cancer patients

Objectives: As the cancer patients are at higher risk of premature deaths due to candidemia. So, the present study aims to evaluate the predictors of candidemia along with its outcomes among hospitalized adults and pediatric cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. The data was collected from the medical records of all the patients who were found positive for Candida species between 1st January 2017 and 31st June 2017. Data were analyzed by using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) and Microsoft Excel (MS Office 2010). Results: Overall, 135 patients were detected with candidemia. Based on blood culture test results, it was found that out of 100 cultures positive for any microorganism there were 2 cases of candidemia. Multivariate analysis revealed that hematological malignancies (AOR: 2.1), and shock (AOR: 9.1) were significantly associated with high risk of mortalities during the index hospitalization, while risk of mortality among cancer patients suffering from Candida albican infection (AOR: 0.47) and those who were administered with antifungal agent after sensitivity report of the fungal culture (AOR: 0.2) was significantly less. Also, there was no significant association of empiric therapy of antifungal agent with the risk of mortality before a positive culture found (p>0.05). Conclusion: Although, no risk factor was found to be associated significantly with candidemia among cancer patients. But hematological malignancies, non-albican candidemia and shock were predictors of higher risk mortality during index hospitalization.

Objective: The liver is the second most common site of distant metastases from breast cancer. We investigated the risk factor liver metastasis in patients with breast cancer. Methods: We studied Age, Menopausal status, Histologic Type, Tumor size, Number of cancerous axillary lymph nodes, in two groups with liver metastases with logistic regression to identify independent liver metastasis risk factors in breast cancer patients. Results: Age, menopausal status, number of cancerous axillary lymph nodes and tumor size are the independent risk factors liver metastases in patients with breast cancer. Conclusion: The increase number of cancerous axillary lymph nodes and tumor size may be diagnostic markers for liver metastases from breast cancer.

Owing to the ever westernizing lifestyles in developing countries like India, the escalation of oral cancer patients are in need of urgent plan of action. With tobacco being the commonest cause for causation of oral cancer, Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2016-17 revealed that almost 28% of whole population of India is consuming tobacco in either smoking or smokeless form. With these increasing numbers, the expected death toll to be expected to touch 1-2 million mark by the year 2035 [1]. Although, the current Onco-medicine fraternity excels in rendering care to oral cancer patients in the form of surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation-therapy. Often, these treatment modalities impart some unwanted adverse effects like, docetaxel (DCT) is known for its hepatotoxicity [2,3] whereas, one of the commonly used cisplatin (CIS) presents with nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, bone marrow suppression and vomiting [4,5]. Literature suggests of many non conventional medicaments being tested in past for their anti onco-genic effect, where few being effective and others being questionable ones. Chlorhexidine being one among them showing some how promising anti onco-genic activity with feeble amount of studies being conducted in past. Chlorhexidine, one of the most commonly prescribed mouthrinse in the field of dentistry, with varying concentrations of 0.12% and 0.2% concentrations. Although, apart from being broad spectrum antibiotic, its capability to dismantle the protein – protein bond between anti – apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein Bcl-xL and its pro – apoptotic binding partners [6]. The current study was conducted on three cell lines of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-4, SCC-9, SCC -15) and two pharynx carcinoma cell lines (FaDu and Detroit 562). The compounds induced apoptosis through mitochondria dependent apoptotic pathway in oral tumour cell lines. Another study conducted to assess the similar anti – oncogenic activites of chlorhexidine mouthrinse along with cranberry [7]. It was evident from results that, with increasing concentrations of chlorhexidine mouthrinse, there was increase in mean percent growth inhibition. The authors concluded saying, chlorhexidine has showed both anti cancerous as well as anti bacterial activity required to tackle common oral infections, part of common anti cancer therapy. Fernando Martínez-Pérez et al (2019) conducted study, where antitumor activity of Lipophilic Bismuth Nanoparticles (BisBAL NPs) and chlorhexidine on human squamous cell carcinoma was assessed using energy dispersive X – ray spectroscopy in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (EDS-SEM). Study revealed, BisBAL NPs and chlorhexidine both showed cell growth inhibition on both cancer cell line (CAL-27) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Although, chlorhexidine showed non specific cytotoxicity for both tumoral and non tumoral control cells. The suggestive mechanism of action might be loss of cell membrane integrity [8]. Although Eliot MN (2013) conducted study, to assess the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma secondary to use of alcohol containing and non alcoholic mouthwashes including chlorhexidine. The study was concluded with an assumption based on chlorhexidine mouthwash alters the oral flora [9], thus resulting in increasing risk exponentially through diverse change in oral bacteria and altered immune response with contribution towards genesis or promotion of cancer [10]. On the contrary, alcohol consumption and smoking are predisposing factors towards upper digestive tract cancer. The main causative factor being the first metabolite of alcohol, acetaldehyde. And much higher levels are derived from oral bacteria and thus, same can be altered in favour through usage of chlorhexidine mouthwash, to avoid excessive production of acetaldehyde intra orally. In conclusion, chlorhexidine mouthwash has been into dental practice since long and the role it plays in either ways has to be assessed by a multi dimensional study with cell lines including that of control to derive better compared conclusions.

Objective: Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers in men and women worldwide as well as one of the most common causes of death from cancer. It has a higher prevalence in men than women. The treatment of colorectal cancer (surgically or through chemotherapy) severely affects both patients and their families. The objective of the study was to identify cases of colorectal cancer, evaluate their demographic and clinical data, and identify any statistical relationship. Methods: This is a retrospective study. The data were collected through the revision of cancer patients’ files in the Chemotherapy Center at Vlore Regional Hospital, Vlore, Albania. The analysis included files from 2015-March 2019. A total of 72 patients’ files with colorectal cancer were analyzed. Result: Mean age of patients 66.36 ± SD10.99 years old, range 38-86. Most of the patients were male (n = 45) and with colon cancer type (n = 44). 19 patients had treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. 56.34% of patients with colorectal cancer are still alive. The results of the study are the same as the global trend in terms of age, gender, type of cancer but not in terms of years of survival, which appear lower. Conclusion: The study suggests that in demographic terms patients with colorectal cancer have no difference from world trend. There was also a marked lack of documentation regarding the clinical data of patients. The complete and accurate documentation of cases with colorectal cancer is recommended to develop quality models of nursing care as well as to design effective promotional and preventive campaigns for colorectal cancer.

According to the World Health Organization definition, palliative care is an approach aimed at increasing the quality of life of patients and their relatives by addressing physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs and treating conditions early, such as pain while they are coming to terms with a life-threatening disease [1]. Palliative care services have started a rapid progress in developed countries such as Scandinavian countries, England and Canada since the beginning of 1990 [2]. Although palliative care cares for any patient who is in need of care, whether bed-bound or unable to look after themselves, one of the main area of interest is of course oncological patients and their relatives. Patients with advanced cancer, frequent sufferings from physical and psychological symptoms - primarily pain, reduced functional capacity, and reduced quality of life are in the scope of palliative care protocol [3]. The most common end-of-life symptoms and signs in palliative cancer patients are pain, anorexia, nausea, cachexia, weakness, dyspnea, ascites, anxiety, agitation, delirium, confusion and pressure sores. In order to achieve quality and continuous care in case management, a family doctor, specific branch specialist, nurse, dietician, psychologist, cleric, etc. should work together in a multidisciplinary approach and clinical guidelines and care protocols should be implemented [4]. However, it should be kept in mind that increasing the medication dose may not always be beneficial to the oncological patients in palliative services. The goal should always be maximum benefit with minimal tests and treatment. Palliative care does not aim to accelerate or postpone death; but it has many benefits in cancer patients and their relatives including the integration of the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of patient care into physical care, providing support for patients to live as active as possible until the last moment, improving the quality of life and the disease process, providing help and support in the grieving process [1,5]. Providing good care to advanced cancer patients requires that caregivers are educated and supported about their patients’ physical, psychological and social care needs. Balancing the physical and emotional needs of the caregivers will reduce the stress they experience, as well as increase the quality of life of their patients [6,7]. Professionalism in palliative care comes into play right at this point. There is no consensus in the medical world about by whom, when and to whom palliative care should be given. In this regard, the conflicts of opinion between specific branches such as anesthesia, internal medicine and neurology are inevitable. We think that the team leader should be a family physician or a palliative care specialist. The reason for this is the family medicine’s principles of core competencies including biopsycosocial, holistic, comprehensive approach and equal distance to specific branches. Of course when the palliative care specialist is the team leader the patient’s own family doctor still provides invaluable service because of his intimate and long-term knowledge about the patients. One key difference in some countries is that no distinction is being made between palliative and hospice care. Neither the insurance companies nor the state demands such classification because it doesn’t serve any practical purpose at the moment. However, in due time such distinction will be inevitable as one of the cost-cutting measure. Medical oncology will have to report about the expected survival of the cancer patients and it will further increase their workload given the exponential increase in cancer cases.

Diabetes mellitus increases the possibility of different cancers. Scientists have substantiated the link of diabetes with increased prevalence, augmented progression and improved cancer aggression. Research has strengthened link of diabetes with the colorectal cancer risk among various cancers. Diagnosis and treatment have made some progress in recent years, but Colorectal is major issue for the health of people even today. In order to reduce cancer mortality, there is importance of prophylaxis, evaluation and proper treatment. Factors distressing cancer prognosis is required by policy-making system for beneficial approaches of cancer patients and improvement of disease. Eventually diabetes- specific strategies for different cancers are explored.

Immunization with human recombinant EGF chemically bound to the P64k protein of Neisseria meningitides (hrEGF-P64k) and adjuvanted in Montanide ISA 51 VG (Montanide) is an efficient strategy to induce polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) response targeting this self -antigen in cancer patients, which is the basis of the CIMAvax-EGF vaccine. The neutralizing potential of EGF-specific induced PAbs supports promising clinical data obtained to date with this vaccine. Herein, we evaluated a combination of very small-size proteoliposomes (VSSP) and aluminum hydroxide (Alum) as a novel adjuvant to induce specific PAbs with neutralizing and anti-proliferative properties on tumor cells, considering EGF as a model antigen. Toxicity at the injection site was not detected for the vaccine formulation containing VSSP/Alum, and it was immunogenic in BALB/c mice, as evidenced by the induction of high titers of EGF-specific polyclonal antibodies (PAbs). While schedule optimization increased the magnitude of the PAbs response induced by VSSP/Alum, induced PAbs’s avidity and intrinsic neutralizing potential were comparable to the humoral response induced by Montanide. Also, VSSP addition switched IgG subclasses distribution into a Th1-like pattern, as obtained with Montanide and desirable for a cancer vaccine. Finally, equivalent PAbs titers were induced by the vaccine formulations adjuvanted in VSSP/Alum or Montanide in tumor-bearing-mice, and immunosuppressed mice, suggesting the feasibility of the VSSP/Alum combined adjuvant for inducing anti-EGF antibodies in cancer patients at advanced stages of the disease.

Through the development of new analysis technologies, many issues regarding the approach to tumoral diseases have been elucidated. With analytical assays developed in the last years, various omics technologies have evolved in such a manner that the characteristics of tumor cells and products can be evaluated (assessed) in the bloodstream of cancer patients at different times. Ovarian Cancer (OC) is one of the most difficult to diagnose umors, with low survival rates due to the high heterogeneity of these diseases that are distinct in terms of etiology and molecular characteristics, but which simply share an anatomical appearance. Recent findings have indicated that several types of ovarian cancer classified into different histotypes are in fact derived from non-ovarian issues and share few molecular similarities. Within this context, ovarian cancer screening and diagnosis can be made through the evaluation of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood using liquid biopsy technologies. Advances in the study of various molecules analyzed by liquid biopsy have shown that elucidation of intratumoural and intertumoural heterogeneity and spatial and temporal tumor evolution could be traced by serial blood tests rather than by histopathological analyses of tissue samples from a primary tumor. Therefore, evaluation of some molecules such as circulating tumor cells (CTC), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating cell-free RNA (non-coding and mRNA, extracellular vesicles), tumor-educated platelets or different miRNAs using liquid biopsy could lead to improvement of patient management.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of dietary components, physical activity, smoking and Obesity in colorectal cancer.Materials and methods: With a population-based case-control study, 49 colorectal cancer patients and 72 controls were interviewed with uniform questionnaires. Conditional logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis of colorectal cancer. A total of 121 pairs of case controls were interviewed.Results: Relationship between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal cancer was shown in this study, obesity was shown in 21 patients (42.86) before cancer and in 0% of patients during colorectal cancer. Physical activity was a significant risk factor p < 0.0001. Malnutrition was noted in 48 patients (97. 96%) according to Brachial muscular circumference in patients with colorectal cancer (p = 0.002). Daily consumption of sugar Khi² of Wald (5.423) and butter Khi² of Wald (7.694) is higher in cases than in controls.  During that time, high daily consumption of pasta (p = 0.018) and vegetables (p = 0.045) was a protective factor for colorectal cancer.Conclusion: Colorectal cancer in Algeria was related to dietary and environmental factors. The research results support the colorectal cancer etiological hypothesis of deficiency vegetable and high consumption of lipids and sugar.  Obesity and lack of physical activity were also correlated with colorectal cancer.

This is a literature review study focusing on the expression of p53 and WT1. Both the p53 and WT1 proteins are tumor suppressors, which means that they play a role in preventing the progression into cancerous ones. If these proteins are altered or deleted, they lose the ability to carry out their role, which might result in the development of cancer. The primary objectives of this study were to review the literature regarding the expression of both p53 and WT1 and to investigate their prognostic significance; and to discuss our new hypothesis regarding the ratios of expression of WT1/p53, as well as our model regarding acute myeloid leukemia. In brief, the objectives were to make the focus in the suggested hypothesis as well as collecting the supportive literature. According to the findings of the current research, the level of expression of WT1 and p53 can indicate either a favorable or unfavorable prognosis for cancer patients. Further, we demonstrated that the expression, not just as a quality variable but also as a quantity variable, may have a more substantial explanation in the progression of tumors than we had previously thought. According to the theory that was derived from this research, if the expression of WT1/p53 (the expression is given as a ratio) is somewhere around 4, then p53 acts as though it were wild type and offers protection against tumors. In order to verify this idea, we need to do additional study.

Background: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women and the quality of life of women with breast cancer is a significant healthcare issue specifically in developing and underdeveloped countries.Globally quality of Life (QoL) has become an important indicator to measure the outcomes of medical and nursing interventions. The QoL studies have an imperative role in healthcare especially in chronic disease as the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities have increased the survival rates and duration of cancer patients. Similarly, breast cancer itself and its treatment with Chemotherapy, in particular, has many complications and negative impacts on the QoL of cancer women. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the QoL of Pakistani women with Breast Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and the relationship of QoL with socio-demographic variables.Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on 110 female breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. FACIT-B questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life of these patients. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS version 20 using the Pearson correlation coefficient, Chi-square test, and Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. Results: The mean age of participants was (mean ± SD) 42.98 ± 8.98. A significant negative correlation was observed with age and QoL, r = -0.218, p - value 0.022. No significant association was observed between QoL and marital status; education status; and socioeconomic status.Conclusion: The majority of breast cancer women 59(53.6%) had moderate QoL and Chemotherapy also showed moderate impacts on different domains: physical, functional emotional, social, and sexual well-being of the women.

Anxiety is also a very common disorder, both in patients and their family members. Anxiety and stress can compromise the quality of life of cancer patients and their families. Feelings of anxiety and anguish can occur at various times of the disease path: during screening, waiting for test results, at diagnosis, during treatment or at the next stage due to concern about relapses. Anxiety and distress can affect the patient’s ability to cope with diagnosis or treatment, frequently causing reduced adherence to follow-up visits and examinations, indirectly increasing the risk of failure to detect a relapse, or a delay in treatment; and anxiety can increase the perception of pain, affect sleep, and accentuate nausea due to adjuvant therapies. Failure to identify and treat anxiety and depression in the context of cancer increases the risk of poor quality of life and potentially results in increased disease-related morbidity and mortality [1]. From all this we deduce the need and importance of dedicated psychological and psychiatric support for these patients within the Breast Unit. The fact that the psycho-oncologist who is dedicated to the care of patients with breast cancer must be an integrated figure in the multidisciplinary team of the Senological Center and not an external consultant is enshrined in the same European Directives that concern the legislation concerning the requirements that a Breast Unit must have in order to be considered a Full Breast Unit (Wilson AMR, et al. 2013).One of the most complex situations you find yourself dealing with is communication with the patient. This communication is particularly complex in two fragile subpopulations that are represented by women. [Menditto L. T (Tirannie) Cancer of the Breast. Am J Psychol & Brain Stud, 2023; 1(1):26-30].

Background: Cervical Cancer poses a significant global health challenge, especially in lowresource settings. It is a significant health problem worldwide, with over half a million new cases diagnosed each year, accounting for approximately 6.6% of all gynecological Cancer cases and over 300,000 deaths each year. In Zambia, it is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among women. The number of cases has increased by approximately 40%. This study explored the lived experiences of Cervical Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, focusing on their subjective experiences. By examining their journeys through chemotherapy, the study aimed to highlight the subtle complexities in which treatment impacts patients’ lives and well-being.  Methods and procedures: Employing a qualitative descriptive phenomenological study design, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants with diverse demographics. The sample size was determined by data saturation and saturation was reached at 10. Ethical protocols were ensured, and Study approval was obtained from UNZABREC and the National Health Research Authority. Thematic analysis was conducted on audio-recorded interviews with cervical cancer patients, ensuring confidentiality and accuracy while discerning significant patterns and themes in their narratives. Results/findings: Emotional experiences ranged from anxiety to gratitude. Psychological challenges encompassed coping mechanisms, stress management, emotional adjustments, and treatment-related fears. Socially, community support, workplace accommodations, and healthcare provider roles were key. Physical experiences revealed side effects managed through coping strategies. Financial challenges significantly impacted individuals and families.  Conclusions and recommendations: The study revealed that cervical cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy face complex challenges spanning emotional, psychological, social, physical, and financial domains, underscoring the imperative for comprehensive patient-centered care. Recommendations suggest focusing on financial aid for cancer patients and tackling treatment expenses and insurance issues. The Cancer Diseases Hospital should establish multidisciplinary teams for holistic care, and enhance patient education efforts. Nurses should adopt strategies integrating cultural competence and patient-centered care to address diverse challenges during chemotherapy. These aim to enhance the well-being and care quality of Cervical Cancer patients.