Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 623 in total

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  1. Zunura'in Z, Almardhiyah AR, Gan SH, Arifin WN, Sirajudeen K, Bhavaraju V, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2016;17(9):4439-4444.
    PMID: 27797258
    The objective of this case-control study was to determine anthropometric and reproductive factors associated with the development of breast cancer among women. Fifty-six newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were recruited from the Oncology Clinic, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and 56 healthy female hospital employees were recruited as controls. Socio-demographic and reproductive data were obtained using a standard questionnaire. Anthropometric factors (body weight, height, body fat percentage, visceral fat and waist and hip circumference) were assessed. A high waist circumference (adjusted OR= 1.04, [95% CI: 1.00, 1.09]) and being more than 30 years of age at rst full-term pregnancy (adjusted OR=3.77, [95% CI: 1.10, 12.90]) were predictors of breast cancer development. The results of this study indicate that weight and reproductive health management should be emphasized for breast cancer prevention in Malaysia.

    Study site: Oncology clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM)
  2. Zulkifli A, Abidin NZ, Abidin EZ, Hashim Z, Rahman AA, Rasdi I, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(12):4815-21.
    PMID: 24998546
    BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the relationship between respiratory health of Malaysian adolescents with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and smoke-free legislation (SFL) implementation.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 898 students from 21 schools across comprehensive- and partial-SFL states were recruited. SHS exposures and respiratory symptoms were assessed via questionnaire. Prenatal and postnatal SHS exposure information was obtained from parental-completed questionnaire.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was: 11.9% ever wheeze, 5.6% current wheeze, 22.3% exercise-induced wheeze, 12.4% nocturnal cough, and 13.1% self-reported asthma. SHS exposure was most frequently reported in restaurants. Hierarchical logistic regression indicates living in a comprehensive-SFL state was not associated with a lower risk of reporting asthma symptoms. SHS exposure in public transport was linked to increased risk for wheeze (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 16.6; 95%confidence interval (CI), 2.69-101.7) and current wheezing (AOR 24.6; 95%CI, 3.53-171.8).

    CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents continue to be exposed to SHS in a range of public venues in both comprehensive- and partial-SFL states. Respiratory symptoms are common among those reporting SHS exposure on public transportation. Non-compliance with SFL appears to be frequent in many venues across Malaysia and enforcement should be given priority in order to reduce exposure.

  3. Zulkepli NA, Rou KV, Sulaiman WN, Salhin A, Saad B, Seeni A
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(1):259-63.
    PMID: 21517268
    One of the main aims of cancer chemopreventive studies is to identify ideal apoptotic inducers, especially examples which can induce early apoptotic activity. The present investigation focused on chemopreventive effects of a hydrazone derivative using an in vitro model with tongue cancer cells. Alteration in cell morphology was ascertained, along with stage in the cell cycle and proliferation, while living-dead status of the cells was confirmed under a confocal microscope. In addition, cytotoxicity test was performed using normal mouse skin fibroblast cells. The results showed that the compound inhibited the growth of tongue cancer cells with an inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 0.01 mg/ml in a dose and time-dependent manner, with a two-fold increase in early apoptotic activity and G0G1 phase cell cycle arrest compared to untreated cells. Exposure to the compound also resulted in alterations of cell morphology including vacuolization and cellular shrinkage. Confocal microscope analysis using calcein and ethidium staining confirmed that the compound caused cell death, whereas no cytotoxic effects on normal mouse skin fibroblast cells were observed. In conclusion, the findings in this study suggested that the hydrazone derivative acts as an apoptotic inducer with anti-proliferative chemopreventive activity in tongue cancer cells.
  4. Zulkarnain S, Yunus N, Kandasamy R, Zun AB, Mat Zin AA
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2020 Oct 01;21(10):3085-3091.
    PMID: 33112571 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.10.3085
    OBJECTIVE: Glioma is the commonest primary malignant brain tumour. Diagnosis is made based on cytology smear, frozen section and histopathological examination. Intraoperative pathological diagnosis using either cytology smear, frozen section or combination of both, plays a crucial role in patient's future management and prognosis. This study aims to determine the accuracy of cytology smear and frozen section in glioma, and to compare the difference between both techniques.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 22 cases of glioma diagnosed intraoperatively from January 2013 until August 2019 in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. The selected tissues were processed for cytology smear and frozen section. The remaining tissues were proceeded for paraffin section. The diagnosis was categorized as either low-grade or high-grade glioma based on cellularity, nuclear pleomorphism, mitotic count, microvascular proliferation and necrosis. The sensitivity and specificity of frozen section and cytology smears were determined based on paraffin section being as the gold standard. The accuracy of both techniques was compared using statistical analysis.

    RESULTS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of cytology smear were 100% and 76.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, the sensitivity and specificity of frozen section were 100% and 84.6%. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between cytology smear and frozen section in glioma (p>0.05).

    CONCLUSION: Cytology smears provides an alternative method for frozen section due to good cellularity and morphology on smear. Cytology smear is rapid, inexpensive, small amount of tissue requirement and less technical demand. This finding may benefit to the hospital or treatment centres where frozen section facility is unavailable.

  5. Zhao MM, Awang Z, Jumuddin FAB
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2024 Feb 01;25(2):603-608.
    PMID: 38415547 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.2.603
    OBJECTIVE: To analyze the high expression of peroxisome membrane protein 4 (PXMP4) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical significance.

    METHODS: The expression of PXMP4 mRNA in HCC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues was detected by Q-PCR, and the expression of PXMP4 protein was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The correlation of PXMP4 protein expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of HCC was analyzed.

    RESULTS: The expression levels of PXMP4 mRNA and protein in HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (P < 0.05), and its high expression was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion and TNM stage (P < 0.05). Patients with high expression of PXMP4 had a poor prognosis (P < 0.05).

    CONCLUSION: The high expression of PXMP4 may promote the occurrence and development of HCC, and inhibition of PXMP4 may be one of the potential molecular targets for targeted therapy of HCC.

  6. Zamaniah WI, Mastura MY, Phua CE, Adlinda A, Marniza S, Rozita AM
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(20):8987-92.
    PMID: 25374241
    BACKGROUND: The efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer is well established. We aimed to investigate the long-term efficacy of definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer in the University of Malaya Medical Centre.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort of 60 patients with FIGO stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer who were treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin followed by intracavitary brachytherapy or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) boost between November 2001 and May 2008 were analysed. Patients were initially treated with weekly intravenous cisplatin (40 mg/m2) concurrent with daily EBRT to pelvis of 45-50 Gy followed by low dose rate brachytherapy or EBRT boost to tumour. Local control rate, progression free survival, overall survival and treatment related toxicities graded by the RTOG criteria were evaluated.

    RESULTS: The mean age was 56. At the median follow-up of 72 months, the estimated 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) (median PFS 39 months) and the 5-year overall survival (OS) (median OS 51 months) were 48% and 50% respectively. The 5-year local control rate was 67.3%. Grade 3-4 late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity occurred in 9.3% of patients.

    CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year PFS and the 5-year OS in this cohort were lower than in other institutions. More advanced stage at presentation, longer overall treatment time (OTT) of more than fifty-six days and lower total dose to point A were the potential factors contributing to a lower survival.

  7. Zamani A, Mat Jusoh SA, Al-Jamal HA, Sul'ain MD, Johan MF
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2016 11 01;17(11):4857-4861.
    PMID: 28030911
    Background: Imatinib mesylate, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor specifically targeting the BCR/ABL fusion protein, induces hematological remission in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the majority of CML patients treated with imatinib develop resistance with prolonged therapy. Dendrophthoe pentandra (L.) Miq. is a Malaysian mistletoe species that has been used as a traditional treatment for several ailments such as smallpox, ulcers, and cancers. Methods: We developed a resistant cell line (designated as K562R) by long-term co-culture of a BCR/ ABL positive CML cell line, K562, with imatinib mesylate. We then investigated the anti-proliferative effects of D. pentandra methanol extract on parental K562 and resistant K562R cells. Trypan blue exclusion assays were performed to determine the IC50 concentration; apoptosis and cell cycle analysis were conducted by flow cytometry. Results: D. pentandra extract had greater anti-proliferative effects towards K562R (IC50= 192 μg/mL) compared to K562 (500 μg/ mL) cells. Upon treatment with D. pentandra extract at the IC50. concentration: K562 but not K562R demonstrated increase in apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Conclusion: D. pentandra methanol extract exerts potent anti-proliferative effect on BCR/ABL positive K562 cells.
  8. Zakaria Z, Othman N, Ismail A, Kamaluddin NR, Esa E, Abdul Rahman EJ, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2017 04 01;18(4):1169-1175.
    PMID: 28548470
    Background: ETV6/RUNX1 gene fusion is the most frequently seen chromosomal abnormality in childhood acute
    lymphobastic leukamia (ALL). However, additional genetic changes are known to be required for the development of
    this type of leukaemia. Therefore, we here aimed to assess the somatic mutational profile of four ALL cases carrying the
    ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene using whole-exome sequencing. Methods: DNA was isolated from bone marrow samples
    using a QIAmp DNA Blood Mini kit and subsequently sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq system. Results: We
    identified 12,960 to17,601 mutations in each sample, with a total of 16,466 somatic mutations in total. Some 15,533
    variants were single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 129 were substitutions, 415 were insertions and 389 were
    deletions. When taking into account the coding region and protein impact, 1,875 variants were synonymous and 1,956
    were non-synonymous SNPs. Among non-synonymous SNPs, 1,862 were missense, 13 nonsense, 35 frameshifts, 11
    nonstop, 3 misstart, 15 splices disrupt and 17 in-frame indels. A total of 86 variants were located in leukaemia-related
    genes of which 32 variants were located in the coding regions of GLI2, SP140, GATA2, SMAD5, KMT2C, CDH17,
    CDX2, FLT3, PML and MOV10L1. Conclusions: Detection and identification of secondary genetic alterations are
    important in identifying new therapeutic targets and developing rationally designed treatment regimens with less
    toxicity in ALL patients.
  9. Zakaria N, Mohd KS, Ahmed Saeed MA, Ahmed Hassan LE, Shafaei A, Al-Suede FSR, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2020 Apr 01;21(4):943-951.
    PMID: 32334454 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.4.943
    BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids are a common type of solid tumor presenting in women of reproductive age. There are very few alternative treatment available from conventional treatment involving surgeries. Labisia pumila var. alata or locally known as 'Kacip Fatimah' was widely used as traditional medicine in Malaysia. This plant has been used to maintain a healthy female reproductive system. The present study aimed to evaluate anti fibroid potential of L. pumila extracts through in vitro apoptosis activity against uterine leiomyoma cells (SK-UT-1) and in uterine leiomyoma xenograft model. Evaluation of bioactive markers content were also carried out.

    METHODS: Apoptotic induction of the extracts was determined by morphological examination of AO/PI dual staining assay by flourescent microscopy and flow cytometry analysis on Annexin V-FITC/PI stained cells. In vivo study was done in immune-compromised mouse xenograft model. HPLC analysis was employed to quantify marker compounds.

    RESULTS: Morphological analysis showed L. pumila induced apoptosis in a dose dependent manner against SK-UT-1 cells. In vivo study indicated that L. pumila significantly suppressed the growth of uterine fibroid tumor. All tested extracts contain bioactive marker of gallic acid and cafeic acid.

    CONCLUSION: This work provide significant data of the potential of L. pumila in management of uterine fibroids.
    .

  10. Zakaria KN, Amid A, Zakaria Z, Jamal P, Ismail A
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2019 Feb 26;20(2):563-567.
    PMID: 30803221
    Problem statement: Clinicanthus nutans has been used by Malaysian since long time ago. It is used to treat many diseases including cancer. Many studies carried out on its crude extract but no clear report on the specific secondary metabolites responsible for its nature in treating selected diseases. Objective: This study aims to confirm the practice carried out by many people on the usage of Clinicanthus nutans in treating cancer. Methods: C. nutans leaves were extracted by methanol. Thin layer chromatography was used to identify the suitable solvent for fractions separation. The fractions were then separated at larger volume using gravity column chromatography. Each fraction was tested on its anti-proliferative activity on Hep-G2 liver cancer cells by MTT assay. The phytochemical screening was carried out to identify the bioactive compound based on qualitative analysis. Results: The fraction 2 (F2) of C. nutans showed the lowest IC50 value of 1.73 μg/ml against Hep-G2 cancer cells, and it is identified as triterpenes. Conclusion: The fraction F2 identified as triterpenes isolated from C. nutans has potential as an anti-proliferative agent against liver cancer.
  11. Zainordin NH, Abd Talib R, Shahril MR, Sulaiman S, A Karim N
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2020 Dec 01;21(12):3689-3696.
    PMID: 33369469 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.12.3689
    OBJECTIVE: Fear of cancer recurrent, side effects of treatment and belief in food taboos encourage cancer survivors to make changes in their dietary practices after diagnosis of cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of dietary changes on quality of life (QoL) among Malay breast and gynaecological cancer survivors.

    METHODS: Questionnaire of dietary changes was modified from WHEL study and adapted to typical Malay's food intake in Malaysia. A total of 23 items were listed and categorized by types of food and cooking methods.  Four categories of changes "increased", "decreased", "no changes" or "stopped" were used to determine the changes in dietary practices. Score one (+1) is given to positive changes by reference to WCRF/AICR and Malaysia Dietary Guideline healthy eating recommendations. Malay EORTC QLQ-C30 were used to determine the QoL. Sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and anthropometric measurement were also collected.

    RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects (n=77) was 50.7±7.8 years old with duration of survivorship 4.0±3.1 years. Subjects mean BMI was 27.8±4.9 kg/m2 which indicate subjects were 31.2% overweight and 32.5% obese. The percentage score of positive dietary changes was 34.7±16.4%. Positive dietary changes were increased intake of green leafy vegetable (49.4%), cruciferous vegetable (46.8%) and boiling cooking methods (45.5%). Subjects reduced their intake of red meat (42.9%), sugar (53.2%) and fried cooking method (44.2%). Subjects stopped consuming milk (41.6%), c 2008-5862 heese (33.8%) and sweetened condensed milk (33.8%). With increasing positive dietary changes, there was a significant improvement on emotional function (rs=0.27; p=0.016) and reduced fatigue symptoms (rs=-0.24; p=0.033).

    CONCLUSION: Positive changes in dietary intake improved emotional function and reduced fatigue symptoms after cancer treatment. By knowing the trend of food changes after cancer treatment, enables the formation of healthy food intervention implemented more effective.

  12. Zainordin NH, A Karim N, Shahril MR, Abd Talib R
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2021 Aug 01;22(8):2399-2408.
    PMID: 34452552 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.8.2399
    BACKGROUND: Increasing physical activity and reducing sitting time was recommended to cancer survivors after cancer treatment for sustained health and to enhance the quality of life. This study aimed to determine the association of physical activity and sitting time with quality of life among the Malay breast and gynaecological cancer survivors.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 95 breast and gynaecology cancer survivor subjects. The Malay International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess physical activity and sitting time. Quality of life was assessed using the Malay EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and anthropometric measurements were also obtained in this study.

    RESULTS: The mean age of the subject was 51.8 ± 7.7 years old and the duration of survivorship was 4.3 ± 3.4 years. A total of 76.8% of subjects were categorized as having low physical activity level with a mean MET 403.5 ± 332.7 minutes/week and sitting time of 416.9 ± 151.0 minutes/day. Overall, subjects aged 50 years and above (p=0.006), widowed (p=0.032), retired (p=0.029) and had other non-communicable diseases (p=0.005) showed lower levels of physical activity. Increased physical activity had a positive effect on physical function (r=0.2, p=0.038), reduced insomnia (r=-0.3, p <0.001) and constipation symptoms (r=-0.3, p=0.012) domains of quality of life. The longer the sitting period showed more severe insomnia symptoms (r=0.2, p=0.03) but improved social function (r=0.2, p=0.012).

    CONCLUSIONS: Increasing physical activity and reducing sitting time have a positive effect on the quality of life of cancer survivors. The focus of health education should be prioritized to older adults (50 years and above), widows, retirees, and those with other comorbidities as they are at risk of being not physically active.
    .

  13. Zainol Abidin N, Abidin EZ, Zulkifli A, Syed Ismail SN, Karuppiah K, Amer Nordin AS, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2018 Feb 26;19(2):457-462.
    PMID: 29480664
    Background: Consistency and accuracy of results in assessing health risks due to vaping or e-cigarette use are difficult to achieve without established consumption data. The present report covers baseline data on vaping topography and reasons for use among local users in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
    Methods: An 80-item survey regarding socio-demographic characteristics, smoking topography and reasons for e-cigarette use was employed to assess e-cigarette users recruited from several public universities and private organisations. The survey questionnaire was self-administered. Data were analysed using statistical software.
    Results: Eighty-six current e-cigarette users participated with more than half (51.2%) of them aged ≥ 25 years old. Significant proportions of the sample were single (51.2%), had a tertiary education level (63.5%) and a household income of less than USD1000 per month (65.2%). Median duration of e-cigarette use was less than a year; users drew approximately 50 puffs per day and refilled twice a day. The majority (74%) used e-liquids containing nicotine with a concentration of 6 μg/mL. Daily users spent USD18-23 per month. Reasons for using the e-cigarette included enjoyment of the products (85.9%), perception of lower toxicity than tobacco (87%), and the fact that it was a cheaper smoking alternative (61%).
    Conclusion: The data on e-cigarette smoking topography obtained in this study are novel. The reasons of usage were mainly users’ enjoyment of e-cigarettes, preparation for quitting smoking, perception of low toxicity and a healthier smoking substitute and cheapness in the long run. The results establish basic knowledge for the local vaping topography and reference material for future e-cigarette-related research.
  14. Zainal NZ, Shuib N, Bustam AZ, Sabki ZA, Guan NC
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(1):463-8.
    PMID: 23534774 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.1.463
    BACKGROUND: Body image dissatisfaction among breast cancer survivors has been associated with psychological stress resultant from breast cancer and resultant surgery. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay Version of the Breast-Impact of Treatment Scale (MVBITS) and to investigate the associations of retained factors with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MVBITS was 'forward-backward' translated from English to Malay and then administered to 70 female breast cancer patients who came to the Oncology Clinic of University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to undergo chemotherapy. Principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was performed to explore the factor structure of the MVBITS. Associations of retained factors were estimated with reference to Spearman correlation coefficients.

    RESULTS: The internal consistency reliability of MVBITS was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.945) and showed temporal stability over a 3-week period. Principal component analysis suggested two factors termed as 'Intrusion' and 'Avoidance' domains. These factors explained 70.3% of the variance. Factor 1 comprised the effects of breast cancer treatment on the emotion and thought, while Factor 2 informed attempts to limit exposure of the body to self or others. The Factor 1 of MVBITS was positively correlated with total, depression and anxiety sub-scores of HADS. Factor 2 was positively correlated with total and anxiety sub-scores of HADS. MVBITS was also positively correlated with the RSES scores.

    CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the Malay Version of Breast-Impact of Treatment Scale possesses satisfactory psychometric properties suggesting that this instrument is appropriate for assessment of body change stress among female breast cancer patients in Malaysia.
  15. Zainal NZ, Nik-Jaafar NR, Baharudin A, Sabki ZA, Ng CG
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(4):2649-56.
    PMID: 23725190
    BACKGROUND: Depression is common in breast cancer patients. The aim of this paper was to make a systematic review of its prevalence and associated factors oin breast cancer survivors.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: An extensive systematic electronic review (PUBMED, CINAHL, PsyINFO and Ovid) and handsearch were carried out to retrieve published articles up to November 2012, using Depression OR Dysthymia AND (Cancer OR Tumor OR Neoplasms as the keywords. Information about the design of the studies, measuring scale, characteristics of the participants, prevalence of depression and its associated factors from the included studies were extracted and summarized.

    RESULTS: We identified 32 eligible studies that recruited 10,826 breast cancer survivors. Most were cross-sectional or prospective designed. The most frequent instrument used to screen depression was the Center for Epidemiological Studies for Depression (CES-D, n=11 studies) followed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, n=6 studies) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, n=6 studies). CES-D returned about similar prevalence of depression (median=22%, range=13-56%) with BDI (median=22%, range=17-48%) but higher than HADS (median=10%, range=1-22%). Depression was associated with several socio-demographic variables, cancer-related factors, treatment-related factors, subject psychological factors, lifestyle factors, social support and quality of life.

    CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer survivors are at risk for depression so that detection of associated factors is important in clinical practice.

  16. Zain RB, Ghani WM, Razak IA, Latifah RJ, Samsuddin AR, Cheong SC, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2009 Jul-Sep;10(3):513-8.
    PMID: 19640201
    BACKGROUND: The rising burden of cancer in the developing world calls for a re-evaluation of the treatment strategies employed to improve patient management, early detection and understanding of the disease. There is thus an increasing demand for interdisciplinary research that integrates two or more disciplines of what may seemed to be highly unrelated and yet very much needed as strategies for success in research. This paper presents the processes and barriers faced in building partnerships in oral cancer research in a developing country.

    METHODS: A case study was undertaken in a developing country (Malaysia) to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the situation leading to the formation of a multidisciplinary research partnership in oral cancer. Following the formalization of the partnership, further evaluation was undertaken to identify measures that can assist in sustaining the partnership.

    RESULTS: The group identifies its strength as the existence of academia, research-intensive NGOs and good networking of clinicians via the existence of the government's network of healthcare provider system who are the policy makers. The major weaknesses identified are the competing interest between academia and NGOs to justify their existence due to the lack of funding sources and well trained human resources.

    CONCLUSIONS: With the growing partnership, the collaborative group recognizes the need to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for the sharing and usage of resources in order to safeguard the interest of the original partners while also attending to the needs of the new partners.
  17. Zain RB, Kallarakkal TG, Ramanathan A, Kim J, Tilakaratne WM, Takata T, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2016 01 09;17(9):4491.
    PMID: 27865210 DOI: 10.7314/APJCP.2016.17.(9).4491
    Verruco-papillary lesions (VPLs) of the oral cavity described in the literature involve a spectrum of conditions
    including squamous papilloma, verruca vulgaris, focal epithelial hyperplasia, condyloma, proliferative verrucous
    leukoplakia and verrucous carcinoma. A majority of the VPLs are slow growing, benign in nature and have a
    viral aetiology. Virus associated benign mucosal outgrowths are not too difficult to diagnose either clinically or
    by microscopy. Apart from virus-associated lesions, VPLs harboring malignant potential or behaviour such as
    verrucous carcinoma, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, oral verrucous hyperplasia (OVH), oral papillary
    squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) and oral conventional squamous cell carcinoma with papillary features (CSCC)
    need to be further clarified for better understanding of their predictable biologic behavior and appropriate
    treatment. Current understanding of potentially malignant VPLs is perplexing and is primarily attributed to
    the use of confusing and unsatisfactory terminology. In particular, the condition referred to as oral verrucous
    hyperplasia (OVH) poses a major diagnostic challenge. OVH represents a histopathological entity whose clinical
    features are not well recognised and is usually clinically indistinguishable from a verrucous carcinoma and a
    PSCC or a CSCC. A consensus report published by an expert working group from South Asia as an outcome of
    the ‘First Asian Regional Meeting on the Terminology and Criteria for Verruco-papillary Lesions of the Oral
    Cavity’ held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recognised the clinical description of these OVH as a new entity named
    ‘Exophytic Verrucous Hyperplasia’. Previously described clinical features of OVH such as the ‘blunt’ or ‘sharp’
    variants; and the ‘mass’ or ‘plaque’ variants can now collectively fall under this newly described entity. This paper
    discusses in detail the application of the standardized criteria guidelines of ‘Exophytic Verrucous Hyperplasia’
    as published by the expert group which will enable clinicians and pathologists to uniformly interpret their pool
    of OVH cases and facilitate a better understanding of OVH malignant potential.
  18. Zain NM, Chelliah KK
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(3):1327-31.
    PMID: 24606460
    BACKGROUND: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a new non-invasive, mobile screening method which does not use ionizing radiation to the human breast; allows conducting quantitative assessment of the images besides the visual interpretation. The aim of this study was to correlate the quantitative assessment and visual interpretation of breast electrical impedance tomographs and associated factors.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty mammography patients above 40 years and undergoing EIT were chosen using convenient sampling. Visual interpretation of the images was carried out by a radiologist with minimum of three years experience using the breast imaging - electrical impedance (BI-EIM) classification for detection of abnormalities. A set of thirty blinded EIT images were reinterpreted to determine the intra-rater reliability using kappa. Quantitative assessment was by comparison of the breast average electric conductivity with the norm and correlations with visual interpretation of the images were determined using Chi-square. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the mean electrical conductivity between groups and t-test was used for comparisons with pre-existing Caucasians statistics. Independent t-tests were applied to compare the mean electrical conductivity of women with factors like exogenous hormone use and family history of breast cancer.

    RESULTS: The mean electrical conductivity of Malaysian women was significantly lower than that of Caucasians (p<0.05). Quantitative assessment of electrical impedance tomography was significantly related with visual interpretation of images of the breast (p<0.05).

    CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative assessment of electrical impedance tomography images was significantly related with visual interpretation.

  19. Zain NM, Seriramulu VP, Chelliah KK
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2016;17(7):3229-34.
    PMID: 27509955
    BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) is a lifetime marker of estrogen in a woman's body and has been associated with increased breast cancer risk. Nonetheless the actual association is still debatable. Furthermore, estrogen is very crucial in maintaining human bone density and gradually decreases over age. A systematic search was conducted to assess any association of BMD with breast cancer risk factors among premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review identification was performed through databases searching on MEDLINE, CINAHL and SCOPUS and 19 qualified studies were elected. The keywords used were "bone mineral density", "breast cancer", and "breast density".

    RESULTS: A total of 19 articles showed variation with the majority of the studies focused on postmenopausal and a few focused on premenopausal women. Overall there was no concensus on effects.

    CONCLUSIONS: An enormous effort is being undertaken by researchers to prove that BMD might be one of the significant risk factors for breast cancer.
  20. Zahrina AK, Norsa'adah B, Hassan NB, Norazwany Y, Norhayati I, Roslan MH, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(21):9225-32.
    PMID: 25422205
    Ensuring adherence to chemotherapy is important to prevent disease progression, prolong survival and sustain good quality of life. Capecitabine is a complex chemotherapeutic agent with many side effects that might affect patient adherence to treatment. This cross sectional study aimed to determine adherence to capecitabine and its contributing factors among cancer outpatients in Malaysia. One hundred and thirteen patients on single regime capecitabine were recruited from Hospital Sultan Ismail and Hospital Kuala Lumpur from October 2013 to March 2014. Adherence was determined based on adherence score using validated Medication Compliance Questionnaire. Patient socio-demographics, disease, and treatment characteristics were obtained from medical records. Satisfaction score was measured using the validated Patient Satisfaction with Healthcare questionnaire. The mean adherence score was 96.1% (standard deviation: 3.29%). The significant contributing factors of adherence to capecitabine were Malay ethnicity [β=1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21, 2.43; p value=0.020], being female [β=1.8; 95%CI: 0.61, 2.99; p value=0.003]), satisfaction score [β=0.08; 95%CI: 0.06, 1.46; p value=0.035], presence of nausea or vomiting [β=2.3; 95%CI: 1.12, 3.48; p value <0.001] and other side effects [β=1.45; 95%CI: 0.24, 2.65; p value=0.019]. Adherence to capecitabine was generally high in our local population. Attention should be given to non-Malay males and patients having nausea, vomiting or other side effects. Sufficient information, proactive assessment and appropriate management of side effects would improve patient satisfaction and thus create motivation to adhere to treatment plans.
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