The Utility of Endoscopic Biopsies in Patients with Normal Upper Endoscopy.

Background and Aims. Upper endoscopy is a valuable tool in the workup of gastrointestinal (GI) complaints. The purpose of this study is to determine cost and yield of taking biopsies in a normal upper GI tract.

Bacterial bloodstream infections and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in pediatric hematology/oncology patients after anticancer chemotherapy.

Purpose: Bloodstream infections in pediatric hematology and oncology represent a major problem worldwide, but this has not been studied in Qatar. In this study, we investigated the burden of infection and the resistance pattern in the bacterial etiology, in the only tertiary pediatric hematology and oncology center in Qatar.

Methods: All pediatric cancer patients (n=185) were evaluated retrospectively during the period 2004-2011; a total of 70 (38%) patients were diagnosed with bloodstream infections.

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the Middle East and neighboring countries: a prospective multi-institutional international collaborative study (CALLME1) by the Middle East Childhood Cancer Alliance (MECCA).

Background: Little is known about childhood ALL in the Middle East. This study was undertaken by MECCA as initial efforts in collaborative data collection to provide clinical and demographic information on children with ALL in the Middle East.

Procedure: Clinical and laboratory data for patients with ALL between January 2008 and April 2012 were prospectively collected from institutions in 14 Middle East countries and entered into a custom-built-database during induction phase.

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Saudi Arabia: a multi-institutional retrospective national collaborative study.

Background: Treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been available in Saudi Arabia (SA) for over 30 years; however, only limited data have been published from there. This study was conducted to establish processes for collaborative data collection and provide clinical characteristics and outcome of children with ALL in SA.

Procedure: Clinical data for patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2008 were retrospectively collected at eight institutions and entered remotely into a custom-built database.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome in adolescent survivors of standard risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Saudi Arabia.

Background: This study estimated prevalence of unhealthy weight status and metabolic syndrome (MS) amongst Saudi survivors of standard risk ALL.

Procedure: We recruited 56 survivors, mean age 13.4 years (SD 4.