BackgroundOral cancer is very common in India. The reported 5-year survival of such patients is around 50% after treatment with surgery and radiotherapy, much lower than most of the developed countries.MethodsA retrospective study of a prospective database of oral cancer patients undergoing surgery from June 2009 to June 2013 was conducted. Follow-up details were updated from case records and by phone calls. Data were double entered in EpiData Entry version 3.1 and were analysed using EpiData Analysis software 2.1.0.73.ResultsTwo-hundred and twenty patients were analysed (136 males); 85% were consuming tobacco, mainly in chewable form. The majority (51.1%) had tongue cancer, of whom 75 patients (34.1%) had T4 tumours. Postoperative radiotherapy was given to 108 patients (49.1%). Forty had recurrence, of which 23 were in early stage. Of these, 19 showed node positivity (p < 0.01). Node-negative patients had 79% 5-year survival while node positive had 59% which is comparable to that reported in developed countries. Median disease-free survival duration was 48.2 months.ConclusionsNode positivity is the single factor affecting recurrence and survival. The overall survival and disease-free survival is better in patients without lymph node involvement and in patients with early stage of cancer as compared to the patients with node involvement and in advanced stages.

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Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. In general, they are said to be of good prognosis, still there are a few aggressive variants. Differentiated carcinomas like papillary and follicular comprise of major proportion and have a less aggressive clinical behaviour, even though some of them tend to be otherwise. De-differentiated and undifferentiated cancers are more aggressive. There has been an already existing theory that these de-differentiated cancers arise from differentiated ones by a process of stepwise molecular changes. There are already reported cases of coexistence of multiple histologies. Appreciation of dedifferentiation and identification of the genetic changes may be of help in forming improved treatment strategies, including targeted therapy. This article is to report a rare case we came across, in which three different histologies coexisted and may be pointing towards graded de-differentiation pattern. This is a further support to the stepwise de-differentiation theory.

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