Unrelated Donor Cord Blood Transplantation in Children: Lessons Learned Over 3 Decades.

Four decades ago, Broxmeyer et al. demonstrated that umbilical cord blood (CB) contained hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and hypothesized that CB could be used as a source of donor HSC for rescue of myeloablated bone marrow. In 1988, Gluckman et al.

Nonmyeloablative Alternative Donor Transplantation for Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: From the LWP-EBMT, Eurocord, and CIBMTR.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of patients with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma undergoing nonmyeloablative haploidentical or unrelated cord blood (UCB) hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively studied 740 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 283, 38%) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 457, 62%) age 18-75 years who received transplantations from 2009 to 2016. Data were reported to the Lymphoma Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Eurocord, or Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research.

An assessment of reliability and validity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 among breast cancer patients in Qatar.

Introduction: Breast cancer has been the most common cancer type that affects women worldwide and subsequent treatment is often associated with considerable psychological and quality of life (QoL).

Aim: This study aimed to assess psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) general QoL questionnaire (QLQ-C30) for breast cancer patients in Qatar.

Materials And Methods: This is a cross-sectional hospital-based study conducted on 678 breast cancer patients using Arabic version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 tool.

Assessing Breast Cancer Risk Estimates Based on the Gail Model and Its Predictors in Qatari Women.

Background: The Gail model is the most widely used breast cancer risk assessment tool. An accurate assessment of individual's breast cancer risk is very important for prevention of the disease and for the health care providers to make decision on taking chemoprevention for high-risk women in clinical practice in Qatar.

Aim: To assess the breast cancer risk among Arab women population in Qatar using the Gail model and provide a global comparison of risk assessment.

Improving the outcome of leukemia by natural killer cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies.

Blurring the boundary between innate and adaptive immune system, natural killer (NK) cells are widely recognized as potent anti-leukemia mediators. Alloreactive donor NK cells have been shown to improve the outcome of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation for leukemia. In addition, in vivo transfer of NK cells may soon reveal an important therapeutic tool for leukemia, if tolerance to NK-mediated anti-leukemia effects is overcome.

The role of vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis in breast cancer.

Aim: Epidemiological studies suggest an association between vitamin D and calcium intake and breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the association of breast cancer with vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis according to menopausal status and to examine vitamin D and bone mineral density (BMD) levels in breast cancer patients.

Methods: This was an observational cohort hospital-based study.

Fatal Strongyloides stercoralis hyper-infection in a patient with multiple myeloma.

Strongyloides stercoralis (S.S.) is a human intestinal parasite, which may lead to complicated strongyloidiasis.

Impacts of family history and lifestyle habits on colorectal cancer risk: a case-control study in Qatar.

Background: Associations between family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) in first degree relatives and risk of developing cancer have been well defined, but interactions with environmental, lifestyle and dietary factors are much less clear.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate family history, lifestyle and dietary factors associated with developing colorectal cancer in an Arab population.

Design: This matched case-control study was conducted from August 2008 to February 2009 in Al-Amal Hospital and Primary Health Care Centers in Qatar.

Acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia successfully treated with cyclosporine.

Acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia is a rare hematological disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia with absent or markedly reduced megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. We report a case of a 25-year-old male diagnosed as acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia. Treatment with prednisone and intravenous immunoglobulin failed, but he was successfully treated with cyclosporine, with complete remission after 90 days and normal platelet count maintained thereafter.

Two Ocular Infections during Conventional Chemotherapy in a Patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report.

Viral retinitis due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is rare in patients with acute leukemia who did not receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We report a case of CMV retinitis that developed in a 49-year-old patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient was treated with salvage chemotherapy using a hyper-CVAD regimen and did not receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Do we need to maximise the breast cancer screening awareness? Experience with an endogamous society with high fertility.

Background: In the State of Qatar, breast cancer has become the most common form of cancer among women. The aim of this study was to explore knowledge, attitude and practice about breast cancer and to identify potential barriers to screening procedures among women.

Methods: This multistage sampling cross sectional survey in primary health care centers and the outpatient department of the Women's Hospital in the State of Qatar targeted a representative sample of 1,200 Qatari women aged between 30 to 55 years of age during the period from December 2008 to April 2009.

Impact of consanguinity on cancer in a highly endogamous population.

Background: Many epidemiological studies have indicated that inbreeding has little or no effect on the incidence of cancer. Due to the high prevalence of consanguinity in Qatar (54%), its influence may nevertheless be of special importance.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine whether parental consanguinity affects the risk of cancer in a local Arab highly inbred population.