How does Linkage to the National Death Index Affect Population-Based Net Survival Estimates for Women with Cervical Cancer in Saudi Arabia?

Background: Population-based cancer survival is a key metric for the assessment of cancer control strategies. Accurate estimation of cancer survival requires complete follow-up data for all patients.

Aim: To explore the impact of linking national cancer registry data to the national death index on net survival estimates for women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Saudi Arabia during 2005-2016.

Identification of Gene Signature as Diagnostic and Prognostic Blood Biomarker for Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Integrated Cross-Species Transcriptomic and Network Analyses.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered the most common type of liver cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Since the disease is usually diagnosed at advanced stages, it has poor prognosis. Therefore, reliable biomarkers are urgently needed for early diagnosis and prognostic assessment.

Proportion of cancers attributable to major lifestyle and environmental risk factors in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Cancer is a major contributing cause of morbidity and mortality in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The aim of the current study was to estimate the cancer burden attributable to major lifestyle and environmental risk factors. We used age-, sex- and site-specific incidence estimates for 2012 from IARC's GLOBOCAN, and assessed the following risk factors: smoking, alcohol, high body mass index, insufficient physical activity, diet, suboptimal breastfeeding, infections and air pollution.

Neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism secondary to a novel homozygous gene mutation.

Neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT) is a rare autosomal recessive disease. Children present within the first 6 months of life and more commonly in the first few weeks. Common presentation is poor feeding, polyuria, dehydration, lethargy, failure to thrive, hypotonia, gastrointestinal dysmotility, osteopenia and symptoms of respiratory distress due to a poorly developed chest cage.

Profile of cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean region: The need for action.

Background: Many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) are undergoing marked demographic and socioeconomic transitions that are increasing the cancer burden in region. We sought to examine the national cancer incidence and mortality profiles as a support to regional cancer control planning in the EMR.

Methods: GLOBOCAN 2012 data were used to estimate cancer incidence and mortality by country, cancer type, sex and age in 22 EMR countries.

Validation of an Arabic Questionnaire for Symptom Assessment.

Background: Impeccable assessment of symptoms is central to palliative care (PC) practice.

Objectives: The study objectives are (1) to test the validity of the Arabic Questionnaire for Symptom Assessment (AQSA) as a self-administered (SA) tool for assessing the severity of the listed symptoms among PC patients and (2) to test the validity of AQSA when completed by a proxy.

Methods: The AQSA is a tool for assessing the severity of 11 symptoms in addition to the overall suffering experience on a 0 to 10 numeric scale.

The pattern of antimicrobial use for palliative care in-patients during the last week of life.

Background: In terminally ill cancer patients approaching the dying phase, liberal use of antimicrobials is often viewed by palliative care experts as irrational. No previous reports have reviewed current antimicrobial use in palliative care settings in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the pattern of antimicrobial use in a tertiary palliative care unit (TPCU) during the last week of patients' life.