Pancreatic cancer in Saudi patients treated at tertiary institution. Ten years retrospective study

To describe presentation, management, and outcome, and determine prognostic factors for pancreatic cancer patients. A retrospective review of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period from January 2000 to December 2010. Descriptive statistics were conducted on the collected data and survival was estimated using the Kaplan Meier estimate. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were carried out. The medical records of 179 patients were reviewed. The patients' median age was 63 years ranging from 15-96 years, and 116 [64.8%] of them were male. The one-year survival rate was 39% and the 5-year survival was 10%. The median overall survival [OS] was 6.9 months. Age at diagnosis, grade, T stage, N stage, M stage, TNM stage group, and the combined stage group [stage III/IV versus others], site of distant metastasis, carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], carbohydrate antigen 19-9, surgery and chemotherapy were significant predictors for OS on an univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. A multiple regression model including all the significant predictors was conducted. Age at the time of diagnosis and M stage were significant variables. Our patients present at a younger age and have better 5-year survival compared with the United States Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results data, which deserves further evaluation. Age and disease stage were identified as independent prognostic factors for survival in this patient population

first national public breast cancer screening program in Saudi Arabia

Despite its relatively low incidence in Saudi Arabia, breast cancer has been the most common cancer among Saudi females for the past 12 consecutive years. The objective of this study was to report the results of the first national public breast cancer screening program in Saudi Arabia. Women 40 years of age or older underwent breast cancer screening. Mammograms were scored using the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System [BI-RADS]. Correlations between imaging findings, risk factors and pathological findings were analyzed. Between September 2007 and April 2008, 1215 women were enrolled. The median age was 45 years, and median body mass index was 31.6 kg/m[2]. Sixteen cases of cancer were diagnosed. No cancer was diagnosed in 942 women with R1/R2 scores, and only 1 case of cancer was diagnosed in 228 women with R0/R3 scores. However, among 26 women with R4/R5 scores, 50% had malignant disease and 35% had benign lesions. No correlation was found between known risk factors and imaging score or cancer diagnosis. Public acceptance of the breast cancer screening program was encouraging. Longitudinal follow-up will help in better determining the risk factors relevant to our patient population