Epidemiology of skin cancer

The aim of the study is to find out the skin cancer distribution, level of risk and histopathological typing. Retrospective cancer registry-based study. Cancer Research Unit, Basrah Medical College. The study was performed from 2005 to 2009. Four hundred fifty-seven new cases were registered during five years. Eighty-three cases were not inhabitants of Basrah governorate and were excluded from statistical analysis. Therefore, the sample used in the study is 374 [81.8%]. Skin cancer accounts for 4.7% of all new cancer cases registered from 2005 to 2009. The mean age of skin cancer cases was 54.8+18.4 years. The risk increased with advancing age in both sexes in terms of relative frequency and in age specific incidence. Skin cancer has a major share among total cancer cases in Basrah. Further analytical epidemiological study to identify the determinants of local patterns is advised.

Cancer mortality in Basrah

This study aimed at determining the burden of cancer as a cause of death in Basrah over three selected years; namely 1989, 1997 and 2005. All death registries in Basrah city, Districts and sub districts were used as sources of information for data compiling. Every death recorded in the three years was checked for cause of death and all cases for which any type of cancer written as the cause of death were identified. Data related to age, sex, place of residence, type of cancer, place where death was certified and year of death were obtained. In addition, the numbers of total deaths due to all causes in each year were also recorded. The results indicate a total of 297 deaths in 1989, 499 deaths in 1997 and 649 deaths in 2005 could be attributed to cancer. Regarding sex distribution of deaths, slightly more deaths occurred in males [53.8%] than in females [46.2%] with significant rise of cancer in females in 2005. Cancer as a cause of death represents about 5% of all deaths with some degree of increase in 1997 and 2005 as compared to 1989, but no major change in the cancer specific death rates among different years. Geographically, the distribution shows significant but not substantial variation with years. The mean age of dead persons was similar in the three years. The leading cancer deaths were those of lung, urinary bladder, blood, breast, lymphomas and CNS. The overall risk of death is not much different in different years except for a slight increase in 1997 and 2005 in comparison to 1989. Most cancers show stable or slightly fluctuating level of risk of death with time. Slight rise in the risk of death may be noticed in cancers of CNS, blood [leukemia], Bones, lymphomas and Colon-rectum. The researchers suggest that the stable level of mortality could reflect some improvement in treatment based on early diagnosis of many cancers. A study covering at least ten years is highly recommended to establish more sound time trend in cancer mortality

Cardiovascular risk factors among college students

Cardiovascular diseases [CVD] are the leading causes of death worldwide. Their incidence particularly coronary heart diseases [CHD] are increasing among young adult. Few data exist on the prevalence of risk factors in young adult college students. To determine the prevalence of CVD risk factors among young adult college students. Two Hundred and thirty-two questionnaires covering socio-economic aspects, physical activity, diet, smoking, personality, and parental history of CHD death were reviewed. In addition, clinical examination, biochemical analysis of lipid profile were done. All were students asymptomatic for CVD, 36 [15.5%] were smokers, 92 [39.6%] consumed mostly fatty diet, 17 [7.3%] were obese. 22 [9.5%] were physically inactive, 24 [10.3%] had positive parental history of CHD death, 49 [21.1%] had type A personality, 5 [2.2%] had diabetes mellitus, 13 [5.6%] had systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg, and 20 [8.6%] had diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg. The prevalence of smoking and physical inactivity was significantly higher among men than women. While obesity and parental history of CHD death were significantly more prevalent among older age group [> 30years] than in younger age group [<30 years]. High serum cholesterol level was prevalent in 17 [7.3%], low level of HDL-C in12 [5.2%], high levels of LDL-C in 11 [4.7%], and high triglycerides level in5 [2.2]. Low level of apo A was prevalent in 28 [16.2%] of men and 9 [15.3%] of women, while high level of apo B was prevalent in 12 [6.9%] of men compared to 2 [3.4%] of women. The prevalence of abnormal levels of HDLC, TC/DL and LDL/HDL ratios were significantly higher among older age group [>/= 30years] than in younger subjects [<30 years]. No significant difference in the prevalence of lipid risk factors was noted between men and women. Many CVD risk factors were prevalent among apparently healthy young college students. Those young adult people may be more at risk from subsequent CVD than was expected

Pregnancy outcome and fate of neonates: a hospital-based study

The aim of the study is to attempt to quantify pregnancy outcome among pregnant women attending for labour in Basrah General Hospital.Avenue: Basrah General Hospital from 1 st of Nov. 2003 to 3 rd of March 2004. A total of 400 pregnant women were studied which resulted in 392 live born babies and 8 still births. The outcome was measured in relation to gestational age [pre term, term and post term], type of delivery [Spontaneous normal vaginal, caesarean section or assisted by the use of forceps] and status of the foetus [alive and normal baby, alive but with gross congenital defects or stillbirth]. In addition live born babies were followed up for 28 days to ascertain the status of each baby at the end of this period whether alive or dead. The main results were as follows: with respect to gestational age at the time of delivery, 34 were preterm, 362 term and 4 post term. For the type of delivery, 244 had spontaneous vaginal delivery, 98 induced vaginal delivery, 55 caesarean section and three assisted deliveries. The live normal born babies totaled 385; the rest were either live with congenital defects 7 or stillbirths 8. At the end of the neonatal period, 374 of the 392 live born babies survived and 18 died. This gives a neonatal mortality rate of 46/1000 live births. It is concluded that pregnancy losses are high even at late pregnancy and the neonatal mortality is very high. More efforts are needed to improve the quality of maternal and child health care and further research is highly recommended

Overweight and obesity among adults attending a medical department

In Iraq the data on obesity and overweight are scarce. The aim of this study was to establish data about the occurrence of overweight and obesity in Basrah. This was a cross sectional study with follow up of patients attending the out-patient and in-patient medical clinics of Al-Faiha Hospital in Basrah over the period from May 2003 to April 2004. The total number of patient was 4580, of whom 2556 [55.8%] were men and 2024[44.1%] were women. The study was restricted to people aged 18 years and above with mean age of 44.8 +/- 15.6. Overweight was prevalent among 31.1% with similar patient in males and females, and obesity was seen in 25.4% and was consistently higher among female regardless of grade. The over weight and obese were more likely to be hypertensive, diabetic, having evidence of Q wave myocardial infarction, with visceral obesity, and more likely to develop cancer. The majority [56.6%] of our patients were overweight and obese. Obesity was more frequently found in women. Community based cross sectional studies are needed give a better idea about the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults in Basrah

Athlete's heart: an echocardiographic study

to define the expression of athlete's heart in response to physical training and to identify the upper limits of left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH] associated with long-term intense conditioning in elite male athletes. a comparative study was conducted from November 2001 to June 2002 to investigate the morphological adaptation of the heart. Evaluations were performed using two-dimensional echocardiographic studies. The 90 participants in the study group [mean age 23.4 years, range 18-36 years] had participated in vigorous training and had competed in 3 types of sports. These participants included 26 endurance, 30 strength, and 34 mixed training athletes. In addition 54 sedentary medical students [mean age 23.2 years, range 19-35 years], were studied as a control group. The main outcome measures were left ventricular diastolic dimension [LVDD], wall thickness [LVWT] and mass index [LVMI]. athletes demonstrated larger LVDD [51.6 +/- 4.5 mm], greater LVWT [11.3 +/- 0.9 mm], and greater LVMI [123.9 +/- 24.5 g/m2] than sedentary controls [45.3 +/- 3.6 mm, 8.7 +/- 0.8 mm and 66.1 +/- 10.8 g/m2]; p<0.001. Among athletes, LVDD was 40-59 mm and exceeded normal limits [>54 mm] in 25 athletes, 27.8%. LVWT was above normal [>12 mm] in 15 athletes, 16.7%. LVMI range was 75.1-215.5 g/m2 and exceeded normal limits [>130 g/m2] in 32 athletes, 35.6%. Training for endurance sports had the greatest effect on LVDD, LVWT, and LVMI. highly trained athletes frequently demonstrate cardiac dimensional changes as an adaptation to physical training. In some athletes, increases in LVWT and LVDD within the diagnostic "gray zone" have been identified, and they may be difficult to distinguish from pathological LVH

Pattern of services utilization in two communities in Basrah: a household survey

A household interview survey was carried out in Basrah during the period March-April 1995. It was planned to provide indicators on selected aspects of population health. In this paper, selected indicators on services utilization are presented and discussed. The study revealed relatively low coverage rates by antenatal care for pregnant women [47.4%] with primary health care centers being the main source for such care [78.4%]. However, the percentages of women who were hospital delivered and supervised by medically qualified personnel were fairly high: 65.5% and 75.4% respectively. The same was true for immunizations despite the clear drop out of infants from successive doses. Primary health care centers seemed to be the main source of curative care [29.7%] but doing nothing or practicing self-medication were prevailing in this population

study on tuberculosis in Basrah

The present paper reports the results of a preliminary study on tuberculosis in Basrah. The main objectives of the study were to describe the time trend of registered cases of tuberculosis, characteristics of patients and the relationship of the occurrence of disease to BCG vaccination. The source of information was the Chest Disease Center in Basrah which is the main center responsible for the control of the disease in collaboration with other health care providers. The results showed that the incidence rate of registered cases of tuberculosis was declining towards the end of the 1980's but a sharp increase was noticed during the last two years in both primary and secondary types of disease as the results showed an increase in the relative share of extreme age groups during 1992 as compared to the early 1980's. The BCG effectiveness is challenged by the results of the present study since about 84% of cases aged 10 years and below were with previous history and/or evidence of vaccination against tuberculosis. The apparent rise in tuberculosis in Basrah, in our view, reflects both the effects of economic sanction on Iraq and defects in the control progamme of the of the disease. A comprehensive study on the problem of tuberculosis is highly recommended not only in Basrah but at national level as well