Population-based survival for cancer patients in Saudi Arabia for the years 2005-2009.

The Saudi Cancer Registry reported in 2007 the 5-year observed survival for the most common cancer sites for the years 1994-2004. In this report we looked at the cancer survival in the period 2005-2009 and evaluated the trend over the 15 years period from 1994 to 2009. Cases of the top 14 cancer sites reported by the population based Saudi Cancer Registry from 1 January 2005 to December 31, 2009, were submitted for survival analysis.

Prognostic value of Osteopontin (SPP1) in colorectal carcinoma requires a personalized molecular approach.

Stratification of colorectal cancer for better management and tangible clinical outcomes is lacking in clinical practice. To reach this goal, the identification of reliable biomarker(s) is a prerequisite to deliver personalized colorectal cancer theranostics. Osteopontin (SPP1) is a key extracellular matrix protein involved in several pathophysiological processes including cancer progression and metastasis.

Membranous or Cytoplasmic HER2 Expression in Colorectal Carcinoma: Evaluation of Prognostic Value Using Both IHC & BDISH.

Background: Human epidermal growth factor recptor-2 (HER2) was identified as a driver gene in several types of cancers with both prognostic and predictive value. However, the molecular association of HER2 gene mutation with HER2 gene amplification and/or protein expression in cancer tissues has not been clearly defined. Moreover, there is little information available on HER2 status role in tumor progression and metastasis in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) compared to other solid tumors.

Health rights knowledge among medical school students at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Health care is a basic human right, and Saudi Arabia affirms these rights for all its citizens.

Objectives: To assess the knowledge of medical students regarding health rights in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) from September 2015 through November 2015.

p16 protein is upregulated in a stepwise fashion in colorectal adenoma and colorectal carcinoma.

Background/aims: p16 is tumor suppressor gene acting as a cell cycle regulator. The present study was conducted to compare p16 expression in normal, dysplastic, and malignant colonic mucosae, and to explore its relation to clinicopathological variables and follow-up data in colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

Patients And Methods: Tissue microarrays were performed from 25 normal colonic mucosae, 41 colonic adenomas, and 191 CRC, with corresponding 50 nodal metastases.

Breast Cancer Knowledge Among Male High School Students in Saudi Arabia.

Breast cancer (BC) accounts for 24 % of all women cancer cases diagnosed in Saudi Arabia each year. Awareness is extremely important in combating this disease. This study was undertaken to assess male high school students' response to BC.

Abstracts from the 3rd International Genomic Medicine Conference (3rd IGMC 2015) : Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 30 November - 3 December 2015.

O1 Regulation of genes by telomere length over long distances Jerry W. Shay O2 The microtubule destabilizer KIF2A regulates the postnatal establishment of neuronal circuits in addition to prenatal cell survival, cell migration, and axon elongation, and its loss leading to malformation of cortical development and severe epilepsy Noriko Homma, Ruyun Zhou, Muhammad Imran Naseer, Adeel G. Chaudhary, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Nobutaka Hirokawa O3 Integration of metagenomics and metabolomics in gut microbiome research Maryam Goudarzi, Albert J.

Development of natural sorbent based micro-solid-phase extraction for determination of phthalate esters in milk samples.

In the present study, a natural sorbent based micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) was developed for determination of phthalate esters in milk samples. For the first time, an efficient and cost effective natural material (seed powder of Moringa oleifera) was employed as sorbent in μ-SPE. The sorbent was found to be naturally enriched with variety of functional groups and having a network of interconnected fibers.

Clinical significance of frequent somatic mutations detected by high-throughput targeted sequencing in archived colorectal cancer samples.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease with different molecular characteristics associated with many variables such as the sites from which the tumors originate or the presence or absence of chromosomal instability. Identification of such variables, particularly mutational hotspots, often carries a significant diagnostic and/or prognostic value that could ultimately affect the therapeutic outcome.

Methods: High-throughput mutational analysis of 99 CRC formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cases was performed using the Cancer Hotspots Panel (CHP) v2 on the Ion Torrent™ platform.

Overexpression of PAK-1 is an independent predictor of disease recurrence in colorectal carcinoma.

Background: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a significant cause of major morbidity and mortality. PAK-1 is a protein that regulates cytoskeletal dynamics and cell motility. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between PAK-1 immunoexpression and CRC progression and its validity as an independent prognostic factor.

c-MET immunostaining in colorectal carcinoma is associated with local disease recurrence.

Background: Increased mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene (c-MET) expression in several human malignancies is related to increased tumour progression. The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between immunohistochemical expression of c-MET in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and the clinicopathological characteristics and follow up data, to compare the expression of c-MET in primary CRC and its metastasis in lymph nodes and to test its validity as independent prognostic factor.

Methods: Hundred and thirty-five archival CRC and nodal metastases samples were collected from King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

The significance of sonic hedgehog immunohistochemical expression in colorectal carcinoma.

Colorectal carcinoma is a significant source of major morbidity and mortality. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is expressed in normal gastrointestinal tract mucosa and in many malignancies. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between Shh immunoexpression in CRC and clinicopathological characteristics.

Impact of Physiological Symptoms and Complications of Colorectal Cancer on the Quality of Life of Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common worldwide. The high prevalence of the disease raises concerns about how CRC influences the health-related quality of life (QoL). To explore the impact of physiological symptoms and complications of CRC on patients' QoL, we conducted a cross-sectional survey using the FACT-C self-report instrument.

Immunoexpression of cyclin D1 in colorectal carcinomas is not correlated with survival outcome.

Background: Colon and colorectal cancer (CRC) research has entered a new era with recent updates of molecular events and prognostic markers. Among other prognostic markers, exaggerated expression of nuclear CCND1 has key role in tumour pathogenesis and metastases of CRC and has also been claimed to predict response to treatment.

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic and predictive value of CCND1 in CRC and the correlation of CCND1 expression with the different clinicopathological parameters.

Prognostic significance of VEGFR1/Flt-1 immunoexpression in colorectal carcinoma.

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Vascular endothelial growth factor 1/Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (VEGFR1/Flt-1) regulates monocyte migration, recruits endothelial cell progenitors, increases the adhesive properties of natural killer cells and induces of growth factors. Flt-1 is expressed on tumour cells and has been implicated in tumour growth and progression.

Loss of villin immunoexpression in colorectal carcinoma is associated with poor differentiation and survival.

Background and Aims. Villin is a highly specialised protein and is expressed in intestinal and renal proximal tubular epithelium. It was detected in colorectal carcinomas (CRC) and other nongastrointestinal tumours.

Primary isolated lymphoma of the fourth ventricle in an immunocompetent patient.

Primary central nervous lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare variant of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a especially poor prognosis. The diagnosis is usually encountered in immunodeficient patients but is also encountered, albeit uncommonly, in the immunocompetent. We present a 50-year-old male who developed signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure.

First national survival data for colorectal cancer among Saudis between 1994 and 2004: what's next?

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common malignancy in the Saudi population. This study aimed to review CRC data from the Saudi Cancer Registry (SCR) in order to evaluate the prognostic factors for CRC survival in Saudi patients.

Methods: This study was a retrospective censored overall survival (OS) analysis of CRC data for the period 1994-2004 obtained from the SCR.

Colorectal cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: need for screening.

Background And Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Our aim was to characterize the epidemiology of CRC in the Saudi population.

Design And Setting: Retrospective analysis of all cases of CRC recorded in the Saudi Cancer Registry (SCR) between January 2001 and December 2006 amongst Saudi citizens in KSA.

Pulmonary blastoma: a rare primary lung malignancy.

Pulmonary blastoma, a rare primary lung malignancy, is considered to be distinct from other lung tumors based on pathological features, clinical course, and prognosis. More than one hundred cases have been reported in literature highlighting an interesting fact about their distinctive biologic manner from histopathological features. Classic pulmonary blastoma is composed of a mixture of immature epithelial and mesenchymal tissue resembling fetal lung tissue.

Methylation of the polycomb group target genes is a possible biomarker for favorable prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with ever increasing incidence rates. DNA methylation is a common event in CRC where it is now considered an important phenomenon in CRC carcinogenesis and useful for the classification and prognosis of CRC.

Methods: To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underpinning CRC in Saudi Arabian patients, we profiled the DNA methylation frequency of key genes (MLH1, MSH2, RASSF1A, SLIT2, HIC1, MGMT, SFRP1, MYOD1, APC, CDKN2A, as well as five CIMP markers) in 120 sporadic CRC cases.

Decreased immunoexpression of standard form of CD44 is an independent favourable predictor of nodal metastasis in colorectal carcinoma.

Background: CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein and is associated with cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. CD44 expression was shown to be relevant to tumour progression in various types of human cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression levels of the standard form of CD44 (CD44s), and clinicopathological characteristics in a subset of colorectal carcinomas (CRC).

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression as a predictor of outcome in colorectal carcinoma.

Aim: To correlate cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression profile with clinical and pathological variables to assess their prognostic/predictive value in colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

Methods: Archival tumor samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry for COX-2 expression in 94 patients with CRC. Patients were diagnosed and treated at the Departments of Surgery and Oncology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia.