Association of hormone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2/neu expressions with clinicopathologic factors of breast carcinoma: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the major causes of death worldwide. It is the most common cause of death before the age of 70 years. The incidence and mortality of BC are rapidly increasing, posing great challenges to the health system and economy of every nation. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratory of the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC) to demonstrate the association of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/Neu) and estrogen receptor (ER)/ progesterone receptor (PR) with clinical as well as pathological parameters among women with BC. A consecutive nonprobability sampling method was used for this study over a span of one and a half years. RESULTS: One hundred twenty participants diagnosed with breast cancer were included in the study. The mean age at diagnosis was 44.58 ± 11.16 years. Out of the total patients, 68 (56.7%) were above 40 years old, 108 (90%) were married, 94 (78.3%) were multiparous, and 88 (73.3%) had a history of breastfeeding. 33.3% of cases were within the age range of menopause (40-50 years). The positive expression rates of ER, PR, and Her2/neu were found to be 48.8%, 44.6%, and 44.6%, respectively, and Her2/neu overexpression was found to be higher among ER/PR-negative cases. CONCLUSION: In our study, we demonstrated that among Afghan women, grade II invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified, was the most common type of BC and frequently affected women above the age of 40. We also revealed that the percentage of negative ER (50.4%), negative PR (54.4%), and concordant ER/PR-negative cases were high compared to other possibilities. Additionally, the study revealed that expression of Her2/neu was in contrast with the expression of ER and PR receptors. The findings of our study still support the importance of performing immunohistochemical stains for hormonal receptor classification in terms of better clinical outcomes and prognosis.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Menstrual Hygiene among Girls in Ghizer, Gilgit, Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION: Menstrual hygiene is a critical issue encountered by women and girls of reproductive age that negatively affects their health and empowerment. It is still deemed a taboo subject in several parts of the world, and girls hesitate to discuss menstruation with their family members, friends, or schoolteachers, which creates hurdles when they experience their menarche. Girls residing in rural areas encounter more problems, since they lack proper resources and knowledge to manage their menstruation in school as well as at home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the menstrual hygiene of girls residing in rural areas of Gilgit, Pakistan. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to assess the study questions. The consecutive sampling technique was applied to recruit 300 female participants from remote areas of Gilgit, Pakistan, who were 13 to 22 years old. A pre-tested questionnaire was utilized to collect the data, and SPSS version 21.0 was used to analyze them. RESULTS: The study found that more than half of the participants had a poor level of knowledge and practices and negative attitudes towards menstrual hygiene. This could be due to many cultural and social factors associated with menstrual hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that the study participants were not knowledgeable about menstrual hygiene. They had poor practices and attitudes regarding menstrual hygiene. Hence, it is recommended that frequent sessions should be conducted by healthcare workers to enhance the knowledge of parents, teachers, and young girls, to increase their positive attitudes and practices regarding menstrual hygiene.

Menstrual knowledge and practices of female adolescents in urban Karachi, Pakistan.

Menstruation is a normal physiological process that is managed differently according to various social and cultural understandings. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the menstrual practices among 1275 female adolescents of urban Karachi, Pakistan from April to October 2006 by using interviews. Data was entered and analyzed in Epi Info Version 9 and SPSS Version 10. Descriptive findings showed that 50% of the girls lacked an understanding of the origin of menstrual blood and those with a prior knowledge of menarche had gained it primarily through conversations with their mothers. Many reported having fear at the first experience of bleeding. Nearly 50% of the participants reported that they did not take baths during menstruation. In univariate analysis, factors of using unhygienic material, using washcloths, and not drying under sun were found to be significant in the Chi square test among those going and not going to schools. This study concludes that there are unhygienic practices and misconceptions among girls requiring action by health care professionals.