Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute, formerly known as "Cancer Centre Welfare Home & Research Institute" is a hospital that is spread over an area of 16 acres of land. It is a fully comprehensive, dedicated cancer hospital with 311 beds and over 850 staff members. This is a nonprofit organization. The SGCC&RI is located in Thakurpukur, on the outskirts of the city of Kolkata, West Bengal.
PURPOSESarcomas exhibit clinicopathologic heterogeneity, leading to diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainty. This study assesses the clinical value of integrating targeted RNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) into a multidisciplinary sarcoma workflow to improve diagnosis, enable comprehensive molecular characterization, and inform personalized treatment strategies.METHODSIn this prospective single-center study, 68 patients with suspected or confirmed soft tissue sarcoma underwent RNA-based NGS using a 138-gene fusion panel, integrated within a multidisciplinary sarcoma framework. Genomic findings integrated with histopathology and immunohistochemistry for diagnostic reclassification and treatment changes.RESULTSOf 70 patients advised RNA-based NGS, 68 (97.1%) were evaluable (median age, 38.5 years). Soft tissue sarcomas predominated (77.1%), with 67.1% presenting with advanced disease. Initial histology included 17 round cell sarcomas (RC), 19 undifferentiated sarcomas (US), and 34 other subtypes. Among evaluable RC cases (n = 16), NGS identified diagnostic fusions in 87.5%, enabling reclassification in 68.7% and treatment change in 18.7%. In US, fusions were detected in 21.1%, all reclassified, with treatment altered in 75%. In other subtypes, fusions were found in 48.4%, enabling reclassification in 39.3% and treatment impact in 21.2%. Nondiagnostic mutations (eg, TP53, SLX4, NF1) were observed in 47.4% of US and 18.2% of other subtypes. Potentially actionable variants (KIT, PIK3CA) were seen in 5.8%. Overall, RNA-NGS was clinically informative in 50%, refined diagnosis in 41.1%, and influenced treatment in 26.4% of patients.CONCLUSIONTo our knowledge, this first-of-its-kind study highlights the clinical utility of integrating targeted RNA-based NGS into multidisciplinary sarcoma care, enabling diagnostic reclassification in 41.1% of cases most notably in round cell sarcomas with atypical morphology. Both canonical and rare fusions informed individualized therapy, reinforcing RNA-NGS as a pivotal tool for diagnostic refinement and precision oncology in sarcoma management.
Background Anaemia among adolescent girls aged 15–19 years can adversely affect educational, vocational and reproductive outcomes. Amid rapid urbanisation, understanding its prevalence, determinants and urban–rural inequities is essential. Using National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 data in India, this study comprehensively assessed anaemia epidemiology and quantified urban–rural disparities and their contributing factors through multivariate decomposition analysis.Methodology NFHS-5 data from 113 606 adolescent girls aged 15–19 years were analysed. Socio-demographic, health, and behavioural factors were assessed through standardised interviews. Haemoglobin was measured using HemoCue Hb 201+, with anaemia defined as <12 g/dL. Decomposition and concentration indices assessed disparities inequities.Results Anaemia was more prevalent among adolescent girls from rural areas (60.2%, 95% CI 59.9 to 60.5%) compared with those from urban areas (56.6%, 95% CI 56.0 to 57.3%). Multivariate decomposition analysis showed that the largest variable-level contribution to the explained urban–rural disparity in anaemia prevalence was from wealth index (52.4%; richest: −1.497, 95% CI−1.501 to −1.493), followed by region (21.7%; East: −0.750, 95% CI−0.753 to −0.748), caste (17.3%; schedule tribe: −0.406, 95% CI −0.408 to −0.403), accessibility of healthcare centre (12.6%; not accessible: −0.319, 95% CI −0.323 to −0.315) and fruit intake (8.2%; daily: −0.834, 95% CI −0.839 to −0.829). In contrast, media exposure showed a negative contribution (−13.1%; 0.452, 95% CI 0.450 to 0.455), indicating that differences in media exposure reduced the observed urban–rural disparity. The concentration indices were comparable between urban (−0.075, 95% CI −0.089 to −0.061) and rural (−0.071, 95% CI −0.078 to −0.064) populations, indicating modest wealth-related inequality in both settings.Conclusion Anaemia burden was high among Indian adolescent girls, with urban–rural disparities driven by socioeconomic status, dietary patterns and media exposure, requiring comprehensive, multifaceted nationwide interventions.
Mature cystic teratomas constitute the most common ovarian neoplasm occurring in childhood. All the components present in mature cystic teratoma are, by definition, mature. Immature teratomas, on the other hand, are malignant, and they constitute a mixture of embryonal and adult tissues derived from all three germ layers. Commonly, the main component is neuroepithelium. The treatment of immature teratoma is surgery and multidrug chemotherapy for grade 2 and 3 tumours. Sometimes only mature components persist in metastatic sites, which may continue to grow (growing teratoma syndrome) following chemotherapy. Emergence of benign or malignant neoplasm with somatic-type features is an uncommon event in mature cystic teratomas. The most common malignant change is squamous cell carcinoma, followed by carcinoid tumour and adenocarcinoma. Other types include melanomas, sarcomas of various types, carcinosarcomas, glioblastoma, etc. Glioblastomas are among extremely rare somatic malignancies arising from mature or immature teratomas. Their etiology is not well understood, and it is still a matter of research whether they share the same genetic alteration as the tumours occurring in the central nervous system. We present a rare case of glioblastoma arising in an immature teratoma in a young female in her early 20s.
