Translocation t(1;19) in acute precursor B-cell lymphoblastic Leukaemia in paediatric patients- Pakistani population.

Objective: To determine the impact of translocation t(1;19) in paediatric patients diagnosed with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised data from January 2012 to January 2018 of paediatric patients diagnosed with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Data of patients having t(1;19) translocation with or without complex karyotype formed group A, while data of patients without any cytogenetic abnormality formed the control group B.

Integrating real-world data from Brazil and Pakistan into the OMOP common data model and standardized health analytics framework to characterize COVID-19 in the Global South.

Objectives: The aim of this work is to demonstrate the use of a standardized health informatics framework to generate reliable and reproducible real-world evidence from Latin America and South Asia towards characterizing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Global South.

Materials And Methods: Patient-level COVID-19 records collected in a patient self-reported notification system, hospital in-patient and out-patient records, and community diagnostic labs were harmonized to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership common data model and analyzed using a federated network analytics framework. Clinical characteristics of individuals tested for, diagnosed with or tested positive for, hospitalized with, admitted to intensive care unit with, or dying with COVID-19 were estimated.

Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma: A Tumor With Uncertain Behavior and Various Clinicopathological Presentations.

Background Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare soft tissue neoplasm of uncertain differentiation, which has various clinical and morphological presentations. Although it behaves in a benign manner, it has malignant potential. Aim To share various histological patterns and survival data in our population of this rare entity.

Control of Oesophageal Tumour-related Bleeding with a Fully Covered Self-expandable Metallic Stent (SEMS) Insertion.

The role of metallic stents in the management of refractory variceal bleeding is now well established however, they have been rarely used in the treatment of malignant gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding. To our knowledge, there are only three case reports in this regard, where fully covered self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) were placed for the treatment of bleeding duodenal tumours. We have shared an experience of a novel and successful treatment of the oesophageal tumour-related bleeding with a fully covered SEMS.

Gastric Lymphoma: Severe Gastric Outlet Obstruction Warranting Stent Placement.

Primary gastric lymphoma is an uncommon entity accounting for <5% of primary gastric neoplasms and 10-15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It may present with nonspecific symptoms or features of gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). GOO can develop prior to or during treatment due to disease or post-treatment scarring.

Glucagonoma Syndrome: A Rare Paraneoplastic Disorder due to Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Pancreas.

Glucagonoma syndrome is an extremely rare paraneoplastic disorder. The key presenting feature is a rash (necrolytic migratory erythema) which can easily be misdiagnosed as a primary skin disorder. Moreover, 50 to 80 % of patients already have metastatic disease at diagnosis.

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma: A case report and literature review.

Background: Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma (PHL) is a rare tumor with a very low incidence of about 0.2%.

Case Summary: A 48-year-old diabetic, hypertensive, and morbidly obese female patient presented with a history of abdominal pain and weight loss for 2 mo.

Experiences of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Biobank during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pakistan has an approximate population of 228.9 million. In 2020, 178,388 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Pakistan.

Non-Hodgkin's Vaginal Lymphoma: A Rare Presentation.

Vaginal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a rare entity. We report a case of a 38-year-old lady who presented with complaints of lower abdominal pain for three to four months and vaginal bleeding for one month. Her examination under general anesthesia revealed a hard vaginal mass which was biopsied and immunohistochemistry was performed.

Country data on AMR in Pakistan in the context of community-acquired respiratory tract infections: links between antibiotic susceptibility, local and international antibiotic prescribing guidelines, access to medicine and clinical outcome.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global public health. Selection of resistant bacteria is driven by inappropriate use of antibiotics, amongst other factors. COVID-19 may have exacerbated AMR due to unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.

COVID-19 in cancer patients with diabetes in Pakistan: Clinical features and management.

Background: Diabetes and cancer are the leading causes of mortality all over the world. Infectious diseases are more common and/or life-threatening in patients with diabetes. Cancer patients with diabetes are individuals that are more susceptible to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Cancer research in Pakistan: Opportunities, challenges and the way forward.

Chronic disease disparities, in low and middle income countries (LMICs), need to be addressed through research to improve health equity. Most LMICs including Pakistan have a huge burden of non communicable disease (NCDs) like cancer and a high number of deaths due to cancer. National Cancer Control Programmes are recommended for countries with high cancer burden like Pakistan to ensure systematic implementation of evidence based strategies for cancer control however there is limited capacity for evidence generation through research.

Emergency Management of Ventilation Failure Through Blocked Tracheostomy Tube in a Paediatric Patient.

The most common complication of tracheostomy tubes in children is blockage of the tube. We report a case where ventilation after induction of anaesthesia was not possible even though there were no signs of impending obstruction. An eight-year-old child, recently diagnosed with left tonsillar embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, presented for an MRI face and bone marrow biopsy before starting treatment.

A Rare Case of Chest Wall Abscess by Nocardia in a Patient With Sarcoidosis.

Nocardia is a rare gram-positive pathogen reported to cause infections in immunocompromised individuals. It usually involves the lungs but may also lead to abscess formation; cases of disseminated nocardiosis have also been reported. We are presenting a case of an Asian male who had sarcoidosis with pulmonary and skin involvement.

Diaphragmatic Hernia Presenting as Acute Gastric Outlet Obstruction: A Rare Complication of Left Lower Lobectomy.

Diaphragmatic hernia is defined as the prolapse of abdominal contents into the thoracic cavity through a defect in the diaphragm that is either congenital or acquired. Acquired hernias are common in adults and frequently occur as the result of trauma, either iatrogenic or non-iatrogenic. Iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernia is a rare complication of patient-related treatment maneuvers/procedures.

Managing Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Children.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare pediatric tumor. It differs from its adult counterpart in many ways like etiology, biological behavior, and association with cirrhosis. Treating HCC requires a multidisciplinary team involving pediatric gastroenterology, oncology, hepatobiliary surgery, and interventional radiology.

The Outcome of Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas in Terms of Resection Margins: A Study From a Cancer Dedicated Center.

Introduction Extremity soft-tissue sarcomas are uncommon malignancies of mesenchymal tissue, it accounts for <1 % of cancers and has a high recurrence rate with positive resection margins and unplanned excision. This study aims to determine the influence of unplanned excision and resection margins on local recurrence, metastasis, and overall survival in soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities. Methods A retrospective review was conducted from January 2005 to December 2015 on all the patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities.

Pseudogenes and Liquid Phase Separation in Epigenetic Expression.

Pseudogenes have been considered as non-functional genes. However, peptides and long non-coding RNAs produced by pseudogenes are expressed in different tumors. Moreover, the dysregulation of pseudogenes is associated with cancer, and their expressions are higher in tumors compared to normal tissues.

Metallic stent insertion to relieve malignant bowel obstruction in a child: a case report.

Self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) have been widely used in adults to relieve obstruction secondary to colorectal tumours. However, there is a paucity of literature about their use in children, with only a few case reports describing stent insertion in children with benign colonic conditions. There is one case report on a malignant colonic condition in a child by Hussain .

Prevalence of FANCM germline variants in BRCA1/2 negative breast and/or ovarian cancer patients from Pakistan.

The Fanconi anemia complementation group M (FANCM) gene is a potential candidate for breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility in European populations. Here, we examined the contribution of FANCM germline variants to hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer in Pakistan. Comprehensive FANCM variant screening was performed in 201 BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) negative Pakistani patients with and without triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and/or ovarian cancer, using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (DHPLC) followed by DNA sequencing.

Vaccine hesitancy and refusal among parents: An international ID-IRI survey.

Introduction: Although vaccines are the safest and most effective means to prevent and control infectious diseases, the increasing rate of vaccine hesitancy and refusal (VHR) has become a worldwide concern. We aimed to find opinions of parents on vaccinating their children and contribute to available literature in order to support the fight against vaccine refusal by investigating the reasons for VHR on a global scale.

Methodology: In this international cross-sectional multicenter study conducted by the Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative (ID-IRI), a questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was used to determine parents' attitudes towards vaccination of their children.