METHODS: This hospital-based prospective cohort study will comprise patients with breast cancer (18 years and above), managed in the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). We aim to recruit 1000 cancer survivors over a 6-year period. Data collection will occur at baseline (within 3 months of diagnosis), 6 months, and 1, 3 and 5 years following diagnosis. The primary outcomes are disease-free survival and overall survival, and secondary outcome is QoL. Factors measured are demographic and socioeconomic factors, lifestyle factors (eg, dietary intake, physical activity), anthropometry measurements (eg, height, weight, waist, hip circumference, body fat analysis), psychosocial aspects, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage.

CLINICAL PICTURE: We report a case of chronic urticaria in an euthyroid patient with evidence of significantly elevated levels of thyroglobulin and microsomal antibodies.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Treatment with thyroxine has brought about clinical remission of the chronic urticaria but no change in the thyroid antibody levels could be demonstrated.

METHODS: One hundred thirteen patients who met International Headache Society criteria for migraine and who did not experience satisfactory response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, received open-label treatment with a 40-mg dose of eletriptan for one migraine attack. Efficacy assessments were made at 1, 2, 4, and 24 hours postdose and consisted of headache and pain-free response rates, absence of associated symptoms, and functional response. Global ratings of treatment effectiveness and preference were obtained at 24 hours.

RESULTS: The pain-free response rate at 2 hours postdose was 25% and at 4 hours postdose, 55%; the headache response rate at 2 hours was 66% and at 4 hours, 87%. At 2 hours postdose, relief of baseline associated symptoms was achieved by 41% of patients with nausea compared to 82% of patients at 4 hours; for patients with phonophobia, 67% were relieved at 2 hours and 93% at 4 hours, and for patients with photophobia, 70% were relieved at 2 hours and 91% at 4 hours. Functional response was achieved by 70% of patients by 2 hours postdose. The high level of acute response was maintained over 24 hours, with only 24% of patients experiencing a headache recurrence and only 10% using rescue medication. At 24 hours postdose, 74% of patients rated eletriptan as preferable to any previous treatment for migraine. The most frequent reasons cited for this treatment preference were faster headache improvement (83%) and functional response (78%). Overall, eletriptan was well tolerated; most adverse events were transient and mild to moderate in severity. No serious adverse events were reported.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised all patients admitted for transurethral resection of the prostate and categorised into two groups, i.e. those presenting in AUR or electively. The factors evaluated included the length of hospitalization, the patients' occupation, their duration of symptoms and reasons for not seeking treatment.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the mean age and occupational status of the two groups but those in AUR had more complications and a longer hospital stay after surgery; 60% of these men had had their urinary symptoms for > 1 year. When asked why they did not seek treatment earlier, 35% reported fear of surgery, while 41% thought that their symptoms were a normal part of ageing.