New lease of life for teen girl with rare form of cancer that left her unable to swallow
New Delhi (PTI): A 14-year-old girl suffering from a rare form of cancer that left her unable to swallow food, which significantly affected her daily life and nutrition, was given a new lease of life at a city hospital here.
Doctors successfully treated the teenager's aggressive form of cancer, known as signet ring cell carcinoma, at the gastro-oesophageal (GE) junction, where the food pipe meets the stomach.
Due to the severe impact of her condition on her daily life, she was brought to Manipal Hospital in Dwarka for evaluation. Diagnostic tests, including a biopsy, confirmed the presence of the rare cancer, doctors said.
According to studies under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stomach and oesophageal cancer account for a major cancer burden worldwide; however, their occurrence in paediatric patients remains extremely rare. In younger patients, such cancers often develop without clearly identifiable lifestyle or environmental risk factors.
The teenage girl underwent five cycles of pre-surgery chemotherapy as part of her treatment process, doctors stated.
Subsequently, the oncology team led by Dr Surender Kumar Dabas, Chairman - Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Onco Robotic Surgeries, Manipal Hospitals, performed a robotic surgery to remove the affected part of the stomach along with nearby lymph nodes.
The advanced procedure allowed the team to remove the tumour while preserving the surrounding vital parts.
"Cancers at the GE junction are extremely rare in pediatric patients, which makes their diagnosis more complex. If such conditions are not treated in time, they can progress rapidly and spread to nearby organs, making treatment more complicated," Dr Dabas said.
In this case, Dr Dabas noted that the patient responded well to pre-surgery chemotherapy, allowing doctors to proceed with advanced surgical treatment.
Robotic surgery enables greater precision, better visualisation, and improved outcomes, especially in such delicate areas.
"The girl also showed remarkable courage throughout the treatment and has shown encouraging recovery, with improvement in her ability to eat and regain strength under medical supervision," he said.
Dr Sayed Assif, head of department and Consultant - GI and Surgical Oncology, explained that Signet ring cell carcinoma is a particularly aggressive subtype of gastrointestinal cancer.
"Managing such tumours at the gastroesophageal junction is challenging primarily due to the complexity of the region and the need to balance effective tumour clearance with preservation of function. 'Such cases highlight how advances in surgical precision are improving outcomes even in rare and high-risk cancers," Dr Assif said.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
