The effect of HCV serological status on Doxorubicin based chemotherapy induced toxicity and disease-free survival in breast cancer patients

Background: Breast cancer and HCV are two frequent diseases in Egypt. There is a considerable  probability of concurrent affection. This concurrence creates a subpopulation, which needs special  evaluation and care.Objective: To evaluate a subset of Egyptian breast cancer patients receiving Doxorubicin based adjuvant chemotherapy, with HCV seropositivity (group 2) compared to HCV seronegative patients (group 1).Methods: 102 breast cancer patients, planned to receive Doxorubicin based adjuvant chemotherapy, at the Oncology Department, Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, were recruited since June 2009. Pretreatment evaluation included serological testing for HCV. FAC Adjuvant chemotherapy was given for six cycles.Results: HCV seropositivity was detected in 52 cases. Two cases in the seropositive group developed toxic hepatitis and discontinued treatment and follow up. The remaining 100 patients suffered comparable toxicities, except for more frequent liver enzyme elevations in the seropositive group. Diarrhea was also more frequent in the seropositive group. Treatment delays and dose reductions were more frequently observed in the  seropositive group. The 36 month disease-free survival and relapse pattern were not significantly different between the two groups.KEYWORDS Adjuvant chemotherapy; Anthracyclines; Operable breast cancer; HCV; Special populations

Unusual origin and rare presentation of primary cardiac lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoblastic lymphomas are very uncommon tumors that rarely involve the heart; however, when they do, they typically cause cardiac symptoms. Herein, we describe the case of a young woman who presented with respiratory symptoms. These were caused by a high-grade lymphoblastic lymphoma, which originated in the left inferior pulmonary vein and extended into the left atrium. The tumor was surgically debulked, but it recurred in 1 month, and the patient underwent chemotherapy. Six months later, she had recurrent respiratory symptoms, and echocardiography revealed a persistent mass in the left lower lobar vein. A modified chemotherapy regimen led to complete resolution of the tumor within 2 months. We are unaware of other reports of a primary cardiac non-Hodgkin lymphoblastic lymphoma with this unusual site of origin and rare manifestation of symptoms

Health hazards related to Soba sewage treatment plant, Sudan

The aim of this study was to determine the health hazards acquired by the residents nearby Soba sewage treatment plant. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Soba locality, Khartoum, Sudan. An interviewer-administrated questionnaire was assigned to 462 residents of the area living in four geographically distributed squares around the sewage plant. The data was analyzed in SPSS; Cronbach’s alpha reliability scale of measurement was used to check the internal validity of six variables related to the quality of life. A logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the health hazards and the quality of life. Among the 462 residents, difficulty in breathing (37.9%) and nausea (37.2) were the principal health hazards. Moreover, the residents had a satisfactory level of awareness (88.7%) about the health hazards. The utmost impact on the quality of life was psychological (97.2%). It was statistically correlated with the reported factors, which impacted the quality of life in the district as revealed by the Cronbach’s alpha reliability test with absenteeism (P=0.026), disability (P=0.014), socialization (P=0.032) and death (P=0.016). A logistic regression analysis revealed chemical hazards had a statistically significant association (P<0.05) with quality of life of the residents of Soba district. The study strongly entails the fact that sewage treatment plants crave exceptional consideration from the concerned responsible authorities, together with the fact that the evolved health threats should be confronted with immense responsibility as soon as possible