Epidemiological Study of Lung Cancer Incidence in Lebanon

Background and Objectives: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common cancer in the world. Developing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Lebanon, have witnessed a great increase in the incidence rates of this disease. The aim of our study is to investigate the incidence rates of lung cancer in Lebanon from 2005 to 2015 and to compare these rates to other countries from the MENA region and other regions of the world. Material and Methods: Lung cancer data for the years 2005–2015 were collected from the National Cancer Registry of Lebanon and stratified by gender and age group. Age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates were calculated and analyzed using joinpoint regression. Age-standardized incidence rates to the world population (ASR(w)) for other countries were obtained from two online databases. Results: Lung cancer ranked as the second most common cancer in Lebanon and accounted for 9.2% of all newly diagnosed cancers. Lung cancer ASR(w) showed a significantly increasing trend over the period studied for males and females. Lung cancer ASR(w) among males in Lebanon came second after Malta when compared to other MENA countries, but it was among the lowest when compared to non-MENA countries. For females, Lebanon ranked first when compared to other MENA countries but was among the lowest when compared to countries in other regions of the world. The lung cancer incidence rate increased with age in both sexes and 89.2% of patients were 50 years of age or older. Conclusion: Lebanon has the highest incidence of LC in females and the second highest for males in the MENA region. The lung cancer incidence rate is on the rise and older age groups are much more burdened by this disease than the young ones. Several risk factors, particularly smoking, play a role in increased LC incidence among the Lebanese population

Stroke in the Arab World: A bibliometric analysis of research activity (2002–2016)

Background: The Arab world has an increasing prevalence of strokes, a leading cause of death in this part of the world. Aims: The aim of this article is to quantify the stroke research activity in the Arab countries over the past 15 years taking into consideration the population, GDP, and DALY of each country. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted to find stroke research articles published from the Arab countries between 2002 and 2016 (inclusive). Medical subject headings related to strokes and author origin/affiliation were used for this purpose. Results: The Arab world only produced 0.51% of all the stroke-related publications on PubMed even though the stroke-related DALY percentage in this region was greater than 2.88% during the period we studied. In general, the number of publications increased in the last few years. Somalia came first regarding the percentage of stroke to non-stroke publications released. Lebanon had the highest number of publications per GDP (in US Billion Dollars), Qatar had the highest number of publications per million persons (PPMP), while Saudi Arabia had the highest number of publications per 1% of stroke DALY. In addition, a strong positive correlation was found between the number of stroke publications and GDP; however, the correlation between the number of stroke publication and either population size or DALY was a weak positive one. Conclusions: A general increase in publications is noticed, but stroke research activity in the Arab world is still poor compared to other parts of the world. Keywords: Stroke, Bibliometric, Arab world, Population, GDP, DAL

Epidemiological Study of Lung Cancer Incidence in Lebanon

Background and Objectives: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common cancer in the world. Developing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Lebanon, have witnessed a great increase in the incidence rates of this disease. The aim of our study is to investigate the incidence rates of lung cancer in Lebanon from 2005 to 2015 and to compare these rates to other countries from the MENA region and other regions of the world. Material and Methods: Lung cancer data for the years 2005−2015 were collected from the National Cancer Registry of Lebanon and stratified by gender and age group. Age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates were calculated and analyzed using joinpoint regression. Age-standardized incidence rates to the world population (ASR(w)) for other countries were obtained from two online databases. Results: Lung cancer ranked as the second most common cancer in Lebanon and accounted for 9.2% of all newly diagnosed cancers. Lung cancer ASR(w) showed a significantly increasing trend over the period studied for males and females. Lung cancer ASR(w) among males in Lebanon came second after Malta when compared to other MENA countries, but it was among the lowest when compared to non-MENA countries. For females, Lebanon ranked first when compared to other MENA countries but was among the lowest when compared to countries in other regions of the world. The lung cancer incidence rate increased with age in both sexes and 89.2% of patients were 50 years of age or older. Conclusion: Lebanon has the highest incidence of LC in females and the second highest for males in the MENA region. The lung cancer incidence rate is on the rise and older age groups are much more burdened by this disease than the young ones. Several risk factors, particularly smoking, play a role in increased LC incidence among the Lebanese population

A Bibliometric Analysis of COVID-19 Research Activity: A Call for Increased Output

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted many countries across all inhabited continents, and is now considered a global pandemic, due to its high rate of infectivity. Research related to this disease is pivotal for assessing pathogenic characteristics and formulating therapeutic strategies. The aim of this paper is to explore the activity and trends of COVID-19 research since its outbreak in December 2019. METHODS: We explored the PubMed database and the World Health Organization (WHO) database for publications pertaining to COVID-19 since December 2019 up until March 18, 2020. Only relevant observational and interventional studies were included in our study. Data on COVID-19 incidence were extracted from the WHO situation reports. Research output was assessed with respect to gross domestic product (GDP) and population of each country. RESULTS: Only 564 publications met our inclusion criteria. These articles came from 39 different countries, constituting 24% of all affected countries. China produced the greatest number of publications with 377 publications (67%). With respect to continental research activity, Asian countries had the highest research activity with 434 original publications (77%). In terms of publications per million persons (PPMPs), Singapore had the highest number of publications with 1.069 PPMPs. In terms of publications per billion-dollar GDP, Mauritius ranked first with 0.075. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 is a major disease that has impacted international public health on a global level. Observational studies and therapeutic trials pertaining to COVID-19 are essential for assessing pathogenic characteristics and developing novel treatment options

American college of surgeons NSQIP pancreatic surgery publications: A critical appraisal of the quality of methodological reporting

BACKGROUND: The use of ACS-NSQIP has increased in pancreatic surgery (PS) research. The aim of this study is to critically appraise the methodological reporting of PS publications utilizing the ACS-NSQIP database. STUDY DESIGN: PubMed was queried for all PS studies employing the ACS-NSQIP database published between 2004 and 2021. Critical appraisal was performed using the JAMA-Surgery Checklist, STROBE Statement, and RECORD Statement. RESULTS: A total of 86 studies were included. Median scores for number of fulfilled criteria for the JAMA-Surgery Checklist, STROBE Statement, and RECORD Statement were 6, 20, and 6 respectively. The most commonly unfulfilled criteria were those relating to discussion of missed data, compliance with IRB, unadjusted and adjusted outcomes, providing supplementary/raw information, and performing subgroup analyses. CONCLUSION: An overall satisfactory reporting of methodology is present among PS studies utilizing the ACS-NSQIP database. Areas for improved adherence include discussing missed data, providing supplementary information, and performing subgroup analysis. Due to the increasing role of large-scale databases, enhanced adherence to reporting guidelines may advance PS research