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Acts of violence against health care professionals (especially doctors) as well as facilities are a growing global problem. In our country, it has taken an unfortunate dramatic turn of the involvement of a mob—a ragtag group of persons who organize and perpetrate the crime based on community, caste, religion, or political affiliations. This crucial factor is the fundamental difference in what we face as compared with the so-called Yi Nao phenomenon of China. In India, the mob gathers and indulges in acts of violence, intimidation, and blackmail at the behest of its “leader,” often having no direct relationship with the deceased patient. It is premeditated and systematic vandalism. Often it is also associated with financial gain to the perpetrators through extortion and blackmail, adding to the woes of the health care professionals and hospital facility. We discuss what is the primary goal and what is a byproduct in this cycles of violence against the people who are doing their best to save the lives of patients. Unless the governments and the courts take this matter seriously as well as follow-up with corrective measures, the future looks bleak for all stakeholders.

Whether to recommend mastectomy in metastatic disease or not has been a matter of debate. Is local therapy, such as mastectomy, of any benefit in advanced breast cancer is the main question. This expert group used data from published literature, practical experience and opinion of a large group of academic oncologists to arrive at these practical consensus recommendations for the benefit of community oncologists.

We present the 2017 Oncology Gold Standard Practical Consensus Recommendation for use of monoclonal antibodies in the management of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head neck region.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) associated head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC) have become increasingly common in the West, but the same cannot be said about India. These cancers have a different biology and confer a better prognosis, however, its current role in the management of patients in India is not clearly defined. At the 35th Indian Cooperative Oncology Network conference held in September 2016, a panel of radiation, surgical and medical oncologists, pathologists, and basic scientists from across the country having experience in clinical research with respect to HPV in HNSCC reviewed the available literature from India. All the ideas and facts were thereafter collated in this report. Various topics of controversy in dealing with the diagnosis and management of HPV-associated HNSCC have been highlighted in this report in context to the Indian scenario. Furthermore, the prevalence of the same and its association with tobacco and high-risk sexual behavior has been touched on. Conclusively, a set of recommendations has been proposed by the panel to guide the practicing oncologists of the country while dealing with HPV-associated HNSCC.

Maintaining appropriate dose intensity is important not only in the curative setting but also in treatment with palliative intent. We evaluated the outcome of advanced non small cell lung cancer treated with doublet platinum based chemotherapy. Outcome was compared between patients treated by medical oncologists at a tertiary cancer center and those treated by non medical oncologists in the community. The dose intensity, overall response rate and overall survival was significantly better when patients were treated by trained qualified and experienced medical oncologists. Hence, even in the palliative setting, cancer directed systemic therapy will yield maximum benefit for the patients when treated by medical oncologists.