The Relation between Awareness of Cancer Diagnosis and Spiritual Health among Cancer Patients

Introduction: Disclosure of cancer diagnosis is one the main challenges in caring of patients with cancer since it may have negative effects on the spiritual health of patients. No study has ever been performed in Iran to investigate the relationship between awareness of cancer diagnosis and spiritual health in cancer patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to review the effects of awareness of cancer on spiritual health in patients with cancer. Methods: This was a descriptive-comparative study conducted in Shahid Ghazi Tabatabaei University Hospital in 2009. The subjects included 150 patients aware of their cancer diagnosis and 150 unaware patients. The patients were selected through convenient sampling method. Using a questionnaire, the patient's spiritual health was assessed. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS17 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results showed the mean (SD) of spiritual health among aware and unaware patients to be 75.1 (3.8) and 75.4 (3.9), respectively. Statistically, there was no significant difference between the spiritual health of the two groups (p = 0.96). Conclusion: These findings showed that awareness of cancer diagnosis had no effects on spiritual health of patients. It is not surprising considering Iranian culture. However, confirmation of this finding requires further studies

Nucleostemin depletion induces post-G1 arrest apoptosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells

Abstract Purpose: Despite significant improvements in treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the emergence of leukemic stem cell (LSC) concept questioned efficacy of current therapeutical protocols. Remaining issue on CML includes finding and targeting of the key genes responsible for self-renewal and proliferation of LSCs. Nucleostemin (NS) is a new protein localized in the nucleolus of most stem cells and tumor cells which regulates their self-renewal and cell cycle progression. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of NS knocking down in K562 cell line as an in vitro model of CML. Methods: NS gene silencing was performed using a specific small interfering RNA (NS-siRNA). The gene expression level of NS was evaluated by RT-PCR. The viability and growth rate of K562 cells were determined by trypan blue exclusion test. Cell cycle distribution of the cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: Our results showed that NS knocking down inhibited proliferation and viability of K562 cells in a time-dependent manner. Cell cycle studies revealed that NS depletion resulted in G1 cell cycle arrest at short times of transfection (24 h) followed with apoptosis at longer times (48 and 72 h), suggest that post-G1 arrest apoptosis is occurred in K562 cells. Conclusion: Overall, these results point to essential role of NS in K562 cells, thus, this gene might be considered as a promising target for treatment of CML

Colorectal Cancer in Iran: Molecular Epidemiology and Screening Strategies

Purpose. The increasing incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the past three decades in Iran has made it a major public health burden. This study aimed to report its epidemiologic features, molecular genetic aspects, survival, heredity, and screening pattern in Iran. Methods. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the relevant published articles. We used medical subject headings, including colorectal cancer, molecular genetics, KRAS and BRAF mutations, screening, survival, epidemiologic study, and Iran. Results. Age standardized incidence rate of Iranian CRCs was 11.6 and 10.5 for men and women, respectively. Overall five-year survival rate was 41%, and the proportion of CRC among the younger age group was higher than that of western countries. Depending on ethnicity, geographical region, dietary, and genetic predisposition, mutation genes were considerably diverse and distinct among CRCs across Iran. The high occurrence of CRC in records of relatives of CRC patients showed that family history of CRC was more common among young CRCs. Conclusion. Appropriate screening strategies for CRC which is amenable to early detection through screening, especially in relatives of CRCs, should be considered as the first step in CRC screening programs

Utilization evaluation of factor concentration and frequencyof bleeds among patients with haemophilia "A" and haemophilia "B" in northwest Iran

Background Haemophilia A and B are X-linked bleeding disorders which result in decreased blood levels of coagulants. According to some studies, Hemophilia Severity Score (HSS) is higher in severe Haemophilia A(HA) than in severe Haemophilia B(HB). Objectives The aim of this study was comparison of bleed frequency and utilization of factor concentrate between HA and HB patients. Materials/Patients and Methods This is a single institution retrospective study, and we gathered information from records of our Hemophilia Clinic .Our samples consisted of 176 Haemophilia A and 35 Haemophilia B severe and moderate deficient patients. All of our patients used on-demand treatment with plasma derived factor concentrates. Chi-Square , one sample T and Mann-Whitney U tests were used. All the calculations were performed with MedCalc Statistical Software 12.1.4 version. Results Overall admission rates for patients with Haemophilia A were 3.125/patient/year and for Haemophilia B were 0.77/patient/year (P<0.05).The amount of factor concentrates used by our HA patient was 3731500IU of FVIII (21201.704 IU/patient/year), and 611000 IU of Factor IX , by patients with hemophilia B(17457.142 IU/patient/year).The difference in the usage of factor concentrate was not statistically significant (P=0.57). Conclusion The data suggest that the two inherited coagulation disorders (Haemophilia A and Haemophilia B) have a different severity of clinical phenotype. Our findings correlate with findings by some other similar studies that have been published recently

Usefulness of CD45 density in the diagnosis of B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders

Background: Although many B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (BCLPDs) including B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) have characteristic clinical and biological features, the overlapping morphologic and immunophenotypic profiles of various BCLPDs, is still the main problem. Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of CD45 expression in the immunological classification of BCLPDs. Setting and design: A prospective study was set in a university hospital to investigate the CD45 intensity, particularly in B-CLL. Materials and Methods: The expression of CD45 in 37 patients with BCLPD including typical B-CLL (Group I), atypical B-CLL and CLL/PLL (II), and hairy cell leukemia (HCL), B-prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL), and B-non Hodgkin′s lymphoma (B-NHL) as non-CLL BCLPDs (III) and in eight healthy age matched controls (IV) was quantitatively compared by flow cytometric CD45/RALS gating strategy. Statistical analysis: The mean, median, and peak channel scores of CD45 obtained for the four groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance test. A P value < 0.05 was to be considered statistically significant. Results: Lower CD45 density is associated highly with typical CLL and differences between typical CLL and other groups were significant (P>0.001, 0.001, and 0.001). Non-CLL cases had significantly brighter CD45 expression than atypical CLL (P=0.014). No differences were found between normal lymphocytes and non-CLL BCLPD cases. Conclusions: CD45 is a useful marker, to discriminate the typical CLL from the non-CLL BCLPD and from atypical CLL

Comparison of bone mineral density in young patients with breast cancer and healthy women

BACKGROUND: Almost 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer during their lifetime. Several risk factors were identified; however, 70% of females with breast cancer have no risk factors. Many risk factors are associated with sex steroid hormones. Some studies have been focused on identification of the indices of cumulative exposures to estrogen during the patients’ life. One of these indicators is bone mineral density (BMD). Our aim was the comparison of BMD in young patients with and without breast cancer, and finding a relationship between breast cancer and bone density. METHODS: In this case-control study, 120 people were enrolled; 40 patients with breast cancer and 80 normal healthy persons as control group. Measurement of BMD was performed in both groups and compared. RESULTS: Both groups were matched in age, weight, age at menarche, age at first marriage and first pregnancy, number of pregnancies over 32 weeks and lactation period, and taking supplemental calcium and vitamin D. However, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of estrogen intake, family history of breast cancer, and history of breast masses (P = 0.03, P = 0.03, P ≤ 0.01, respectively). A significant difference was found between BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), and t-scores of lumbar spine of the two groups; they were higher in the control group (P = 0.08, P ≤ 0.01, P = 0.06, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that bone mineral density of young patients with breast cancer is not higher than normal similar age females; thus, BMD is not directly a risk factor for breast cancer