Virtual Management of Patients With Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Web-Based Questionnaire Study.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, patients with cancer in rural settings and distant geographical areas will be affected the most by curfews. Virtual management (telemedicine) has been shown to reduce health costs and improve access to care. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this survey is to understand oncologists' awareness of and views on virtual management, challenges, and preferences, as well as their priorities regarding the prescribing of anticancer treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We created a self-administrated electronic survey about the virtual management of patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated its clinical sensibility and pilot tested the instrument. We surveyed practicing oncologists in Gulf and Arab countries using snowball sampling via emails and social media networks. Reminders were sent 1 and 2 weeks later using SurveyMonkey. RESULTS: We received 222 responses from validated oncologists from April 2-22, 2020. An awareness of virtual clinics, virtual multidisciplinary teams, and virtual prescriptions was reported by 182 (82%), 175 (79%), and 166 (75%) respondents, respectively. Reported challenges associated with virtual management were the lack of physical exam (n=134, 60%), patients' awareness and access (n=131, 59%), the lack of physical attendance of patients (n=93, 42%), information technology (IT) support (n=82, 37%), and the safety of virtual management (n=78, 35%). Overall, 111 (50%) and 107 (48%) oncologists did not prefer the virtual prescription of chemotherapy and novel immunotherapy, respectively. However, 188 (85%), 165 (74%), and 127 (57%) oncologists preferred the virtual prescription of hormonal therapy, bone modifying agents, and targeted therapy, respectively. In total, 184 (83%), 183 (83%), and 176 (80%) oncologists preferred to continue neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative treatments, respectively. Overall, 118 (53%) respondents preferred to continue first-line palliative treatment, in contrast to 68 (30%) and 47 (21%) respondents indicating a preference to interrupt second- and third-line palliative treatment, respectively. For administration of virtual prescriptions, all respondents preferred the oral route and 118 (53%) preferred the subcutaneous route. In contrast, 193 (87%) did not prefer the intravenous route for virtual prescriptions. Overall, 102 (46%) oncologists responded that they would "definitely" prefer to manage patients with cancer virtually. CONCLUSIONS: Oncologists have a high level of awareness of virtual management. Although their survey responses indicated that second- and third-line palliative treatments should be interrupted, they stated that neoadjuvant, adjuvant, perioperative, and first-line palliative treatments should continue. Our results confirm that oncologists' views on the priority of anticancer treatments are consistent with the evolving literature during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges to virtual management should be addressed to improve the care of patients with cancer.

Qatar biomedical and cancer publications in PubMed between 2000 and 2012.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to analyse the past trends of biomedical and cancer publications from Qatar listed on PubMed for the years 2000-2012. These findings were then compared with the corresponding global number of publications. METHODS: PubMed was searched for cancer publications, clinical trials, publications on humans or other species. Searching for "Qatar*" in the "Affiliation" field yielded the lowest number of publications; searching for "Qatar*" in the "Affiliation" or in "Title/Abstract" yielded a moderate number of results and searching for "Qatar*" in the "Affiliation" or "Title/Abstract" or "Text Word" fields yielded the highest number of publications. The annual percentage change (APC) from one year to the next was calculated for the population and each type of publication. Information on the population of Qatar was gathered from the website of Qatar Statistics Authority to determine the correlation of papers published per 1000 population. RESULTS: The number of publications retrieved from PubMed was not particularly different for each variation of search carried out. However, the most representative number of publications was retrieved upon searching for "Qatar*" in the "Affiliation" or in "Title/Abstract" fields. Between the years 2000 and 2012, the total number of biomedical publications from Qatar increased 24 times with an average APC of 33.4%, which was found to be more than the APC of the population in Qatar which averaged at 9%. The number of biomedical publications per 1000 population increased from 0.02 in 2000 to 0.15% in 2012. Most publications retrieved were humans studies and occasionally were for other animal species. Cancer publications in Qatar represented 16.9% of the total publications and the number of cancer publications per 1000 population increased from 0% in 2000 to 0.02% in 2012. Publications classified as clinical trials represented 4.6% of Qatar biomedical publications. Publication of cancer clinical trials were very rare (0.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the obvious increase in Qatar biomedical and cancer publications in PubMed, the absolute numbers were relatively small. While strategies are in place, leaders of Qatar biomedical research need to consider increasing cancer research and clinical trials to meet the country's needs. Linking research output to researchers, research facilities and research funding is needed.

Clinical relevance of cyclooxygenase-2 and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MT1-MMP) in human breast cancer tissue.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm among women in most developed countries, including Egypt. Elevated levels of certain proteins in human BC are associated with unfavorable prognosis and progressive stages of the disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate the protein expression profile and prognostic significance of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9 and membrane type 1-MMP (MT1-MMP) and their interaction in operable BC patients. The protein expression of COX-2, MMP-2 and MT1-MMP were evaluated by western blot technique, whereas enzymatic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was determined by zymography in 47 breast cancer patients as well as normal adjacent tissues. Also, the correlation between these proteins and age, tumor size, LN stage, TNM stage, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, disease-free survival, and overall survival (OS) has been investigated. As compared to adjacent normal tissues, COX-2, MMP-2 and MT1-MMP were over-expressed in 43, 64, and 60 % of tumor tissues, respectively. In the same pattern, the activity of MMP-2 (62 %) and MMP-9 (45 %) was elevated in BC tissues. Multivariate analysis showed a positive correlation between the protein expression of COX-2, MMP-2, and MT1-MMP and the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in BC patients. However, the enzymatic activity showed no correlation with clinicopathological features. This study confirms the preclinical evidence that COX-2 increased the expression of MT1-MMP, which in turn activates MMP-2. The lack of correlation with clinicopathological features, OS or disease-free survival ascertains the complexity of tumor progression and metastasis with many pro- and counter regulatory factors.

Primary Synovial Sarcoma in the Gastric Fundus: A Case Report.

We report an unusual case of primary gastric synovial sarcoma in a young woman who presented with chronic abdominal pain. Esophagealgastricendoscopy showed a gastric fundus mass measuring 2 cm × 3 cm. Biopsy confirmed a primary synovial sarcoma. Staging work-up was negative for metastasis. The patient underwent surgery, and the histopathology results did not suggest the need for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Retroperitoneal Lipoblastoma With Cord Compression in an Adult Patient: A Case Report.

Lipoblastoma is an extremely rare disease and mostly affects the infant to pediatric age group. Primarily, it involves the extremities, head and neck region, and rarely, the retroperitoneal region. Retroperitoneal lipoblastoma mainly presents with either abdominal pain or distension. We report a case of a 24-year-old male who presented with acute cord compression and underwent decompression and fixation with biopsy. Histopathology established the presence of lipoblastoma. Further staging workup showed no metastasis. Immunostaining and cytogenetics were positive for CD34 and negative for desmin, DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), mouse double minute 2 (MDM2)(12q15), and pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1). The patient underwent resection of the retroperitoneal mass with intraoperative radiation therapy to the tumor bed. The histopathology identified the mass as retroperitoneal lipoblastoma. The postoperative course was uneventful and CT images showed no recurrence or metastasis. This was a unique case of retroperitoneal lipoblastoma in an adult with a unique clinical presentation.

Suggested Modifications to the Management of Patients With Breast Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Web-Based Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Management of patients with cancer in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant challenge to health care systems. Breast cancer is the most common cancer internationally. Breast cancer is a disease that involves surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and, more recently, immunotherapy in its management plan. The immune system requires months to recover from these medications, and this condition is even worse in patients with metastatic breast cancer who need ongoing treatment with these drugs. Some of these drugs, such as inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, can cause rare but life-threating lung inflammation. Patients with breast cancer who have metastatic disease to the lungs can experience deterioration of disease symptoms with COVID-19 infection. Oncologists treating patients with breast cancer are facing a difficult situation regarding treatment choice. The impact that COVID-19 has had on breast cancer care is unknown, including how to provide the best care possible without compromising patient and community safety. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the views of oncologists regarding the management of patients with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A web-based SurveyMonkey questionnaire was submitted to licensed oncologists involved in breast cancer management in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates. The survey focused on characteristics of the participants, infection risk among patients with cancer, and possible treatment modifications related to different types of breast cancer. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 82 participants. For early hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer, 61 of the 82 participants (74%) supported using neoadjuvant hormonal therapy in selected patients, and 58% (48/82) preferred giving 6 over 8 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy when indicated. Only 43% (35/82) preferred inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 with hormonal therapy as the first-line treatment in all patients with metastatic HR-positive disease. A total of 55 of the 82 participants (67%) supported using adjuvant trastuzumab for 6 instead of 12 months in selected patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. For metastatic HER2-positive, HR-positive breast cancer, 80% of participants (66/82) supported the use of hormonal therapy with dual anti-HER2 blockade in selected patients. The preferred choice of first-line treatment in metastatic triple negative patients with BRCA mutation and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) <1% was poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor according to 41% (34/82) of the participants, and atezolizumab with nab-paclitaxel was preferred for PD-L1 >1% according to 71% (58/82) of the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Several modifications in breast cancer management were supported by the survey participants. These modifications need to be discussed on a local basis, taking into account the local infrastructure and available resources.

AML in Saudi Arabia: Analysis According to the European LeukaemiaNet 2017 Cytogenetic Classification.

INTRODUCTION: To the best of our knowledge, few studies have addressed the prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Saudi Arabia. The present study retrospectively analyzed the prognostic factors in patients with de novo AML at a single institution owing to the observation of some differences with the reported data from the Western world. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with de novo AML who had been referred to King Abdulla Medical City were included. All patients had undergone bone marrow aspiration, biopsy, flow cytometry, cytogenetics (conventional and fluorescence in situ hybridization panel performed at Mayo Clinic), molecular tests, and other routine tests. RESULTS: The data from 170 patients were reviewed. Of the 170 patients, 26 had had acute promyelocytic leukemia, 16 with AML had received less intensive therapy, 119 had received intensive induction, and 8 had refused treatment. The present analysis was limited to the 119 patients who had received intensive induction therapy. For the major cytogenetic categories, 17 of 27 patients with core binding factor leukemia (62.9%) were reassigned to the intermediate (n = 10; 37%) or unfavorable (n = 7; 25.9%) risk group according to the FLT3-ITD and NPM results. Of the 50 cases of normal cytogenetic findings, 2 (4%) were considered unfavorable, 12 (24%), favorable, 30 intermediate (60%), and 6 (12%) unknown. The median leukemia-free survival was 21.5 months. The median overall survival was 16.4 ± 2.2 months, with a 3-year survival rate of 37.2%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the cytogenetics results (P = .002) and the presence of FLT-3 (P = .03) were independent prognostic factors for relapse-free survival. Performance status, response, relapse, and cytogenetics findings were independent prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present study revealed some differences in patient age and cytogenetic risk groups for patients with AML in our region and those in the Western world, including a younger median age, relevance of core binding factor leukemia, and a greater incidence of monosomies.

Optimizing the Communication with Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Patient Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: During curfew, patients are self-isolated at home and worried. Patient-doctor interactions may be disrupted and therefore need to be replaced by alternative effective communication methods. PURPOSE: To describe the preferences of cancer patients with respect to communication methods and the use of patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs). To record the impact on cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and the knowledge and attitude of the patients towards it. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We created a self-administered electronic survey that was piloted and evaluated for its clinical relevance. Using convenient sampling methods, we surveyed the cancer patients in our Oncology Center. RESULTS: We received 385 responses between April 15 and April 30, 2020. The preferred method for communication was a phone call with a 92% response rate followed by the electronic patient portal, mobile application, telemedicine and text message in 75%, 76%, 73%, and 72%, respectively. The majority (97%) preferred the use of PAEHRs for appointments, 95% for drug delivery and to view laboratory tests, and 92% in requesting medical reports. In our survey, 22% of patients with cancer reported that their medical cancer care had not been affected by COVID-19. They reported that trusted sources of information during COVID-19 included the Ministry of Health with 98% and doctors with 94%. Sixty-one percent know that they are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and 91% of respondents supported the notion of digital transformation in the caring of cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed a general acceptance of patients to telecommunication as substitute to in-person interaction with their physicians. Interaction between cancer patients and health care providers should not be disrupted but should be augmented with more effective platforms to improve health care outcomes.

Association between MDR1 polymorphisms and XELIRI and XELOX chemoresistance in Saudi patients with colorectal cancer.

Multidrug resistance member 1 (MDR1) is located on chromosome 7 and encodes P-glycoprotein, which is universally accepted as a drug resistance biomarker. MDR1 polymorphisms can alter protein expression or function, which has been previously reported to associate with various types of malignancies, such as colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effects of MDR1 polymorphisms on drug responses of Saudi patients with CRC. DNA samples were obtained from 62 patients with CRC and 100 healthy controls. Genotypes and allele frequencies of MDR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) G2677T and T1236C were determined using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism procedure. The results showed no significant differences in the genotype distribution and allele frequency of T1236C between patients with CRC and controls. However, G2677T was found to serve a highly significant role in protecting against the progression of CRC. In addition, none of the genotypes in SNPs T1236C and G2677T was found to affect chemoresistance to XELIRI and XELOX. In conclusion, although T1236C in the MDR1 gene is not associated with CRC risk, G2677T protects against the development of CRC. Neither of the MDR1 SNPs tested were associated with the risk of chemoresistance. Therefore, these two SNPs cannot be used as molecular markers for predicting drug response in patients with CRC.

Circulating miR-26a, miR-106b, miR-107 and miR-133b stratify hepatocellular carcinoma patients according to their response to transarterial chemoembolization.

BACKGROUND: A number of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have developed resistance against transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. In this study, we aimed to develop a panel of microRNAs (miRs) biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes in HCC patients after TACE treatment. METHODS: The expression level of twenty miRs was evaluated in FFPE tissues collected from 33 HCC patients. We selected four differentially expressed miRs in TACE-responders versus non-responders and re-assessed their expression in 51 serum samples. The expressions of miRs associated with overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment outcomes were investigated. The diagnostic accuracy of these miRs in predicting patients' response to TACE was also evaluated. RESULTS: The baseline of miR-106b, miR-107 and miR-133b was significantly elevated (p < .001) in sera of TACE-responders while miR-26a was elevated (p < .001) in non-responders. miR-26a and miR-133b recorded the highest diagnostic performance as individual classifiers in response to TACE (AUC = 1.0 and 100% sensitivity and specificity). Intriguingly, miR-133b distinguished complete responders from partial responders and non-responders (AUC ≥ 0.90). The PFS was improved (p < .05) in the high expression group of miR-31, miR-200b, miR-133b and miR-181a over their low expression group. CONCLUSION: Circulating miR-133b, miR-26a, miR-107 and miR-106 in serum are potential candidates to be utilized as prognostic biomarkers for predication of TACE treatment outcomes in HCC patients.

The present and the future of breast cancer burden in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Despite the low cancer incidence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the country must be ready to face the challenge of foreseeable increase in cancer burden attributed to growth and aging of population. This work was designed to study female breast cancer as a model to assess future cancer burden and the impact on healthcare resources. METHODS: Cancer statistics for the KSA were compared with that for the USA. The Joinpoint regression program was used to identify changes in secular trends, while the GLOBOCAN 2002 software projected future incidence and mortality. RESULTS: In the KSA, the age-standardized cancer rate (ASR) is 61 per 100,000 population, while the median age at diagnosis is 54 and 49 years for men and women, respectively. Fitting the ASR for breast cancer did not show any significant trend over a 10-year calendar period (16.2-18.2 per 100,000), a pattern that was similar to that for the USA in the prescreening mammography era. Considering the growth and aging of population and using conservative estimates for the annual percent change in incidence (increase) and mortality (decrease) by 2025, incidence and mortality cases are expected to increase by about 350% and 160%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In developing countries, future cancer rates could demonstrate a considerable increase and enormous demands on healthcare resources. The present work may provide an impetus to study other prevalent cancer types particularly in developing countries.

First-line paclitaxel and cisplatin used sequentially or in combination in metastatic breast cancer: A phase II randomized study.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer (BC) is the commonest cancer among females worldwide. Some patients present initially at advanced stages and more than 50% of them will develop metastasis (MBC) at some point. Compared to single agents, combination chemotherapy produces higher response rates (RR), longer progression-free survival (PFS) than single agents. This is associated with remarkably higher toxicities. At the same time, overall survival (OS) is comparable. This study aimed to compare safety and efficacy of combination and sequential chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-six MBC patients were randomized to receive 6 cycles of the combination of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and cisplatin (70 mg/m2) (combination PC) or paclitaxel for 3 cycles followed by cisplatin for 3 cycles (sequential PC). Endpoints were RR, PFS, OS and safety. RESULTS: Both combination and sequential PC produced similar RR (52% in both arms) and disease control rates (78.3% vs. 73.9%, p = .652). Responses were faster in the combination arm. Median PFS was 8.2 months in the combination compared to 5.0 months in the sequential arm (p = .064). The median OS was 16.5 and 18.8 months in the combination and sequential arms, respectively (p = .866). The combination was more toxic than sequential PC. Grade 3 toxicities were higher with combination PC than to sequential PC (48% vs. 4.3%; p < .001). CONCLUSION: Sequential agent chemotherapy may provide similar response rate and overall survival to combination chemotherapy with much lower toxicities. The former can be considered the standard practice in most instances.

Anorectal Cancer with Bone Marrow and Leptomeningeal Metastases.

This is an interesting case of anorectal signet ring carcinoma with first presentation of an early stage disease, showing the aggressive disease and the undetectable behavior of this type of histology which can mislead diagnosis. Brain/CNS metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC) is rare occurring in 3% of cases, and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) is extremely rare in CRC (<0.02%). Symptoms and signs of LMC are pleomorphic and may be localized to three compartments: cerebral hemispheres, cranial nerves, and spinal cords and roots. Treatment of metastatic rectal cancer has been improving over the last few years with a lot of changes toward longer survival and improvement in quality of life and to change the disease into a chronic condition. However, in our case, the overall survival from the onset of LMC was 3 weeks only. Revising the evidence in the treatment of signet ring histology of rectal cancer, there is no specific treatment recommendation that is for this histology and for such very aggressive behavior which could be considered as a separate entity to the classic adenocarcinoma histology.

Safety and efficacy of cetuximab-chemotherapy combination in Saudi patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cetuximab-based combination chemotherapy (CBCC) proved safe and effective as second-line strategy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This prospective phase-II study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of CBCC as first-, second- or third-line among Saudi patients with mCRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with mCRC were offered CBCC to assess time-to-disease progression (TTP), response rate and duration, overall survival (OS) and safety. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were eligible and their median age was 51 years. Seven patients received CBCC as first-line and 12 as second- or third-line. Responses: 11 (58%) partial responses, 5 (26%) stable disease and 3 (16%) disease progressions. The median response duration was 4.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4-5.2 months]. The median TTP was 6.8 months (95% CI: 2-13.9 months) for all 19 patients compared to 9.3 months (95% CI: 3.9-14.6 months) for the seven patients who received CBCC as first-line. The median OS for the entire population was 12.3 months (95% CI could not be determined). On the other hand, while the median OS for those who received CBCC as first-line have not been reached, the median OS for those who received CBCC after failure of other salvage therapies was 12.3 months (95% CI: 3.2-21.4 months). CBCC was generally tolerable. One patient had a severe hypersensitivity reaction and another fatal cardiac arrest. CONCLUSION: CBCC is active with an acceptable safety profile. Until results from phase-III clinical trials are available, using CBCC as first-line is probably justified.

The Dana Farber consortium protocol (DFCP) vs. classic Hyper-CVAD for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in patients <50 Y. Single institution experience.

BACKGROUND: The use of intensive pediatric protocols for the treatment of ALL is being extended to older adults. AIM OF THE STUDY: Analysis of the efficacy and toxicity results of pediatric DFCP vs. classic Hyper-CVAD protocol for the treatment of patients with ALL < 50 Y. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective single center comparative analysis of DFCP & classic Hyper-CVAD for first line treatment of patients with ALL < 50 Y. RESULTS: 73 patients were included, 43 received DFCP and 30 received Hyper-CVAD protocol. CR rate was 90.7% for DFCP vs. 83.7 for Hyper-CVAD (p 0.7). 3 Y Leukemia free survival was 57.4% (70.9% for DFCP vs. 41.6% Hyper-CVAD P 0.1) while 3Y OS was 62.6%% for the whole group, 72.6% DFCP vs. 48.5% Hyper-CVAD, P 0.04. Those with age <21 Y, had significantly longer 3 Y LFS and OS (P 0.04, 0.02, respectively). TOXICITY: pancreatitis occurred in 5 patients with DFCP and it was related to Asparginase and in 1 patient on Hyper-CVAD related to gall stones. Osteonecrosis affected 5 patients on DFCP. IN CONCLUSION: pediatric protocols are feasible in patients younger than 50 Y and they are more active than classic adult protocols. Although modifications of adult protocols may improve their results, this had to be investigated in randomized controlled trials.

The Egyptian clinical trials' registry profile: Analysis of three trial registries (International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry and clinicaltrials.gov).

Registering clinical trials (CTs) in public domains enhances transparency, increases trust in research, improves participation and safeguards against publication bias. This work was done to study the profile of clinical research in Egypt in three CT registries with different scopes: the WHO International CT Registry Platform (ICTRP), the continental Pan-African CT Registry (PACTR) and the US clinicaltrials.gov (CTGR). In March 2014, ICTRP, PACTR and CTGR were searched for clinical studies conducted in Egypt. It was found that the number of studies conducted in Egypt (percentage) was 686 (0.30%) in ICTRP, 56 (11.3%) in PACTR and 548 (0.34%) in CTGR. Most studies were performed in universities and sponsored by university/organization, industry or individual researchers. Inclusion of adults from both genders predominated. The median number of participants per study in the three registries ranged between 63 and 155. The conditions researched differed among the three registries and study purpose was mostly treatment followed by prevention. Endpoints were mostly efficacy followed by safety. Observational:Interventional studies (i.e. clinical trials) represented 15.5%:84.5% in ICTRP, 0%:100% in PACTR and 16.4%:83.6% in CTGR. Most interventions were drugs or procedures. Observational studies were mostly prospective and cohort studies. Most CTs were phase 3 and tested drugs or procedures. Parallel group assignment and random allocation predominated. Blinding was implemented in many of trials and was mostly double-blind. We conclude that CTs from Egypt in trial registries are apparently low and do not accurately reflect clinical research conducted in Egypt or its potential. Development of an Egyptian CT registry is eagerly needed. Registering all Egyptian CTs in public domains is highly recommended.

Treatment Outcomes of Epithelial Ovarian Cancers Following Maximum Cytoreduction and Adjuvant Paclitaxel-Carboplatin Chemotherapy: Egyptian NCI Experience.

BACKGROUND: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the commonest malignancy involving the ovaries. Maximum surgical cytoreduction (MCR) followed by adjuvant taxane-platinum chemotherapy are the standard of care treatments. AIMS: To study treatment outcomes of EOC patients that were maximally cyto-reduced and received adjuvant paclitaxel-carboplatin (PC) chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 174 patients with EOC treated at the Egyptian National Cancer Institute between 2006 and 2010. For inclusion, they should have had undergone MCR with no-gross residual followed by adjuvant PC chemotherapy. MCR was total abdominal hysterectomy/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy [TAH/BSO] or unilateral salpingo- oophorectomy [USO] plus comprehensive staging. RESULTS: The median age was 50 years. Most patients were married (97.1%), had offspring (92.5%), were postmenopausal (53.4%), presented with abdominal/pelvic pain and swelling (93.7%), had tumors involving both ovaries (45.4%) without extra-ovarian extension i.e. stage I (55.2%) of serous histology (79.9%) and grade II (87.4%). TAH/BSO was performed in 97.7% of cases. A total of 1,014 PC chemotherapy cycles were administered and were generally tolerable with 93.7% completing 6 cycles. Alopecia and numbness were the commonest adverse events. The median follow up period was 42 months. The 2-year rates for disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 70.7% and 94.8%, respectively. The respective 5-year rates were 52.6% and 81.3%. Advanced stage and high-grade were significantly associated with poor DFS and OS (p<0.001). Age >65 years was associated with poor OS (p =0.008). Using Cox-regression, stage was independent predictor of poor DFS and OS. Age was an independent predictor of poor OS.

Untreated hepatocellular carcinoma in Egypt: outcome and prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer worldwide as well as in Egypt with hepatitis C and B, alcohol and aflatoxins being the commonest risk factors. AIM: The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) of untreated HCC in Egypt. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at Tanta Cancer Center, Egypt where 288 HCC cases who received no specific therapy and were followed-up until death were identified. The impact of possible prognostic factors on OS was assessed using the log-rank test (univariate analyses) and Cox regression method (multivariate analysis). RESULTS: The median OS of untreated HCC was 2.3 months (95% confidence interval: 1.9-2.6). The 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 months OS rates were 84%, 42%, 21%, 9%, and 3%, respectively. All cases had died by 46 months. Male sex, advanced Child-Pugh class, the clinical presentation of ascites, cough, fatigue, and the presence of metastases were associated with poor survival (P<0.05 for all). In multivariate analysis; cough, presence of ascites, and Child-Pugh class were independent predictors of poor survival. CONCLUSION: OS in untreated HCC in Egypt is very short. Many factors interact to produce this dismal survival.

Protumorigenic role of Timeless in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The mammalian timeless (TIM) protein interacts with proteins of the endogenous clock and essentially contributes to the circadian rhythm. In addition, TIM is involved in maintenance of chromosome integrity, growth control and development. Thus, we hypothesized that TIM may exert a potential protumorigenic function in human hepatocarcinogenesis. TIM was overexpressed in a subset of human HCCs both at the mRNA and the protein level. siRNA-mediated knockdown of TIM reduced cell viability due to the induction of apoptosis and G2 arrest. The latter was mediated via CHEK2 phosphorylation. In addition, siRNA-treated cells showed a significantly reduced migratory capacity and reduced expression levels of various proteins. Mechanistically, TIM directly interacts with the eukaryotic elongation factor 1A2 (EEF1A2), which binds to actin filaments to promote tumor cell migration. siRNA-mediated knockdown of TIM reduced EEF1A2 protein levels thereby affecting ribosomal protein biosynthesis. Thus, overexpression of TIM exerts oncogenic function in human HCCs, which is mediated via CHEK2 and EEF1A2.

Investigating the pretreatment miRNA expression patterns of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients in association with response to TACE treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using chemotherapy agents-doxorubicin and cisplatin-is an accepted treatment option for locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. In the current study, we analyzed the expression pattern of a selected panel of 94 miRNAs in archival samples that were collected prior to treatment from 15 Egyptian patients diagnosed with advanced hepatocelleular carcinoma. We observed an overall increase in miRNA expression in HCC samples compared with normal subjects. Out of 94 examined miRNAs, 53 were significantly upregulated while 3 miRNAs were downregulated in HCC samples compared to normal liver samples. Comparing the pretreatment miRNA expression profiles in HCC patients and the patients response to TACE treatment resulted in the identification of a set of 12 miRNAs that are significantly upregulated in nonresponders group. This miRNA panel includes miR-10a-1, miR-23a-1, miR-24, miR-26a, miR-27a, miR-30c, miR-30e, miR-106b, miR-133b, miR-199a, miR-199-3p, and miR-200b. Furthermore, we observed that a panel of 10 miRNAs was significantly associated with patients' survival status at 1 year. These results highlight the potential implications of pretreatment miRNAs expression profiling in prediction of the patients' response to TACE treatment in liver cancer.