Optimizing geriatric palliative care in Egypt: Comprehensive patient and family perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: In Egypt, palliative care for geriatric patients is understudied, necessitating exploration for service optimization. Amidst rising chronic illnesses and aging, understanding perspectives of geriatric patients and families is crucial for targeted improvements. This study aims to explore geriatric patients' and their families' perspectives on palliative care in Egypt, seeking opportunities to optimize service delivery for the elderly. METHODS: Employing a cross-sectional design with 110 geriatric patients and an equal number of family caregivers from the Damietta Oncology Institute and the pain treatment clinics for cancer patients at Zagazig University Hospital, the study focuses on a specialized pain clinic. Validated tools (Palliative Care Outcome Scale, Family Satisfaction with End-of-Life Care [FAMCARE] Scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS], Caregiver Strain Index [CSI]) assess quality of life, family satisfaction, symptom severity, and caregiver strain. RESULTS: Geriatric patients (mean age: 65.0 ± 8.1 years; 45.5% male, 55.5% female) have diverse diagnoses (e.g., breast cancer 22%). Palliative care outcomes reveal challenges: low emotional well-being (2.6 ± 0.0) and alarming overall quality of life (1.8 ± 0.0). Family dissatisfaction (FAMCARE) is pervasive (total mean score 2.6 ± 0.5). Symptom severity (ESAS) is high, and caregiver strain (CSI) is notable (8.5 ± 2.2). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESULTS: The findings underscore the significance of the challenges faced by geriatric patients and caregivers in palliative care. Patients confront considerable symptom burdens and emotional distress, while caregivers experience notable strain. Urgently needed are targeted interventions designed to enhance patient well-being, alleviate caregiver burden, and elevate satisfaction. The critical importance of implementing these interventions promptly is highlighted, as they are instrumental in improving the overall care experience for geriatric patients and their caregivers. Moreover, the results underscore the imperative of developing comprehensive support mechanisms to address the intricate dimensions of palliative care, ultimately contributing to a more compassionate and effective care continuum.

The association between healthy and unhealthy dietary indices with prostate cancer risk: a case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: According to our knowledge, the relationship between dietary patterns such as pro-healthy, pro-vegetarian, and non-healthy dietary patterns and prostate cancer risk has not been clearly investigated in Iranian men. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between adherence to a pro-healthy (PHDI), pro-vegetarian (PDP), and non-healthy dietary indices (NHDI) and the risk of prostate cancer. METHOD: In this matched case-control study, 125 participants (62 cases and 63 hospital-based controls) were enrolled from April to September 2015. Participants' dietary intakes were evaluated using a valid and reliable 160-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary indices calculated based on previous studies. The relationship between dietary indices (PHDI, NHDI and PDP) and prostate cancer risk was assessed using binary regression models. RESULTS: According to adjusted model, significant negative correlations were found between PHDI and PDP with prostate cancer (PHDI: OR = 0.31; 95% CI; 0.11-0.85; P = 0.023 - PDP: OR = 0.34; 95% CI; 0.15-0.75; P = 0.008). Also, a positive association was seen between NHDI and prostate cancer (OR = 3.01; 95% CI; 1.20-7.57; P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: We found that adherence to healthy dietary indices which includes high amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains reduces the risk of prostate cancer. While adherence to a dietary pattern high in red and processed meat, refined grains, and sweetened beverages increases the risk of prostate cancer.

Monkeypox Emergence Post-COVID: Insight into Egyptian Older Adult's Awareness, Concern, and Mental Health.

Aim: To identify Egyptian older adults' awareness, concerns, and mental health about the monkeypox outbreak. Background: In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox disease is receiving more attention. The monkeypox virus outbreak has posed a global concern, especially to older adults with comorbidities. Natural disasters, and endemic affect older persons' mental health. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive design was followed. Methods: 254 older adults were recruited from three outpatient clinics using consecutive sampling using four tools. Results: 74.0% of older study participants were unaware of monkeypox. Gender, level of education, residence, worry about contracting monkeypox infection, and mental distress are predictors of awareness about monkeypox (p < .001). Worry of contracting monkeypox infection was common among female participants (p = .038), highly educated (p = .001), who had a low level of awareness and high level of mental distress (p = .001 for both). Conclusion: Awareness of monkeypox was associated with worry and mental distress. Gerontological nurses have a vital role in contacting older adults and providing care and education that decreases worry and preserves minds and feelings, improving their quality of life. Establishing a national strategic planning and crisis prevention framework to alleviate psychological distress and prevent mental health issues from deteriorating in this group is crucial.

Breaking Barriers: Nucleic Acid Aptamers in Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Therapy.

Conventional cancer therapies can have significant adverse effects as they are not targeted to cancer cells and may damage healthy cells. Single-stranded oligonucleotides assembled in a particular architecture, known as aptamers, enable them to attach selectively to target areas. Usually, they are created by Systematic Evolution of Ligand by Exponential enrichment (SELEX), and they go through a rigorous pharmacological revision process to change their therapeutic half-life, affinity, and specificity. They could thus offer a viable substitute for antibodies in the targeted cancer treatment market. Although aptamers can be a better choice in some situations, antibodies are still appropriate for many other uses. The technique of delivering aptamers is simple and reasonable, and the time needed to manufacture them is relatively brief. Aptamers do not require animals or an immune response to be produced, in contrast to antibodies. When used as a medication, aptamers can directly suppress tumor cells. As an alternative, they can be included in systems for targeted drug delivery that administer medications specifically to tumor cells while reducing toxicity to healthy cells. The most recent and cutting-edge methods for treating gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancer with aptamers will be covered in this review, with a focus on targeted therapy as a means of conquering resistance to traditional medicines.