Ovarian cancer in Lebanese women: a 12-year comparative epidemiological study and trend analysis.

Purpose: Over the last decade, Lebanon has experienced an increase in the rate of cancer patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence rates of ovarian cancer in Lebanese women over a period of 12 years and to compare them to other countries. Methods: Data were collected from the Lebanese National Cancer Registry for the time period 2005-2016 (inclusive). Data from other countries were retrieved from an online database 'Cancer Incidence in Five Continents'. The age-specific and age-standardised incidence rates (ASIR) were calculated and analysed using Joinpoint regression. Results: Ovarian cancer ranked seventh among the commonest cancers in Lebanese women in the studied time frame. Approximately 189 new cases were reported every year, with an average age-standardised incidence rate of 7.88 (per 100,000 women). Ovarian cancer showed a significantly decreasing trend in the 12 years of study. Lebanon had one of the highest ASIR for ovarian cancer among regional countries and randomly selected countries. Conclusion: Lebanon presented a high ASIR for ovarian cancer compared to regional countries, and was placed among the top ASIRs compared to countries worldwide. However, with the decreasing ovarian cancer trends, it is important to implement efficacious awareness in order to detect all OC cases.

Antibiotic Discovery and Resistance: The Chase and the Race.

The history of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) evolution and the diversity of the environmental resistome indicate that AMR is an ancient natural phenomenon. Acquired resistance is a public health concern influenced by the anthropogenic use of antibiotics, leading to the selection of resistant genes. Data show that AMR is spreading globally at different rates, outpacing all efforts to mitigate this crisis. The search for new antibiotic classes is one of the key strategies in the fight against AMR. Since the 1980s, newly marketed antibiotics were either modifications or improvements of known molecules. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the current pipeline as bleak, and warns about the scarcity of new leads. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the pre-clinical and clinical pipeline indicates that few antibiotics may reach the market in a few years, predominantly not those that fit the innovative requirements to tackle the challenging spread of AMR. Diversity and innovation are the mainstays to cope with the rapid evolution of AMR. The discovery and development of antibiotics must address resistance to old and novel antibiotics. Here, we review the history and challenges of antibiotics discovery and describe different innovative new leads mechanisms expected to replenish the pipeline, while maintaining a promising possibility to shift the chase and the race between the spread of AMR, preserving antibiotic effectiveness, and meeting innovative leads requirements.