chennai how do some cancer patients manage to get better after treatment while a few others deteriorate should a patient with oesophageal cancer be given chemotherapy ahead of surgery is petct a better diagnostic tool when compared to dota scanwhen practising senior surgical gastroenterologists posed these questions to undergraduate medical students nearly six months ago many came up with research projectsa week from now at least 80 research papers including six pathbreaking research by prefinal and final year medical students will be presented at an international conference organised by eso india at sri ramachandra universitythis is probably the first time we are getting so many undergraduate students to not just do research but also present them at an international conference before renowed scientists and surgeons we are hoping it will encourage more students to research said professor and general surgeon dr k balaji singhthese studies may not immediately change the way patients are being treated but they have the scope of sparking more research that will help us improve outcomes said senior surgical gastroenterologist dr s m chandramohan who is also the president of eso india the survival rate for stomach and food pipe cancer is 10 more research will help us find better solutions that can push up survival rates he saidfor instance after screening nearly 50 patients with oesophageal cancer and an equal number of patients with gastric cancer prefinal medical students found that metabolic activity and glycolysis a process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and release energy can give vital information about the treatmentas of now we just use petct to give us information about virulent tumours adding this to the imaging information will give us more insight into who will respond to treatment we will be able to modify treatment said eso india secretary dr m kanagavelthe international conference on oesophagus and stomach to be held between june 15 and 17 aims to bring out the best from everybody doing upper gastroenterological work in urban semiurban or rural areas in private or public sector experts from at least nine countries will offer handson training to postgraduates and doctors in advanced surgeries on cadaversthe aim is to offer the best care for patients with gastric cancers corrosive injuries and strictures to the upper digestive tract