Locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adolescents treated with tomotherapy: Experience at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare disease worldwide; To the best of our knowledge, there is no established standard of care specifically tailored for the adolescent population. The majority of existing research relies on retrospective data analysis.

Objective: Evaluate clinical features, treatment results, prognostic factors and late toxicities of locally advanced NPC patients treated with tomotherapy.

Incidence and Predictors of Recurrence and Mortality Following First Venous Thromboembolism Among the Saudi Population: Single-Center Cohort Study.

Background: Little is written about recurrence and mortality rates after a first episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among Saudi population.

Aim: Determine incidence rates and assess predictors of recurrence and mortality following the first VTE event.

Patients And Methods: A total of 1124 patients aged ≥18 years with symptomatic VTE confirmed by imaging tests were evaluated.

Validation of an Arabic Version of the Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale.

Background: Medication adherence is essential for optimal treatment outcomes in patients with chronic diseases. Medication nonadherence compromises patient clinical outcomes and patient safety as well as leading to an increase in unnecessary direct and indirect medical costs. Therefore, early identification of non-adherence by healthcare professionals using medication adherence scales should help in preventing poor clinical outcomes among patients with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.

Validation of an Arabic Version of the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS).

Background: Medication non-adherence is a complex multifactorial phenomenon impacting patients with various health conditions worldwide. Therefore, its detection can improve patient outcomes and minimize the risk of adverse consequences. Even though multiple self-reported medication adherence assessment scales are available, very few of them exist in Arabic language.

Prognostic markers compared to CD3+TIL in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) is more prevalent in some geographic regions, including Saudi Arabia. Typically, Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging is used in NPC. However, it is inadequate to assess the prognosis of LA-NPC.

Low-dose fractionated radiation with induction docetaxel and cisplatin followed by concurrent cisplatin and radiation therapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer: A randomized phase II-III trial.

Objective/background: To evaluate the efficacy and outcome of adding low-dose fractionated radiotherapy (LDFRT) to induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiation in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC).

Methods: A single-institute, phase II-III, prospectively controlled randomized clinical trial was performed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Patients aged 18-70 years with WHO type II and III, stage III-IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of 0-2, with adequate hematological, renal, and hepatic function were eligible.

CD3+T-lymphocyte infiltration is an independent prognostic factor for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) is a relatively rare disease in the west but more common in East Asia and areas of the Middle East like Saudi Arabia. Despite the advances in radiation therapy techniques, some patients relapse after treatment. In the coming era of cancer immunotherapy, prognostic factors for LA-NPC need to be further defined using immune-relevant markers.

Retraction Note: SNPs in genes implicated in radiation response are associated with radiotoxicity and evoke roles as predictive and prognostic biomarkers.

The authors are retracting this article [1] because the data have already been published in [2] making this a redundant publication. Ghazi Alsbeih, Najla Al-Harbi, Khaled Al-Hadyan, Mohamed Shoukri and Nasser Al-Rajhi agree with this retraction. Medhat El-Sebaie did not respond to our correspondence.

Antibiotic protocol for the prevention of osteoradionecrosis following dental extractions in irradiated head and neck cancer patients: A 10 years prospective study.

Aims Of Study: The aim of the study was to establish the long term efficacy of a perioperative antibiotic protocol combined with antibacterial mouthwashes in preventing osteoradionecrosis (ORN).

Materials And Methods: Irradiated head and neck cancer patients reporting for dental extractions were prospectively enrolled to the study between January 2002 and December 2009. Selection criteria for the patients included the presence of nonrestorable tooth/teeth in the field of radiation, latency period of 6 months since completion of radiotherapy, radiation dosages >60 Gy, and availability for follow-up.

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: a Retrospective analysis of 120 cases.

Introduction: Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC) is one of the most lethal malignancies with very short survival and extremely poor treatment outcome. ATC accounts for 2-5% of all thyroid cancers worldwide with an annual incidence of about 2 million.

Objective: To review the natural history and treatment outcome of ATC patients treated at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH and RC) located at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Among 45 variants in 11 genes, HDM2 promoter polymorphisms emerge as new candidate biomarker associated with radiation toxicity.

Due to individual variations in radiosensitivity, biomarkers are needed to tailor radiation treatment to cancer patients. Since single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are frequent in human, we hypothesized that SNPs in genes that mitigate the radiation response are associated with radiotoxicity, in particular late complications to radiotherapy and could be used as genetic biomarkers for radiation sensitivity. A total of 155 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer were included in the study.

SNPs in genes implicated in radiation response are associated with radiotoxicity and evoke roles as predictive and prognostic biomarkers.

Background: Biomarkers are needed to individualize cancer radiation treatment. Therefore, we have investigated the association between various risk factors, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes and late complications to radiotherapy in our nasopharyngeal cancer patients.

Methods: A cohort of 155 patients was included.

Association between normal tissue complications after radiotherapy and polymorphic variations in TGFB1 and XRCC1 genes.

Genetic predictive biomarkers of radiosensitivity are being sought to individualize radiation treatment of cancer patients. In this pilot case-control study, we tested the association between TGFB1 T869C codon 10 Leu/Pro (rs1982073), XRCC1 G28152A codon 399 Arg/Gln (rs25487), and XRCC3 C18067T codon 241 Thr/Met (rs861539) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and late reaction to radiotherapy in 60 nasopharyngeal cancer patients. Subcutaneous and deep tissue fibrosis was scored using the RTOG/EORTC grading system.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Saudi Arabia: clinical presentation and diagnostic delay.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is commonly advanced at diagnosis. In this study we evaluated the clinical presentation, diagnostic delay and factors affecting delay in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Data were collected prospectively for 307 newly diagnosed patients, including detailed demographic data, disease history, health care consultations and referral process.

The Role of 18-FDG Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) in Detecting Post- Radiotherapy Loco Regional Relapse/Residual Disease in Nasopharyngeal Cancer.

Background: Post-radiotherapy nasopharyngeal changes represent a diagnostic dilemma. Early detection of persistent or recurrent disease may be translated to better cure rate if salvage therapy is implemented. Neither clinical exam nor current radiological anatomical studies (CT/MRI) can differentiate between benign post therapy changes and recurrence.

Association between XRCC1 G399A Polymorphism and Late Complications to Radiotherapy in Saudi Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Background: It has been hypothesized that patient to patient variation in normal tissue reactions to radiotherapy is associated with the presence of polymorphic variations in genes involved in DNA repair.

Purpose: To test for a possible association between two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), XRCC1 399 G>A Arg/Gln and XRCC3 241 C>T Thr/Met and late reactions to radiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: In this case control study, 50 Head and Neck cancer patients were retrospectively recruited.

Radiosensitivity of human fibroblasts is associated with amino acid substitution variants in susceptible genes and correlates with the number of risk alleles.

Purpose: Genetic predictive markers of radiosensitivity are being sought for stratifying radiotherapy for cancer patients and risk assessment of radiation exposure. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms in susceptible genes are associated with, and the number of risk alleles has incremental effect on, individual radiosensitivity.

Methods And Materials: Six amino acid substitution variants (ATM 1853 Asp/Asn G>A, p53 72 Arg/Pro G>C, p21 31 Ser/Arg C>A, XRCC1 399 Arg/Gln G>A, XRCC3 241 Thr/Met C>T, and TGFbeta1 10 Leu/Pro T>C) were genotyped by direct sequencing in 54 fibroblast strains of different radiosensitivity.

Favorable outcome of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma in a single institution: the British Columbia experience.

Background: Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is a distinct clinico-pathological subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The optimal treatment is unknown, with some studies suggesting a superior outcome with dose-intensive chemotherapy regimens, and the role of radiotherapy remains ill-defined.

Patients And Methods: The British Columbia Cancer Agency lymphoma database was searched and records reviewed to identify those patients presenting with a prominent mediastinal mass and considered to be PMBCL based on the current REAL/WHO classifications.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemo-radiation therapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of neoadjuvant cisplatinum and epirubicin chemotherapy followed by concurrent cisplatinum chemotherapy with radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: One hundred ten patients (80 male, 30 female) with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, staged according to the 1997 International Union Against Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer classification system as IIB (n = 9), III (n = 20), IVA (n = 32), and IVB (n = 49), World Health Organization types II (n = 25) and III (n = 85), were included in this protocol between January 1998 and July 2000 at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Patients underwent two cycles of induction chemotherapy with cisplatinum 100 mg/m(2) and epirubicin 70 mg/m(2) on Days 1 and 21, followed by a radical course of radiotherapy (6,600 cGy in 6.

Maxillary sinus carcinoma. Natural history and outcome.

Objective: To assess natural history, treatment outcome and pattern of relapse in patients with maxillary sinus carcinoma.

Methods: A review was conducted of the medical records of all adult patients with maxillary sinus carcinoma, who were treated at King Faisal Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between January 1990 and December 1999. A total of 60 patients were identified for analysis, 36 men and 24 women; the median age was 58-years (range 23-95).

A study comparing different approaches in managing neck nodes in early carcinoma of the tongue.

Objective: To evaluate elective neck treatment in patients with early stage (T1-2 negative neck node [N0]) squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue.

Methods: The medical records of all patients with early stage (T1-2 N0) of oral tongue cancer at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between January 1980 and December 1997, were identified and retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Our cohort consisted of 93 patients: 45 males and 48 females, with a median age of 60 years.

Stage IV oral cavity carcinoma. Is conventional radical treatment an option?

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of radical treatment for patients with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Methods: Using head and neck tumor database, 57 patients with stage IV non-metastatic invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity treated with curative intent at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between July 1992 and June 1998, were identified and retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Our cohort of patients consisted of 33 males and 24 females, with a median age of 65 years.

Primary thyroid lymphoma: a retrospective analysis of prognostic factors and treatment outcome for localized intermediate and high grade lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting in the thyroid gland is uncommon. A review of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH & RC) experience was performed to assess treatment outcome and prognostic factors in this rare extranodal presentation of localized lymphoma. Sixty patients treated at KFSH & RC between 1975 and 1995 were identified, and their records were reviewed retrospectively.