[Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the staging of non small cell lung Cancer [NSCLC] : Lebanese experience regarding 72 cases]

Staging of non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC] plays a key role in the therapeutic choice and directly affects the prognosis. The role of PET/CT [positron emission tomography] using 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG] for the staging of NSCLC was studied in the Lebanese population. We compared the results of PET/CT with those of the conventional CT scan in T and N staging for 72 patients; we correlated PET/CT outcome with tumor grade and deter- mined the impact of the difference between staging NSCLC using PET/CT and CT on the therapeutic options. A positive correlation between the results of PET/CT and CT scan was found in 85% of cases. PET/CT has correctly classified pleural effusion as benign in three cases and as malignant in one case and increased the N stage by one point in three cases compared to injected CT scan. PET/CT improves the accuracy of staging of NSCLC allowing a good delineation of the primary tumor, a better evaluation of locoregional lymph node involvement and metastases and identification of the nature of pleural effusion

Trends in hematopoietic stem cell transplant activity in Lebanon

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation [HSCT] has been accessible to the population residing in Lebanon and surrounding countries since 1997. HSCT programs were developed in two major hospitals in Beirut: American University of Beirut Medical Center [AUBMC] and Makassed General Hospital. Mount Lebanon Hospital initiated an autologous HSCT activity later. Between 2012 and 2016, the HSCT activity in Lebanon reached a total of 897 transplants, among which 303 [33.8%] were allogeneic HSCT and 594 [66.2%] were autologous HSCT. Overall, autologous HSCT activity has remained stable over the past 5 years, whereas allogeneic HSCT activity has seen a steep increase between 2012 and 2013 followed by a modest increase later. Haploidentical transplantation has mushroomed and represented almost half of allogeneic HSCT activity in 2016. AUBMC and Makassed General Hospital are members of the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation [EBMT] and East Mediterranean Blood and Marrow Transplantation groups, and AUBMC has been accredited by JACIE [Joint Accreditation Committee - ISCT and EBMT] since 2016. The past 5 years have seen an increase in HSCT-related research and publications, mainly from AUBMC. These research activities were predominantly focused on personalized conditioning for allogeneic HSCT and post-transplant maintenance therapy

Epidemiology and survival analysis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors in lebanon: real-life study from a hospital tumor registry 2000-2015

Background: We report, to our knowledge, one of the largest studies concerning gastrointestinal stromal tumors [GIST] in the Middle East. We also present a survival analysis of GIST in our 15-year real-life experience

Methods: We studied demographic, epidemiologic and survival characteristics of 70 patients with confirmed GIST in a cross-sectional study between 2000 and 2015

Results: The .median age of our patients was 62 +/-12.8 years [range, 25-84] with a male to female ratio of 1.7. The gastric and the small intestine GIST were the most frequent primary sites. The majority of our patients had localized disease at diagnosis [81.4%]. Metastasis m limited to the abdominal cavity and lymph node spreadinc occurred in 14.3%. After a median follow up of 838 dap [range 48-4309 days] with only two patients reporte dead, two and five-year overall survival rates were 98% and 95% respectively. Median overall survival was not reached

Conclusion: In the light of our results, molecular profili of Lebanese patients with GIST would be of interest t detect the particularities responsible for the increase! overall survival and lymph node spreading

[Chimo-radiotherapie dans les lymphomes de hodgin-stades precoces]

To evaluate the response to and toxicities of chemo-radiotherapy [CT-RT] in patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma treated in our institution. Retrospective study of 42 patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma treated between 2002 and 2007. The age of patients ranges from 11 to 57 with a mean of 30.7 years ; the sex-ratio is 0.8 [19 males and 23 females]. There are 33 cases of nodular-sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma, 6 of mixed cellularity, one lymphocyte-rich, one interfollicular and one granulomatous. As for the stages, 31 Hodgkin lymphomas are stage IIA, 6 stage IA, 3 bulky and 2 stage IAe. The ABVD protocol was given to 38 patients, the VBVP to 3 patients and the ABV to one patient. IFRT was used with dose ranging from 19.8 to 39.6 Gy. The acute toxicity of chemotherapy was hematologic only, grade 1 anemia accounting for 11.1% and grade 2 anemia for 14.8%, grade 1 leukopenia for 51.8%, grade 2 leukopenia for 33.3% and grade 3 leukopenia for 14.8%. Dysphagia, radiodermitis and radiomucositis were seen after radiotherapy, accounting for 16.5%, 4.6% and 9.1% respectively. No long-term toxicity of the combined therapy was found. During the follow-up period, one relapse occurred and no death was reported. The overall survival [OS], the disease free survival [DFS] and the toxicities of the combined therapy CT-RT of the patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma stage IA and IIA treated in our institution were similar to those seen in the literature