Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of red blood cell (RBC) superoxide dismutase (r-SOD), RBC catalase (r-CAT), RBC glutathione peroxidase (r-GPx) and the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) in advanced breast cancer patients post mastectomy before and after chemotherapy. Methods: Female breast cancer patients between 27 and 65 years of age who were admitted to the Department of Surgery of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi were enrolled in the study. This study included two arms: a control group of healthy age-matched females (n=20) and patients undergoing treatment with a combination of the anticancer drugs cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil (CAF) (n=55), No treatment was given to the control group. The CAF group received CAF treatment at weeks 0, 3, and 6, then surgery at week 9 followed by CAF treatment at weeks 12, 15, and 18. A three-week drug-free interval was included between each cycle of drug treatment. Blood samples were collected from control subjects and from patients in the CAF group before administration of drugs at week zero to establish a baseline, again weeks 12 and 18, and once more at the end of the 26-week treatment. Blood samples collected from the control subjects and CAF patients were analysed to determine levels of the endogenous antioxidants, r-SOD, r-CAT, r-GPx, and FRAP. Results: Levels of r-SOD, r-CAT, r-GPx, and FRAP in CAF-treated patients at 12, 18, and 26 weeks were significantly decreased (P<0.001) in comparison to the baseline levels observed at week zero. Conclusion: The results from the present study show that a change in the enzyme antioxidant systems in patients after chemotherapy and mastectomy causes an overall decrease in antioxidant levels. Chemotherapeutic agents induce oxidative stress that damages many cellular targets.

The spleen is one of the organs most commonly affected by blunt abdominal trauma. Splenectomy is often indicated for high-grade post-traumatic injuries and in patients who are hemodynamically unstable, while non-operative management (NOM) is considered for the remaining cases. Patients who have undergone splenectomy are at an increased risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection, leading to a shift in the consensus toward managing splenic trauma with spleen-preserving NOM approaches, such as splenic artery embolization, when possible. Patients with grade IV and V splenic injuries who are hemodynamically stable and do not have an active bleed are often candidates for prophylactic angioembolization. This intervention reduces the risk of re-bleeding, preserves splenic function, and decreases the likelihood of requiring a splenectomy. However, not all facilities have access to interventional radiology (IR). Through this case report, we emphasize the importance of using the period of conservative management to either consult with an IR specialist or transfer the patient to a center equipped with IR, given the high risk of re-bleeding or delayed rupture of the spleen. An additional unusual finding in our case was a re-bleed occurring beyond the typical interval for NOM as reported in most literature.

The spleen is one of the organs most commonly affected by blunt abdominal trauma. Splenectomy is often indicated for high-grade post-traumatic injuries and in patients who are hemodynamically unstable, while non-operative management (NOM) is considered for the remaining cases. Patients who have undergone splenectomy are at an increased risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection, leading to a shift in the consensus toward managing splenic trauma with spleen-preserving NOM approaches, such as splenic artery embolization, when possible. Patients with grade IV and V splenic injuries who are hemodynamically stable and do not have an active bleed are often candidates for prophylactic angioembolization. This intervention reduces the risk of re-bleeding, preserves splenic function, and decreases the likelihood of requiring a splenectomy. However, not all facilities have access to interventional radiology (IR). Through this case report, we emphasize the importance of using the period of conservative management to either consult with an IR specialist or transfer the patient to a center equipped with IR, given the high risk of re-bleeding or delayed rupture of the spleen. An additional unusual finding in our case was a re-bleed occurring beyond the typical interval for NOM as reported in most literature.

The spleen is one of the organs most commonly affected by blunt abdominal trauma. Splenectomy is often indicated for high-grade post-traumatic injuries and in patients who are hemodynamically unstable, while non-operative management (NOM) is considered for the remaining cases. Patients who have undergone splenectomy are at an increased risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection, leading to a shift in the consensus toward managing splenic trauma with spleen-preserving NOM approaches, such as splenic artery embolization, when possible. Patients with grade IV and V splenic injuries who are hemodynamically stable and do not have an active bleed are often candidates for prophylactic angioembolization. This intervention reduces the risk of re-bleeding, preserves splenic function, and decreases the likelihood of requiring a splenectomy. However, not all facilities have access to interventional radiology (IR). Through this case report, we emphasize the importance of using the period of conservative management to either consult with an IR specialist or transfer the patient to a center equipped with IR, given the high risk of re-bleeding or delayed rupture of the spleen. An additional unusual finding in our case was a re-bleed occurring beyond the typical interval for NOM as reported in most literature.