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Background Diligent monitoring of inequalities in the coverage of essential reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health related (RMNCH) services becomes imperative to smoothen the journey towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we aim to measure the magnitude of inequalities in the coverage of RMNCH services. We also made an attempt to divulge the relationship between the various themes of governance and RMNCH indices. Methods We used National Family Health Survey dataset (2015–16) and Public Affairs Index (PAI), 2016 for the analysis. Two summative indices, namely Composite Coverage Index (CCI) and Co-Coverage (Co-Cov) indicator were constructed to measure the RMNCH coverage. Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were employed to measure inequality in the distribution of coverage of RMNCH. In addition, we have used Spearman’s rank correlation matrix to glean the association between governance indicator and coverage indices. Results & conclusions Our study indicates an erratic distribution in the coverage of CCI and Co-Cov across wealth quintiles and state groups. We found that the distribution of RII values for Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal hovered around 1. Whereas, RII values for Haryana was 2.01 indicating maximum inequality across wealth quintiles. Furthermore, the essential interventions like adequate antenatal care services (ANC4) and skilled birth attendants (SBA) were the most inequitable interventions, while tetanus toxoid and Bacilli Calmette- Guerin (BCG) were least inequitable. The Spearman’s rank correlation matrix demonstrated a strong and positive correlation between governance indicators and coverage indices.

Introduction and Aims: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults has poor prognosis. The epidemiologic profile of patients varies greatly in different geographic locations and so do the cytogenetic abnormalities and the FAB subtype of the AML. We intended to study the clinical profile, cytogenetics, and outcomes with standard of care treatment on our population in India.Methods: This was a retrospective study with systematic review of 203 case records. Primary objectives were to know the demographic profile of AML, prevalence of various FAB subtypes, cytogenetic abnormalities, and treatment outcomes at our center, which is a referral center of oncology. Two treatment outcomes considered in study for patients of AML were achievement of remission status of the bone marrow postintensive induction chemotherapy and sustenance of the remission for 6 months, once remission is achieved. Secondary objective was to study these outcomes in non-M3 AML in relation to cytogenetics.Results: Median age was 39 years. The most common FAB subtype observed was AML M2. About 65.6% patients achieved complete remission (CR), and 42.4% patients could sustain it for next 6 months. Cytogenetics correlated with prognosis but not age.Conclusions: Our population differs from the Western population regarding lower age, lower prevalence of adverse cytogenetics, and higher prevalence of favorable cytogenetic abnormalities. Cytogenetics had a good correlation with CR rates after chemotherapy as well as its sustenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using sectoral as well as subsectoral FDI data, we explore the asymmetric effect of nonfinancial services FDI on trade in services for 24 emerging economies for the period 1999–2016. We employ the panel unit root tests and recently developed panel nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model, to analyze the impacts of FDI in service and its sub-sectors on trade in services. Our results confirm the nonlinear asymmetric relationship between nonfinancial services FDI and trade in services. We find that FDI in financial services has positive and significant impacts on trade in services, which implies there exists a complementary relationship between FDI in financial services and trade in services. Concurrently, positive changes in nonfinancial services FDI have adverse effects on trade in services in the long run, which indicates the substitutability of same with trade in services. Our results also show the complementary relationship between nonfinancial services FDI and manufacturing trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is highly resistant to systemic chemotherapy, and historically a poor prognosis for metastatic disease has been reported, with a 5-year survival rate of <10%. Significant advances have been made in the last decade since the introduction of different tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as sunitinib, pazopanib, and sorafenib. Unfortunately, even though the TKIs have been used for a long time, there are very few published data regarding the experience of TKI therapy in metastatic RCC (mRCC) from India.Materials and Methods: This is a single institutional review of mRCC patients treated between January 2012 and July 2017. Patients who received at least 1 month of first-line TKIs were included for analysis of response rates, toxicity, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors.Results: Of the 40 mRCC patients, 31 (77.5%) were males. Median age at diagnosis was 58 years (range: 38-80 years). The most common site of metastasis was lungs (n = 24) followed by bone (n = 19) and liver (n = 7). Three patients had favorable risk disease, whereas 25 had intermediate risk and 12 had poor risk disease according to the MSKCC risk criteria. First-line TKI therapy used was sunitinib in 24, pazopanib in 11, and sorafenib in 5 patients. Toxicities of TKIs were Grade 1 or 2 in 13 patients and Grade 3 or 4 in 9 patients; the most common being fatigue, followed by hand-foot syndrome, skin rash, mucositis, and hypertension. Overall, 29 patients (72.5%) had disease control (complete responses in 1, partial responses in 10, and stable disease in 18 patients), whereas 11 had progression of disease at initial evaluation. At a median follow-up of 16 months (range: 2-38 months), median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.8 months and median overall survival was 19.1 months.Conclusions: Sunitinib and pazopanib are viable first-line options for mRCC and showed a comparable PFS in Indian patients. Careful patient selection, tailoring of TKI doses, and careful toxicity management are essential for optimum therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After failing oxaliplatin-based first-line chemotherapy (CT), approximately 4%-21% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) respond to irinotecan-based second-line treatment. Earlier studies have demonstrated that arsenic trioxide (ATO) can significantly resensitize resistant colon cancer to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by downregulating thymidylate synthase (TS). We hypothesized that a combination of ATO with infusional 5-FU, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) regimen in mCRC patients refractory to first-line FOLFOX/CAPOX could further improve the outcome of second-line CT.Materials and Methods: Patients were administered ATO 0.15 mg/kg/day on days 1-2 along with FOLFIRI regimen at standard doses every 2 weeks, until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or patients' refusal. Responses to CT were reported according to RECIST 1.1. Adverse events were classified based on CTCAE version 4.0.Results: Between September 2016 and July 2017, 17 patients with refractory mCRC were treated with this investigational combination. The median age was 49 years; 13 males and 4 females; ECOG PS 0-1/2, 14/3. The most common site of metastases was liver (n = 11) followed by peritoneum (n = 7) and number of involved metastatic sites 1-2/≥3, 9/8. After 6 cycles of CT, overall response rate and disease control rate were 17.6% and 82.4%, respectively (complete remission = 0, partial remission = 3 patients, stable disease = 11 patients). Median progression-free survival was 5.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.3-7.0) and median overall survival was 9 months (95% CI: 7.4-10.5) from the initiation of ATO plus FOLFIRI. The toxicities were as follows: Grade 1/2 toxicity: fatigue (7 patients), constipation (2), and nausea and vomiting (2); Grade 3 toxicity: fatigue (3), neutropenia (2), febrile neutropenia (1), diarrhea (2), and QTc prolongation (1). No patient experienced Grade 4 toxicities.Conclusions: The addition of ATO to FOLFIRI regimen as second-line CT in patients with refractory mCRC offered an encouraging antitumor effect at the cost of manageable toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently published prospective clinical trials and two meta-analyses have shown that addition of induction chemotherapy (IC) to concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) could potentially improve outcomes in comparison to CRT alone, in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). Although it remains unclear which is the best IC regimen to be offered and for how many cycles. Unfortunately, till date, there are no published data from India regarding the outcomes of various commonly used IC regimens before CRT, in LANPC.Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with LANPC from January 2012 to December 2017, who received three cycles of IC before definitive CRT were reviewed retrospectively. Patients' profile, toxicity of IC, response rates, failure-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.Results: A total 34 patients with LANPC who received IC were reviewed. The median age at diagnosis was 36 years, and the majority were males (67.6%, n = 23). Nineteen patients received IC with paclitaxel plus cisplatin regimen (TP) and the remaining 15 patients received IC with docetaxel/paclitaxel plus cisplatin plus 5-FU regimen (TPF). The overall response rates after three cycles of TP and TPF IC were 68.4% and 80%, respectively, and the corresponding rates were 84.2%and 93.3%, respectively, 2 months after completion of CRT. At a median follow-up of 24 months, 2-year failure-free survival and OS for TP arm were 78.9% and 89.5%, and the corresponding rates for TPF arm were 86.7% and 93.3%, respectively. All Grade III-IV toxicities were numerically higher with triplet IC regimen in comparison to doublet regimen.Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, there was no significant difference between taxane-based doublet and triplet IC regimens, in terms of survival outcomes, although Grade III-IV toxicities were numerically higher with triplet IC regimen. Clearly, these hypothesis-generating findings should be tested in a prospective randomized setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]