Prevalence of MMTV-Like Sequences and Its Association with BRCA1/2 Genes Mutations Among Egyptian Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is thought to have a role in human breast cancer (BC) pathogenesis. BRCA1 and 2 genes mutations are well-established risk factors for BC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of MMTV in familial and non-familial Egyptian breast cancer patients.

Assessment of Human Papillomavirus Infection and Risk Factors in Egyptian Women With Breast Cancer.

Numerous risk factors for breast cancer (BC) have been identified. High-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) is the etiological agent of cervical cancer and in some cases of head and neck cancer, specifically oropharyngeal cancer, but the role of HR-HPV in evoking neoplasia in BC is still unclear. In this study, all women above the age of 18 visiting the oncology clinic at Al-Azhar university hospital and Ain Shams specialized hospital between the period of February 2017 and March 2018 were invited to participate.

Frequency of CD4+ regulatory T cells, CD8+ T cells, and human papilloma virus infection in Egyptian Women with breast cancer.

Several subsets of regulatory CD4+ T cells (CD4+ Tregs) have been described in peripheral blood and tumor microenvironment of breast cancer (BC) patients and may play a role in the progression of BC. High-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) has a causal role in cervical, head, and neck tumors but the role of HR-HPV in evoking neoplasia in BC is still unclear. In this study we assessed the prevalence of CD4+CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (CD4+Tregs) and CD3+ CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry in peripheral blood from a total of 55 Egyptian women, including 20 treatment-naïve BC, 15 with breast benign lesions (BBL), and 20 healthy volunteers (HV).

Health-Related Quality of Life among Egyptian Female Breast Cancer Patients at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University.

Background: To measure the quality of life (QoL) of Egyptian females with breast cancer (BC) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University (CU) and its relations with the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods: A total of 200 female BC patients were recruited from the medical oncology outpatient clinic during a period from December 2015 to March 2018. The instrument of this study consisted of two parts: the first for Socio-demographic and clinicopathological characteristics, and the second was the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast for patients with Lymphedema (FACT-B+4) questionnaire.

First-line paclitaxel and cisplatin used sequentially or in combination in metastatic breast cancer: A phase II randomized study.

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is the commonest cancer among females worldwide. Some patients present initially at advanced stages and more than 50% of them will develop metastasis (MBC) at some point. Compared to single agents, combination chemotherapy produces higher response rates (RR), longer progression-free survival (PFS) than single agents.

Toward standardization of laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer in developing countries: A step by step module.

Background: Despite the proven benefits, laparoscopic colorectal surgery is still underutilized among surgeons especially in developing countries. Also a steep learning is one of the causes of its limited adoption.

Objective: To explore the learning curve of single surgeon experience in laparoscopic colectomy and feasibility of implementing a well standardized step by step operative technique to overcome the beginning technical obstacles.

The profile of extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma in a tertiary referral center.

Background: Proper surgery with adequate safety margin and adjuvant radiotherapy is the main line of treatment of extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma (STS). In spite of improved management, the long term follow up is still not satisfactory.

Objective: To evaluate long term outcome of STS of extremities and trunk regarding adequacy of resection, recurrence and survival.

Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus infections and their clinical relevance in Egyptian leukemic pediatric patients.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are environmental risk factors affecting the outcome of cancer due to an impairment in the cell-mediated immunity. Therefore, this study aimed to detect the frequency of EBV and CMV DNA and their association with clinical characteristics and outcome of pediatric leukemic patients.

Methods: Samples of 50 immunocompromised pediatric leukemic patients and 30 apparently healthy children were subjected to the amplification of EBV DNA by one version of PCR targeting the Bam H1 W region of the genomic region of EBV, and the amplification of CMV DNA by targeting the CMV UL97 genomic region by a second round PCR.

Assessment of Statistical Methodologies and Pitfalls of Dissertations Carried Out at National Cancer Institute, Cairo University.

Purpose: To identify statistical errors and pitfalls in dissertations performed as part of the requirements for the Medical Doctorate (MD) degree at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University (CU) to improve the quality of medical research. Methods: A critical assessment of 62 MD dissertations conducted in 3 departments at NCI, CU, between 2009 and 2013 was carried out regarding statistical methodology and presentation of the results. To detect differences in study characteristics over time, grouping was into two periods; 2009-2010 and 2011-2013.

Outcome and surgical strategy in critical sites in cases of psuedomyxoma peritonei.

Background: For a long time peritoneal neoplasms were considered beyond surgical intervention and beyond cure, till the concept of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and adjuvant hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was introduced. However this surgical intervention is technically demanding and associated with considerable postoperative morbidity.

Objective: To describe the surgical strategy in resection of critical sites loaded by heavy tumor deposits and to evaluate short and long term results of CRS and HIPEC, in a cohort of Egyptian patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) from appendiceal origin.

Bacteremia due to ESKAPE pathogens: An emerging problem in cancer patients.

Background And Aim: In recent years, a few of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, known as ESKAPE pathogens, have been found responsible for serious infections. We investigated the risk factors, and impact of ESKAPE pathogens on course of blood stream infections (BSIs) in cancer patients in comparison to coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS).

Patients And Methods: The data of patients with ESKAPE positive blood cultures at National Cancer Institute, Cairo University were analyzed.

Polyomavirus infections and its clinical relevance in cancer patients: A Prospective Study.

BK and JC polyomaviruses (PyV) have been demonstrated to be associated with the pathogenesis of various human cancers. We aimed to investigate the impact of BK and JC polyomavirus infections on several clinical parameters in different human cancers. A total of 150 cancer patients were included in the study (51 patients with solid tumors, 48 patients with lymphomas and 51 patients with leukemias).

Treatment Outcomes of Epithelial Ovarian Cancers Following Maximum Cytoreduction and Adjuvant Paclitaxel-Carboplatin Chemotherapy: Egyptian NCI Experience.

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the commonest malignancy involving the ovaries. Maximum surgical cytoreduction (MCR) followed by adjuvant taxane-platinum chemotherapy are the standard of care treatments.

Aims: To study treatment outcomes of EOC patients that were maximally cyto-reduced and received adjuvant paclitaxel-carboplatin (PC) chemotherapy.

Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance Monitored in Surveillance Analysis of Blood Stream Infections in Febrile Neutropenic Pediatric Oncology Patients.

Background: Continuous surveillance of pattern of blood stream infection is necessary in febrile neutropenia (FN)especially with the recent escalating trend in the management of pediatric cancer patients towards intensified regimens and with the increase in infections caused by resistant organisms limiting the choice of antibiotics.

Aim: To monitor change in pattern of blood stream infections (BSI) in FN pediatric cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Surveillance of FN episodes with positive BSI was prospectively monitored and compared to a previous surveillance in the same pediatric oncology unit.

Prognostic value of IDH1 mutations identified with PCR-RFLP assay in acute myeloid leukemia patients.

Background: Somatic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene occur frequently in primary brain tumors. Recently theses mutations were demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). So far, assessment of these mutations relied on the DNA sequencing technique.

Tamoxifen compared to best supportive care in advanced hepatocelluar carcinoma: A retrospective matched-cohort study.

Background: Hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer worldwide as well as in Egypt with hepatitis B and C, alcohol and aflatoxins being the commonest risk factors. Tamoxifen was initially reported to confer a marginal survival benefit in advanced HCC. However, later reports declined any benefit.

Evaluation of BreastLight as a tool for early detection of breast lesions among females attending National Cancer Institute, Cairo University.

Background: Breast illumination was suggested as a simple method for breast cancer screening. BreastLight is a simple apparatus for this purpose.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of BreastLight as a screening tool of breast cancer in comparison to mammography and histopathology.

MDM2 T309G has a synergistic effect with P21 ser31arg single nucleotide polymorphisms on the risk of acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: The P53 tumor suppressor gene plays a pivotal role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by preventing the propagation of genome mutations. P53 in its transcriptionally active form is capable of activating distinct target genes that contribute to either apoptosis or growth arrest, like P21. However, the MDM2 gene is a major negative regulator of P53.

Expression of P-glycoprotein, Cyclin D1 and Ki-67 in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Relation with Induction Chemotherapy and Overall Survival.

Previous studies showed that non-cycling cells have a higher multidrug resistance (MDR) expression, which may be down-regulated by proliferation induction. Triggering these cells into proliferation down-regulates high MDR expression. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of P-glycoprotein (PGP) and cell cycle parameters (cyclin D1 and Ki-67) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at diagnosis, and to evaluate the correlation between the expressions of each marker, and the clinical significance of such expression with response to induction chemotherapy and overall survival.

Evaluation of morphological/immunohistochemical versus nuclear medicine imaging modalities in detecting metastatic bone and/or marrow deposits in neuroblastoma patients.

Background & Purpose: In planning diagnostic or follow-up investigational strategies, neuroblastoma (NB) metastatic deposits in bone and/or bone marrow (BM) should be detected as early as possible. Therefore, all investigational detection tools should be conducted simultaneously for precise staging. However, because of the financial conditions in our developing countries and in view of the cost/benefit relationship, the question is, can one detection tool only become satisfactory and replacing others? The purpose of our study is to compare simultaneous results of bone and metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scans versus BM biopsies with immunohistochemical (IHC) staining; in detecting bone and/or BM metastatic deposits in NB patients.

Antibiotic resistance is associated with longer bacteremic episodes and worse outcome in febrile neutropenic children with cancer.

Purpose: With the increasing emergence of multiresistant pathogens, better understanding of these infections is necessary. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with isolating a multiresistant organism (MRO) from a positive blood culture in pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia (F&N), and to study its impact on clinical course and outcome of febrile episodes.

Patients And Methods: The association between MRO with underlying malignancy, age, disease status, hospitalization during episode, absolute neutrophil count, absolute monocyte count, clinical foci of infection, and pathogens isolated was assessed in bacteremic pediatric cancer patients.

Presence of human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) in pediatric lymphomas: impact on clinical course and association with cytomegalovirus infection.

Background: Activation of herpes virus 6 (HHV6) has seen in Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL&NHL) as a result of lymphoma associated immunosuppression. Multiple studies have suggested an association between both HHV6 and cytomegalovirus CMV for development of CMV disease affecting the pathogenesis of lymphoma. Therefore, this study investigated the frequency of HHV6, its impact on clinical manifestations of lymphoma and its possible association with risk for development of CMV infection in pediatric lymphoma patients.

SEN virus infection in Egyptian patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: prevalence and clinical importance.

Background And Purpose: SEN virus (SENV) is assumed to be responsible for post-transfusion non-A to -E hepatitis. Phylogenetic analysis of SENV has shown 9 different strains. Two strains, SENV-H and SENV-D, were described as possible candidates for post-transfusion hepatitis.

Prognostic value of serum vascular endothelial growth factor in Egyptian females with metastatic triple negative breast cancer.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to explore the value of serum vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with chemotherapy. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points were response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and VEGF-A level at baseline, mid-therapy and at the end of therapy.