Perceived Shame and Stigma, and Other Psychosocial Predictors of Psychological Distress Among Cancer Patients in Malaysia.

Background: Patients' sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics, distress factors, perceived shame and stigma may give rise to psychological distress in cancer patients that bring about further psychosocial impact.

Aims: (1) to determine the degrees of shame and stigma towards cancer and psychological distress among cancer patients in Malaysia and (2) to examine the clinical and psychosocial predictors of psychological distress.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 217 cancer patients.

Experience of Gamma Knife radiosurgery for treatment of brain metastases in pregnancy with literature review.

Brain metastases during pregnancy poses complex conundrum in management. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) offers valuable option to clinicians in this scenario. We reviewed and described the safety and effectiveness of Gamma Knife (GK) SRS in treating a solitary cerebellar metastasis in a patient with recurrent breast cancer at 28 weeks of gestation.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Economic Analysis of Olanzapine Versus Aprepitant in Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Receiving Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy in Malaysia.

Objectives: Olanzapine has been shown to be effective in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) after highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC); however, there is limited work on the impact of CINV on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the comparative cost-effectiveness of CINV prophylaxis in the Malaysian context. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the HRQoL using EQ-5D-5L and the cost-effectiveness of olanzapine compared with aprepitant for CINV prophylaxis in Malaysia using data from a local study.

Methods: Fifty-nine chemo-naive patients receiving either olanzapine or aprepitant were randomly recruited and completed the EQ-5D-5L before and day 5 after HEC.

A Case Report of a Rare ER+, PR- Pure Metaplastic Breast Squamous Cell Carcinoma with HER2 Overexpression.

BACKGROUND Breast squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a subtype of metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC), which is a rare malignancy and accounts for 0.1% of all invasive breast carcinomas. Guidelines on definitive management and treatment of breast SCC are not well established, given its rarity and diverse immunohistochemistry (IHC) profile, and lack of clinical data.

A 6-Month Open-Label Study of Vortioxetine among Cancer Patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Objective: Vortioxetine is a monoaminergic drug with a novel multimodal mechanism of action. We investigated its efficacy on depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and quality of life among cancer patients.

Methods: In this multicenter, open-label, single-arm, observational study, patients received flexible doses of Vortioxetine for a period of six months.

A retrospective study on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in highly/moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: incidence and prescribing practice.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced nausea vomiting (CINV) is a common and significant problem in oncology patients and rated as one of cancer chemotherapy's most distressing side effects. The objectives of this study are to describe the incidence of CINV in highly and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy-treated patients and the prescribing pattern of CINV prophylaxis.

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional single-center study randomly collected data on demographics, CINV episodes, and prescribing patterns for adult oncology patients receiving intravenous highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC/MEC) between January and December 2019.

Quality of life of women with breast cancer in a tertiary referral university hospital.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is one of the treatment outcome measures in patients with breast cancer. In this study, we measured the QoL of women with breast cancer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) and identified the associated factors.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2017 to December 2017 and involved female patients with breast cancer.

Incidence and clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer among multi-ethnic patients in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: a hospital-based retrospective analysis over two decades.

Background: The incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Asian countries is increasing. Furthermore, recent studies have shown a concerning rise in the incidence of CRC among younger patients aged less than 50 years. This study aimed to analyze the incidence trends and clinicopathological features in patients with early-onset CRC (EOCRC) and later-onset CRC (at age ≥ 50 years).

NUB1 and FAT10 Proteins as Potential Novel Biomarkers in Cancer: A Translational Perspective.

Cancer increases the global disease burden substantially, but it remains a challenge to manage it. The search for novel biomarkers is essential for risk assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, prediction of treatment response, and cancer monitoring. This paper examined NEDD8 ultimate buster-1 (NUB1) and F-adjacent transcript 10 (FAT10) proteins as novel biomarkers in cancer.

Aural Polyp or Temporal Bone Carcinoma: Lesson to Learn.

Temporal bone carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of the head and neck region. Its clinical presentations can mimic benign ear diseases, leading to inaccurate diagnosis and substandard management. We present the case of a 53-year-old female with a three-month history of progressive right otalgia, otorrhea, and hearing loss.

Oncologist-led counselling improves access to cancer genetic testing in middle-income Asian country, with no significant impact on psychosocial outcomes.

Background: Identifying patients with mutations is clinically important to inform on the potential response to treatment and for risk management of patients and their relatives. However, traditional referral routes may not meet clinical needs, and therefore, mainstreaming cancer genetics has been shown to be effective in some high-income and high health-literacy settings. To date, no study has reported on the feasibility of mainstreaming in low-income and middle-income settings, where the service considerations and health literacy could detrimentally affect the feasibility of mainstreaming.

Information Received and Usefulness of the Sources of Information to Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Care Centre in Malaysia.

Most people with cancer have a combination of treatments, such as surgery with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Providing good quality cancer-related information enables patients to be better prepared for treatment and improves their adherence. This study aimed to determine the level of information received and the perceived usefulness of the sources of information to cancer patients.

Management of advanced prostate cancer in a middle-income country: real-world consideration of the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 2017.

Objective: To examine the results of the Malaysian Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (MyAPCCC) 2018, held for assessing the generalizability of consensus reached at the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC 2017) to Malaysia, a middle-income country.

Methods: Six key sections were chosen: (1) high-risk localized and locally advanced prostate cancer, (2) oligometastatic prostate cancer, (3) castration-naïve prostate cancer, (4) castrate resistant prostate cancer, (5) use of osteoclast-targeted therapy and (6) global access to prostate cancer drugs. There were 101 consensus questions, consisting of 91 questions from APCCC 2017 and 10 new questions from MyAPCCC 2018, selected and modified by the steering committee; of which, 23 questions were assessed in both ideal world and real-world settings.

Illness acceptance as mediator for cancer-related complaints and psychological distresses among Malaysian cancer patients.

The present study investigated the relationship between psychological problems, illness acceptance and cancer-related complaints among Malaysian cancer patients. One hundred and six cancer patients were recruited and were requested to complete validated self-reported questionnaires that measured their psychological distresses, sleep quality, pain, fatigue and illness acceptance. There was a significant relationship between cancer-related symptoms, illness acceptance and psychological distresses commonly experienced by local cancer patients (p < 0.

Inclusion of dosimetric data as covariates in toxicity-related radiogenomic studies : A systematic review.

Purpose: This systematic review evaluates the completeness of dosimetric features and their inclusion as covariates in genetic-toxicity association studies.

Materials And Methods: Original research studies associating genetic features and normal tissue complications following radiotherapy were identified from PubMed. The use of dosimetric data was determined by mining the statement of prescription dose, dose fractionation, target volume selection or arrangement and dose distribution.

Treatment decision-making among breast cancer patients in Malaysia.

Purpose: This study investigated breast cancer patients' involvement level in the treatment decision-making process and the concordance between patients' and physician's perspectives in decision-making.

Participants And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving physicians and newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from three public/teaching hospitals in Malaysia. The Control Preference Scale (CPS) was administered to patients and physicians, and the Krantz Health Opinion Survey (KHOS) was completed by the patients alone.

Round Randomized Learning Vector Quantization for Brain Tumor Imaging.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) classification into normal and abnormal is a critical and challenging task. Owing to that, several medical imaging classification techniques have been devised in which Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) is amongst the potential. The main goal of this paper is to enhance the performance of LVQ technique in order to gain higher accuracy detection for brain tumor in MRIs.

Beta-human Chorionic Gonadotropin-secreting Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Overexpression of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) is frequently associated with germ cell tumours, especially choriocarcinoma. Ectopic secretion of β-hCG by non-small cell lung cancer is exceptional. We present an exceedingly rare case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma that secretes β-hCG.

Closing the global cancer divide--performance of breast cancer care services in a middle income developing country.

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of deaths in the world. A widening disparity in cancer burden has emerged between high income and low-middle income countries. Closing this cancer divide is an ethical imperative but there is a dearth of data on cancer services from developing countries.

Observational study on patient's satisfactions and quality of life (QoL) among cancer patients receiving treatment with palliative care intent in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia.

The main objective of palliative treatment for cancer patients has been to maintain, if not improve, the quality of life (QoL). There is a lack of local data on satisfaction and QoL among cancer patients receiving palliative treatment in Malaysia. This study covers patients with incurable, progressive cancer disease receiving palliative treatment in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, comparing the different components of QoL and correlations with patient satisfaction.

Quality of life in Malaysian colorectal cancer patients.

Introduction: The rapidly increasing of incidence colorectal cancer (CRC) in Malaysia and the introduction of new treatments that prolong survival advocating treatment outcome measures such as patients' quality of life (QOL) are evaluated in this study. The study aims to determine QOL in CRC patients according to cancer stage and age.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed from June to December 2011 at four public tertiary hospitals.

Skeletal-related events among breast and prostate cancer patients: towards new treatment initiation in Malaysia's hospital setting.

The human skeleton is the most common organ to be affected by metastatic cancer and bone metastases are a major cause of cancer morbidity. The five most frequent cancers in Malaysia among males includes prostate whereas breast cancer is among those in females, both being associated with skeletal lesions. Bone metastases weaken bone structure, causing a range of symptoms and complications thus developing skeletal-related events (SRE).

Carboplatin/5-fluorouracil as an alternative to cisplatin/5- fluorouracil for metastatic and recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Palliative chemotherapy with cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (5FU) is the commonest regimen employed for metastatic and recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, this regimen is cumbersome requiring 5 days of admission to hospital. Carboplatin/5FU may be an alternative regimen without compromising survival and response rates.