.0, p=0.04). Similarly the TVA decreased from 6.2% at baseline to 4.3% at 1 year. These changes correlated with the cytogenetic responses. Two patients who had disease progression during therapy showed reversal in the bone marrow changes. Conclusions: Imatinib Mesylate produces significant effects on bone marrow morphometry and angiogenesis in patients with CML in chronic phase. There is a consistent decrease in bone marrow cellularity, reticulin fibrosis and microvessel density during therapy. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Background: Unresectable and metastatic gastric cancers carry a poor and dismal prognosis. Several phase II studies have identified effective anticancer drugs. Aims: To evaluate safety and efficacy of low-dose cisplatin, etoposide and paclitaxel (CEP) based combination chemotherapy in locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of gastric/gastroesophageal junction. Setting and design:Prospective single-arm phase II study. materials and Methods: Thirty-three patients were enrolled onto this study, out of which, all but one received cisplatin 15 mg/m 2, etoposide 40 mg/m 2 and paclitaxel 50 mg/m 2, given on day 1 and 4 every week for three weeks in a 28-day cycle. Survival analysis was done using SPSS program. Results: Median age of group was 56 years. Twenty-five were males. Twenty-nine had metastatic/inoperable disease and four patients had recurrent disease. Liver was the commonest metastatic site seen in 15 patients. With a median of 2 cycles per patient, a total of 76 cycles was administered. Grade III or IV toxicity were seen in 11 (35%) patients; diarrhea, 5 patients; vomiting, 3 patients; and neutropenia, 7 patients, 5 of whom also had fever). One patient died of neutropenic fever. Best responses, seen in 32 evaluable patients, were 2 CR (6.1%), 21 PR (63%) and 3 SD (9.2%). Four patients were considered operable after chemotherapy. With median follow-up of 11 months in surviving patients, median OS was 10 months and PFS was 8 months. Median OS was 13 months in responders versus 8 months in nonresponders ( P =0.04). Seven patients survived >12 months . Conclusion:Combination of low-dose CEP shows good clinical response and an acceptable toxicity profile in advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of gastric/gastroesophageal cancers. Whether addition of 5 FU or capecitabine adds to the benefit should be explored. This may be tested with other standard/conventional protocols in a randomized fashion.

6670 Background This study was undertaken to demonstrate the reconstitutive potential of reinfusion of whole blood after mobilization with filgrastim without cell separation and cryopreservation in...