Fascin expression in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma correlates with unfavourable prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Urinary bladder crothelial carcinoma (UCB) is the most common urinary bladder neoplasm. The present study aims at investigating immunostaining of fascin in UCB in relation to clinicopathologiccriteria in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This study utilised 122 UCB and 25 apparently normal urothelium archival pathologic samples prior to local or systemic therapy. Tissue microarrays were constructed and the generated TMA blocks were used for Immunohistochemical staining. The mouse anti-fascin monoclonal antibody was used. A 25% was used to specify low and high fascin immunostaining. RESULTS: Fascin immunostaining was detected in UCB and apparently normal urothelium. High immunostaining was statistically less frequent than low fascin immunostaining (P≤0.001). In UCB, high fascin immunostaining was associated with older patients (P=0.005) and local disease recurrence (P=0.002). High fascin immunostaining was an independent predictor of local disease recurrence (P=0.002) and associated with poor overall survival (P=0.027). CONCLUSION: High fascin immunostaining in UCB was associated with adverse prognostic factors and may be used as an independent prognostic marker. Fascin was detected in apparently normal urothelium and may contribute to UCB carcinogenesis. Further investigations (molecular and clinical) are required to understand the molecular interaction of fascin with UCB and its possible therapeutic applications.

Perception of patients with cancer towards support management services and use of complementary alternative medicine--a single institution hospital-based study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the perception of cancer patients toward treatment services and influencing factors and to inquire about the use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information was obtained through pre-tested structured questionnaires completed by cancer patients during treatment at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: Of 242 patients, 137 (64.6%) accepted to enter this study. Most were Saudi (n=93, 68%), female (n= 80, 58%), educated at university (n=71, 52%), married (n=97, 72%) and with breast cancer (n=36, 26%). One-hundred (73%) patients were satisfied with the services provided; 61% were Saudi. Ninety-four (68%) respondents were satisfied with the explanation of their cancer. Twenty-eight (21.6%) patients received CAM, of them 54.0% received herbal followed by rakia (21.0%), nutritional supplements/vitamins (7.0%) and Zamam water (18.0%), with significant differences among them (p =0.004). Seven (5%) patients believed this therapy could be used alone; 34 (25%) patients believed it could be used with other treatments, regardless of whether they themselves used this therapy. Fifty-three (53%) satisfied patients felt they received enough support; 31 (58%) patients received support from family and friends; 22 (41.6%) patients received support from the health-care team. Patients who received information about their disease from their physicians and those who felt they had enough support were more satisfied. The patients who took alternative treatment were older age, mostly female and highly educated but values did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: We stress enhancing the educational and supportive aspects of cancer-patient services to improve their treatment satisfaction and emphasize the need for increasing the educational and awareness programs offered to these patients.

Knowledge, perception, and attitudes about cancer and its treatment among healthy relatives of cancer patients: single institution hospital-based study in Saudi Arabia.

This study was conducted to assess knowledge, perception, and attitudes regarding cancer and treatment among healthy relatives of cancer patients who attended an outpatient cancer clinic with their relatives who suffer from cancers. The participants recruited in this cross-sectional, interview-based study were 846 (557 female and 289 male subjects) healthy relatives of cancer patients from the outpatient cancer clinic at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Most of the participants answered that they believed the causes of cancer were genetic (44.90 %), followed by environmental factors (30.10 %), diet (26.90 %), other causes (26.90 %), envy (26.90 %), and black magic (17.60 %). Most of the healthy participants believed that doctors should tell patients the full truth about the diagnosis (83.57 %). More than half of the healthy population stated that cancer patients should accept all types of treatment (chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and/or surgery), with more male subjects having this position than females (P = 0.014). Most of the participants believed that cancer cannot be caught from another person who suffered from cancer (67.50 %). Most of the participants believed that cancer education was sufficient (66.70 %), with a significant difference between male and female respondents (P = 0.004). With regard to why cancer patients hide their disease, most of the participants in the age group <25 years believed that the causes were fear of loss of health insurance (56.20 %), followed by job loss (34.40 %), and then social stigma (9.40 %); in the age group between 25 and 45 years, the causes were fear of loss of health insurance (76.50 %), followed by social stigma (14.70 %), and then job loss (8.80 %); while in the age group >45 years, the reasons were job loss (47.10 %), followed by health insurance loss (41.20 %), and then social stigma (11.80 %), with a significant difference between groups (P = 0.034). This study demonstrated that still a large number of healthy participants had deficient perceptions and poor attitudes about important issues concerning cancers such as different mode of treatments, alternative treatment, biological causes, and prognosis, particularly among male respondents. Prevention education strategies should be considered, including targeted approaches that aim to reduce disparities in cancer perception among the general population.