ABSTRACT
Aim: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a highly heterogenous hemopathy. Genetic stratification of CLL patients has important prognostic and therapeutic values - mainly immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene (IGHV) mutational status and the presence of cytogenetic abnormalities. The genetics of CLL in Lebanon is scarcely described in the literature. Patients & methods: In this work, we studied the genetic biomarkers of 312 Lebanese CLL patients. Results: Prominent IGHV genes were IGHV4-34, IGHV1-69 and IGHV3-30; and CLL #1 and #5 presented major subsets. Some similarities as well as major differences were highlighted when comparing our data with previously published data. Conclusion: The distribution of IGHV alleles in our series differed from previously described distributions, suggesting involvement of antigenic selection and regional variables in CLL pathogenesis.
Subject(s)
Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell , Humans , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/diagnosis , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/epidemiology , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics , Retrospective Studies , Genetic Markers , Genes, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain/genetics , Lebanon/epidemiology , Immunoglobulin Variable Region/genetics , Prognosis , MutationABSTRACT
Aims: This paper reports the results of a survey assessing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among patients with cancer. Patients and methods: In total, 111 adult patients with cancer from a single institution were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to assess their knowledge about the vaccine, their readiness to be vaccinated and the determinants of their decision. Results: 61.3% of the patients considered themselves more vulnerable to COVID-19 than the general population. Television, radio and newspapers were the major sources of information about the vaccine. A total of 55% of the patients were ready to be vaccinated and 14.4% refused the vaccine. The main reason for refusal was incompatibility with patients' disease or treatment. Conclusion: Most of the patients in this institutional sample accepted the COVID-19 vaccine. Better communication of information with patients is needed to decrease vaccine hesitancy.
Lay abstract Major cancer societies consider vaccinating patients with cancer against COVID-19 a priority. The investigators conducted a survey assessing perceptions of the vaccine among patients with cancer. A total of 111 patients were asked to complete a questionnaire evaluating their knowledge about the vaccine, their readiness to be vaccinated and the determinants of their decision. Most (61.3%) patients considered themselves more susceptible to COVID-19 than the general population. Television, radio and newspapers were the major sources of information about the vaccine. The majority of patients (55%) were ready to be vaccinated and 14.4% refused the vaccine. The main reason for refusal was incompatibility with patients' disease or treatment. Better communication with patients is needed to decrease vaccine hesitancy.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines , Neoplasms/psychology , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19/psychology , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Hospitals, University , Humans , Lebanon/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Vaccination/psychology , Vaccination Refusal/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic forced physicians to quickly adapt and find ways to provide their usual offline services by using online tools. We aimed to understand how physicians adapted to the sudden need for telehealth and if their perception of telehealth changed due to their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study. We interviewed five Lebanese physicians and thematically analyzed the interviews. We developed a questionnaire based on the analysis results and administered it online to physicians in Lebanon. In total, 140 responses were collected. We found that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians engaged in more telehealth activities in the realms of telemedicine, public awareness, continuing medical education, research, administration, and teaching. They also expanded their repertoire of information-technology tools. Our results also show that there was a significant shift in the physicians' perceptions, indicating greater openness and willingness to adopt telehealth services. However, a significant amount of skepticism and uncertainty regarding telemedicine remains, especially concerning its efficiency, safety, and the adequacy of existing regulations. Based on our findings, we offer recommendations for health IT policy makers, developers, and researchers, to sustain the continuity of telehealth activities beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections , Pandemics , Physicians/psychology , Pneumonia, Viral , Telemedicine/statistics & numerical data , Attitude of Health Personnel , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Education, Medical, Continuing , Humans , Lebanon , SARS-CoV-2 , Surveys and Questionnaires , Telemedicine/methodsABSTRACT
In chronic myelogenous leukemia, chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia-negative cells are rare and usually transient, but can infrequently lead to myelodysplastic syndrome and/or acute myeloid leukemia. We report an 82-ear-old patient with an 11-year history of chronic myelogenous leukemia, in complete cytogenetic response, who developed Philadelphia-negative t(15;17)/PMLRARA acute promyelocytic leukemia. This isolated case reaffirms several important clinicopathologic and biologic aspects of chronic myelogenous leukemia, and sheds a unique light on its Philadelphia-negative hematopoiesis. It also underlines the importance of continued cytogenetic monitoring of patients in complete cytogenetic response for the emergence of new chromosomal abnormalities.