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OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to determine the clinicodemographic characteristics and the prognostic role of myasthenia gravis (MG) in thymoma. METHODS: The records of patients who underwent surgical resection of thymoma at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in the past 23 years were reviewed. Seventy thymoma patients were finally included and were then categorized based on MG status into the MG group (39 patients) and the non-MG group (31 patients). Collected data included patients' demographic characteristics, tumor characteristics, and postoperative clinical outcomes. All analyses were conducted using SPSS. The comparison between both groups was tested using the Student t-test and Chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. A P = 0.05 or less indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: Patients' age ranged from 11 to 76 years, and female predominance was observed (55.7%). Compared to the non-MG group, no difference in patients' gender was observed (P = 0.058); however, MG patients had a younger age (39.30 vs. 48.77, P = 0.0095). No difference was noted between both groups based on the World Health Organization classification (P = 0.398), but MG patients tended to present with less-advanced tumors based on the TNM classification (P = 0.039) and lower stage based on the MASAOKA staging system (P = 0.017). No significant change in tumor size (P = 0.077), resectability (P = 0.507), and adjuvant therapy (P = 0.075) were observed. MG was not significantly associated with postoperative complications, morbidity, or mortality. However, it exhibited a prognostic protective role in terms of lower recurrence (2.56% vs. 35.48%, P = 0.0001) and longer survival duration (18.62 vs. 10.21 years, P < 0.001) as compared to non-MG patients. CONCLUSIONS: MG occurrence in thymoma patients is more likely to occur at a younger age, higher TNM classification, and advanced MASAOKA stage. Although no significant association was noted between MG and complications and mortality, MG exhibited a protective role in thymoma by providing a lower recurrence rate and longer survival duration.
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BACKGROUND: Incidence of cancer in Saudi Arabia has increased for the last two decades, ratcheting up to global levels. Yet, there is a dearth of research on the burden of lung cancer. This study examined the association between new cases of lung cancer and factors such as gender, age, and year of diagnosis; and forecast new cases and extrapolated future economic burden to 2030. METHODS: This a national-level cohort study that utilized the Saudi Cancer Registry data from 1999 to 2013. Multivariate regression was used; new lung cancer cases forecast and economic burden extrapolated to 20130. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of a range of epidemiologic and economic factors on the economic burden. RESULTS: Of the 166,497 new cancer cases (1999-2013), 3.8% was lung cancer. Males and Saudis had over threefold higher cases compared with females and non-Saudis, respectively. While the age group ≥65 years had 1.14 times or 14% increase in new cases, under-30 years had 97.2% fewer cases compared with age group 45-59. Compared with 1999, the period 2011-2013 had a 106% average increase. The years 2002-2010 registered an average 50% rise in new cases compared to 1999. New cases would rise to 1058 in 2030, an upsurge of 87% from 2013. The future economic burden was estimated at $2.49 billion in 2015 value, of which $520 million was attributable to care management and $1.97 billion in lost productivity. The economic burden for the period 2015-2030 will be $50.16 billion. The present value of this burden in 2015 values will be $34.60 billion, of which 21% will be attributable to care management. Estimates were robust to uncertainty, but the aged-standardized rate and 5-year survival rate would account for much of the variability compared with the economic factors. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal an upsurge of lung cancer burden in incidence and potential economic burden, which may inform cancer control measures.
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BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence in Saudi Arabia has increased for the last two decades, ratcheting up to global levels. The study aimed to analyze cancer trends and the contributions of various cancer types, forecast incidence, and estimate the economic burden in 2030. METHODS: A national-level cohort study utilizing the Data of Cancer Registry of patients who were diagnosed in 1999-2015. New cases in 2016-2030 were forecast and predicted based on 1999-2015 data. We used growth assumption and regression analysis to predict the trends of cancer cases. We assessed the contributions of cancer types to incidence trends. We carried forecasting of new cases and extrapolation of the potential economic burden. We conducted a sensitivity analysis of the cost of cancer with respect to changes in economic and epidemiologic factors. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the number of known cancer cases increased by 136% from 1999 to 2015 and is projected to rise by 63% in 2030. The forecast indicates female cases will account for higher number of cases and greater proportion increase. The future cost of all cancer types would be estimated at $7.91 billion in 2015 value, of which $3.76 billion will be attributable to care management and $4.15 billion in lost productivity. With the assumption of growth of the aged-standardized incidence rate, the costs of care management and lost productivity are projected to be $5.85 and $6.47 billion, respectively in 2030, an increase of 56% in each component. The future undiscounted total estimated economic burden for the period 2015-2030 would be $159.44 billion, of which 47.5% will be attributable to care management. Estimates were robust to uncertainty, but the 5-year prevalence of cancer survivorship would account for the greatest variability. CONCLUSION: Our model showed an upsurge of cancer burden in terms of incidence and the potential economic burden, which may inform cancer control measures.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare the degree of ameliorative effects of Melatonin (MEL), Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and Balanites aegyptiaca (BA) against hepatotoxicity induced by MTX for one month. METHODS: Eighty adult male rats (Sprague Dawely) weighing (190 ± 10 g), were randomly divided into eight equal groups: Control, MTX, MEL, BA, UDCA, MTX + MEL, MTX + BA, MTX + UDCA. Liver function biomarker enzymes, liver tissue oxidative stress parameters, together with total antioxidant capacity and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were determined. Histopathological and immunohistochemistry examinations for TNF-α were also done. RESULTS: MTX showed significant increase in alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total and direct bilirubin, as well as TNF-α levels, oxidized glutathione (GSSG), malodialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO). Whereas total protein, albumin, total antioxidant capacity, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels were significantly decreased in MTX treated group. These alterations were improved by MEL and BA treatment, whereas no improvement was noticed in UDCA treatment. CONCLUSIONS: BA may be as promising as MEL in the hepatoprotection against MTX toxicity through their antioxidant and radical scavenging activities. In addition, it is not recommended to co-administer UDCA with MTX as it enhanced inflammation and damage to the liver.
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Adult male albino rats were supplemented with edible plant oils, corn maize and cotton seed oils and their semihydrogenated forms (Heliopolis and Sultan cooking fats) for a period of 3 months. In general, the supplementation of tested oils produced increasing effect on the serum levels of total C18:1, C18:2 and C20:4 unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). The increases were significant in case of feeding corn maize oil and Sultan cooking fat for total and C18:1 and C18:2 UFA. However, the degree of significance was intensified by the feeding of cotton seed oil and Heliopolis cooking fat. Supplementation of Sultan cooking fat showed a significant increase in serum level of C20:4, while the other tested oils and Heliopolis cooking fat produced very highly significant increase. Butylated hydroxy anisol (BHA) produced no effect on the level of UFA when administered with dietary tested edible lipid but its role revealed by maintaining the higher level of UFA due to administration of oils and its semihydrogenated analogous.