16^th Global Annual Oncologists Meeting April 24-25, 2017 Dubai, UAE

Biography:

Humaid O Alshamsi is currently working as an Assistant Professor, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and is also positioned as an Assistant Clinical Professor, (Part Time) in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. He has been a recipient of many awards and grants. His research experience includes various programs, contributions and participation at different countries for diverse fields of study. His research interests reflect in his wide range of publications in various national and international journals. His research interests include Oncology, Radiology, Hepatology, Clinical Oncology, etc.

 

 

Abstract:

Objective: The urachal cancer (UrC) is a rare type of bladder cancer. The management of UrC is mainly surgical, the role of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy is not well defined due to the rarity of this disease, the staging of this disease using Sheldon staging system is complicated and does not stratify recurrence risk well. Poor risk features in UrC is not well described. We report an analysis of the clinicopathologic features, treatment outcomes, and prognostic indicators of 174 cases.

Study Design & Method: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with a confirmed pathological diagnosis of UrC at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1985 and 2016. The medical records were retrospectively reviewed for demographic, clinicopathological and treatment modalities including surgical and chemotherapeutic agents (type, number of cycles and lines of chemotherapy treatments) used and outcome information were collected. Median overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (DFS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and survival rates were compared by the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for univariate and multivariate estimation of hazard risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for factors that correlated with survival and disease recurrence after resection.

Results: A total of 174 patients with pathologically confirmed UrC were identified and included. The characteristic of the 174 patients are summarized .The median age 49.9 years (22.8–81.8), with a male to female ratio of 1:1 (50.1%: 49.8%). 75.9% were white, 80.5% had a primary tumor in the bladder dome. Mucinous pathology was the most common histological type (51.7%). Eighty five patients (48.9%) had a locally advanced disease with local extension to the bladder (Sheldon stage 3A), followed by 4B distance de novo unresetable metastasis in 34 (19.5%) with 9 (26.5%) went to have consolidative surgery. Seventy patients (40.2%) had an en bloc surgical resection of the primary urachal ligament. Overall survival based was analysed based on Sheldon stage, the median overall survival of 2A (80 months), IIIA was 75 months which was superior to IIIB (30 months) , IIIC (30 months) , IIID (30 months), IVA (30 months), IVB (23 months). There is a clear separation between IIIA and IIIB-IVA and IVB, where IIIB with local extension to abdominal wall has similar survival to stage IVA where patients have metastases disease to the regional lymph nodes.

Conclusion: Following surgery for UrC, high risk criteria with poor outcomes include node positive, margin positive, peritoneum involvement, or lack of en-bloc resection of the umbilicus. Locally advanced disease (IIIB) has similar prognosis like advanced stage (IVA-B). We propose a new clinicopathological staging system that correlates with survival.

Biography:

Ali Aldameh is Certified in Surgery, Thoracic Oncology and Thoracic Surgery. He received his Advanced Thoracic Surgical Education in Harvard Medical School, Boston USA at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Following that, he completed an advanced fellowship in Minimally Invasive Thoracic and Foregut Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He was mentored by US leaders in their field of Thoracic Surgery who followed the tradition of pioneers in their fields, including Dr. Pearson in Toronto, Luketich in Pittsburgh, Orringer. He has closely worked with Dr. Sugarbaker the late President of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Scott Swanson a World Leader in VATS Surgery and Dr. Steve Menzer, an expert in Lung Surgery and Esophagectomy in North America.

 

Abstract:

Upper gastrointestinal surgery comprised of the separate disciplines of oesophagogastric (OG) and hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery which includes the operative care of the most complex cancers in alimentary surgery. Historically, any given general surgeon would see relatively few cases each year, resect even fewer and outcomes were notoriously poor. The emergence in the last decade of data from North American centres reporting improvements in outcome following concentration of workload into more specialised units has had a profound influence both on clinical practice and organisational infrastructure. We will discuss the national trends for complex upper GI malignancy treatment.

Biography:

Katarina Jeremic has completed his PhD from University in Belgrade, Serbia, She is the Chief of Gynecologic Oncology Department at Clinic of Ob/Gyn, Clinical Center of Serbia and member of many scientific projects related to Cancer and Pregnancy. She works as a Lecturer/Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Medical School, University Belgrade. She has 50 publications in CC/SCI expanded and JCR indexed. She is an acitive participant at more than 50 international congresses, with total number of publications about 150.

Abstract:

Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of female genital tract and female patients less than 40 years may account for 3-14% of all endometrial cancers. The promising fact is that in women <45 years, the tumor is mostly low grade disease localised to the endometrium, whereas survival is almost about 100%. An individualized and multidisciplinary approach to each patient and intense follow-ups are the current recommendations for fertility sparing. Conservative approaches of early-stage endometrial carcinoma includes hormonal therapy in selected group of young patients with endometrial carcinoma, age less than 45 years and wishes fertility, showing low grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinomas (by 2 gynoncology pathologists review) limited to the endometrium with MRI excluded myomaterial invasion, without evidence of limphovasculare space involvement or extra uterine disease. Careful and accurate pretreatment assessment of patients considering conservative therapy includes radiologic imaging, hysteroscopy preferably but also contrast-enhanced radiologic imaging -MRI imaging of the ovary (5% of patients with endometrial cancer have synchronous primaries tumors). Repeating endometrial biopsies by hysteroscopy every 6 months has been recommended, until there is a complete response or achieving pregnancy. Surgery is recommended if there is no response after 6 months of medicational treatment. Hormonal therapy that could be applied is progestins which inhibits the estrogenic effect and suppresses cell proliferation (medroxy progesterone acetate, megestrl acetate), GnRh analogues, local gestagens (IUD), oral natural progesterons, aromatase inhibitors, even three step endoscopic (hysteroscopic) resection - removing tumour surrounding endometrium and myometrium. Fertility after treatment is not guaranteed, even there had been recorded reduced fertility of those treated, and there is a significant need of ART (18-60%).

 

Biography:

Katarina Jeremic has completed his PhD from University in Belgrade, Serbia, She is the Chief of Gynecologic Oncology Department at Clinic of Ob/Gyn, Clinical Center of Serbia and member of many scientific projects related to Cancer and Pregnancy. She works as a Lecturer/Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Medical School, University Belgrade. She has 50 publications in CC/SCI expanded and JCR indexed. She is an acitive participant at more than 50 international congresses, with total number of publications about 150.

Abstract:

Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of female genital tract and female patients less than 40 years may account for 3-14% of all endometrial cancers. The promising fact is that in women <45 years, the tumor is mostly low grade disease localised to the endometrium, whereas survival is almost about 100%. An individualized and multidisciplinary approach to each patient and intense follow-ups are the current recommendations for fertility sparing. Conservative approaches of early-stage endometrial carcinoma includes hormonal therapy in selected group of young patients with endometrial carcinoma, age less than 45 years and wishes fertility, showing low grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinomas (by 2 gynoncology pathologists review) limited to the endometrium with MRI excluded myomaterial invasion, without evidence of limphovasculare space involvement or extra uterine disease. Careful and accurate pretreatment assessment of patients considering conservative therapy includes radiologic imaging, hysteroscopy preferably but also contrast-enhanced radiologic imaging -MRI imaging of the ovary (5% of patients with endometrial cancer have synchronous primaries tumors). Repeating endometrial biopsies by hysteroscopy every 6 months has been recommended, until there is a complete response or achieving pregnancy. Surgery is recommended if there is no response after 6 months of medicational treatment. Hormonal therapy that could be applied is progestins which inhibits the estrogenic effect and suppresses cell proliferation (medroxy progesterone acetate, megestrl acetate), GnRh analogues, local gestagens (IUD), oral natural progesterons, aromatase inhibitors, even three step endoscopic (hysteroscopic) resection - removing tumour surrounding endometrium and myometrium. Fertility after treatment is not guaranteed, even there had been recorded reduced fertility of those treated, and there is a significant need of ART (18-60%).

 

Biography:

Mian Wu has completed his graduation from Nanjing Normal University in 1981 (BS) and obtained his PhD degree from Columbia University, USA in 1988. He then continuously conducted his Post-doctoral research at Harvard University during 1988-1991. Thereafter, he moved to Singapore as an Assistant Professor at School of Biological Sciences of National University of Singapore. From 2000, he worked as a full Professor at University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui. His research interests focus on molecular mechanisms for p53-regulated tumor development and regulation of non-coding RNA in tumor metabolism. He has published more than 60 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals with more than 2900 citations.

 

Abstract:

c-Myc is one of the most important proto-oncogenes and is activated in over half of human cancers. However, it remains unclear how the c-Myc protein level is regulated. Here we show that lncRNA-MIF (c-myc inhibitory factor), a c-Myc-induced long non-coding RNA, acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-586 and reduces the inhibitory effect of  shared miR-586 on Fbw7, an E3 ligase for c-Myc, leading to increased Fbw7 level and subsequent c-Myc degradation. This creates an autoregulatory feedback loop between c-Myc and Fbw7 that involves both a long and a micro noncoding RNAs. Interestingly, levels of all components of this network including c-Myc, lncRNA-MIF, miR-586 and Fbw7 are found to be higher in tumor cells than in normal cells. The c-Myc-lncRNA-MIF-miR-586-Fbw7 axis represents a novel mechanism by which c-Myc homeostasis is finely regulated. Additionally, lncRNA-MIF is able to inhibit the glycolysis and tumorgenesis via suppressing c-Myc. 

Biography:

Mahdi Shahriari has obtained a Diploma from north of Iran and then in 1978 he entered Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. After 9 years of training in Medicine (1988), he was accepted as Pediatric Resident then he had practiced 2 years as Pediatrician. From April 1992 till July 1994, he was trained as Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist and then became a Scientific Member of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. He has more than 50 publications in the field of Hemostasis, Anemia and Pediatric Oncology. At present, he is Member of Board Certification of Pediatric Hematology - Oncology of Iran.

Abstract:

Spirituality is an essential element of person-centered care and a critical factor in the way patients with cancer cope with their illness from diagnosis through treatment, survival, recurrence and dying. Despite the difficulty in clearly defining and measuring spirituality, a growing literature describes its importance in oncology and survivorship. Studies have indicated a significant relationship between spirituality and quality of life. Spirituality, in its broadest sense speaks to the meaning patients find in their lives especially during times of stress, illness and dying. Religious/spiritual beliefs influence patients' decision-making with respect to both complementary therapies and aggressive care at the end of life. Measures of spirituality and spiritual well-being correlate with quality of life in cancer patients, cancer survivors, and caregivers. Spiritual needs, reflective of existential concerns in several domains, are a source of significant distress, and care for these needs has been correlated with better psychological and spiritual adjustment as well as with less aggressive care at the end of life. Spiritual distress, as a diagnosis, requires attention and treatment just as any other clinical symptom. Spiritual resources of strength need to be identifies and recognized as positive factors in patients' coping. Finally a treatment plan needs to include the spiritual as well as the physical and psychosocial issues of patients. Studies also show that while nurses and physicians regard some spiritual care as an appropriate aspect of their role, patients report that they provide it infrequently. Many clinicians report that their religious/spiritual beliefs influence their practice, and practices such as mindfulness have been shown to enhance clinician self-care and equanimity. Challenges remain in the areas of conceptualizing and measuring spirituality, developing and implementing training for spiritual care and coordinating and partnering with chaplains and religious communities. Integrating spirituality as an essential domain of care will result in better health outcomes, particularly quality of life for patients across the trajectory of cancer care.

Biography:

Mahdi Shahriari has obtained a Diploma from north of Iran and then in 1978 he entered Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. After 9 years of training in Medicine (1988), he was accepted as Pediatric Resident then he had practiced 2 years as Pediatrician. From April 1992 till July 1994, he was trained as Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist and then became a Scientific Member of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. He has more than 50 publications in the field of Hemostasis, Anemia and Pediatric Oncology. At present, he is Member of Board Certification of Pediatric Hematology - Oncology of Iran.

Abstract:

Introduction: In literature some studies suggested that in the cell culture of cancer cells (in vitro), mega doses of vitamin D has anti-proliferative effect and inhibits cell growth, also in some clinical (in vivo) studies patients having solid malignancies poor prognosis is associated with vitamin D3 deficiency and replacement of vitamin D3 might have positive impact on prognosis. However, some of the results of the studies were against this suggestion. Therefore, in the current study we aimed to do a systematic review to compare the clinical, pathological features and survival rates in patients with early breast cancer having regular vitamin D3 replacement or not.

 

Method: Medline (Pubmed Central), Scopus, ISI, ISC, EMBASE, Science Direct and Google Scholar was surveyed. Inclusion criteria for this study were all review literatures, case reports, clinical trials and in vivo studies about the effect of vitamin D supplementation, blood level of vitamin D life styles, nutritional habits and also in vitro studies about vitamin D and cell growth or tumor suppression. Exclusion criteria were non-English language and case reports that were addressed in the review literatures.

 

Results: 5 review literatures, 12 case reports and 6 in vivo studies had inclusion criteria, so we critically studied about their material and methods. The results of the included studies on the association between cancer risk and vitamin D were much less consistent. Only those studies that prospectively examined the vitamin D3 serum levels in relation to risk of colorectal cancer are homogeneous: they all reported inverse associations, although not all reaching statistical significance. 4 case–control and 3 prospective studies were included. 3 case–control studies observed no correlation between the risk of NHL and vitamin D intake. Polesel et al. (2006) found an inverse association between vitamin D intake and NHL risk. In the prospective study of Freedman et al. (2007), no relations were found between 25-VD levels and mortality of NHL. Using data of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Giovannucci et al. (2006) calculated that an increment of 25nmol/l of the predicted 25-VD levels was associated with a, non-significant, risk reduction of NHL.

 

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several common cancers, including cancers of the breast, colon and prostate. Most of in-vitro studies are in favor of the impact of vitamin D on prevention of cancer cell proliferation, and healthy nutritional habits including sea foods and Omega 6 intake may prevent from breast, colon and prostatic cancer; but nutritional habits are more relevant and clinical evidence for Vitamin D supplementation for cancer patients is weak, yet controversy has not been resolved, except for elderly patients with bone metastasis who previously were on vitamin D due to osteoporosis. 

Biography:

Mahdi Shahriari has obtained a Diploma from north of Iran and then in 1978 he entered Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. After 9 years of training in Medicine (1988), he was accepted as Pediatric Resident then he had practiced 2 years as Pediatrician. From April 1992 till July 1994, he was trained as Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist and then became a Scientific Member of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. He has more than 50 publications in the field of Hemostasis, Anemia and Pediatric Oncology. At present, he is Member of Board Certification of Pediatric Hematology - Oncology of Iran.

Abstract:

Introduction: In literature some studies suggested that in the cell culture of cancer cells (in vitro), mega doses of vitamin D has anti-proliferative effect and inhibits cell growth, also in some clinical (in vivo) studies patients having solid malignancies poor prognosis is associated with vitamin D3 deficiency and replacement of vitamin D3 might have positive impact on prognosis. However, some of the results of the studies were against this suggestion. Therefore, in the current study we aimed to do a systematic review to compare the clinical, pathological features and survival rates in patients with early breast cancer having regular vitamin D3 replacement or not.

 

Method: Medline (Pubmed Central), Scopus, ISI, ISC, EMBASE, Science Direct and Google Scholar was surveyed. Inclusion criteria for this study were all review literatures, case reports, clinical trials and in vivo studies about the effect of vitamin D supplementation, blood level of vitamin D life styles, nutritional habits and also in vitro studies about vitamin D and cell growth or tumor suppression. Exclusion criteria were non-English language and case reports that were addressed in the review literatures.

 

Results: 5 review literatures, 12 case reports and 6 in vivo studies had inclusion criteria, so we critically studied about their material and methods. The results of the included studies on the association between cancer risk and vitamin D were much less consistent. Only those studies that prospectively examined the vitamin D3 serum levels in relation to risk of colorectal cancer are homogeneous: they all reported inverse associations, although not all reaching statistical significance. 4 case–control and 3 prospective studies were included. 3 case–control studies observed no correlation between the risk of NHL and vitamin D intake. Polesel et al. (2006) found an inverse association between vitamin D intake and NHL risk. In the prospective study of Freedman et al. (2007), no relations were found between 25-VD levels and mortality of NHL. Using data of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Giovannucci et al. (2006) calculated that an increment of 25nmol/l of the predicted 25-VD levels was associated with a, non-significant, risk reduction of NHL.

 

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several common cancers, including cancers of the breast, colon and prostate. Most of in-vitro studies are in favor of the impact of vitamin D on prevention of cancer cell proliferation, and healthy nutritional habits including sea foods and Omega 6 intake may prevent from breast, colon and prostatic cancer; but nutritional habits are more relevant and clinical evidence for Vitamin D supplementation for cancer patients is weak, yet controversy has not been resolved, except for elderly patients with bone metastasis who previously were on vitamin D due to osteoporosis. 

Biography:

Özge Akbulut is an Assistant Professor at Sabanci University since February 2012. She received her BS in Material Science and Engineering at Sabanci University in 2004 and her PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, 2009) which focused on cost-effective fabrication of biomolecular devices and surface science. She continued her studies as a Post-doctoral fellow in the Whitesides Group at Harvard University (2009–2011) on developing tools/techniques for resource-limited settings. Her main research interests are rheology modifiers and silicone-based composites. She also founded a company, Surgitate, on tactile surgical training platform, in 2014.

Abstract:

Lack of cadavers and fresh tissue/organ models hinders the quality of medical education; therefore, there is a need for a reliable and sustainable training medium for evergrowing number of medical students and personnel. Surgitate designs and fabricates silicone-based surgical models are engineered to simulate mechanical responses of real organs to incision, dissection, and suturing. Surgitate's product portfolio comprises skin, breast, vascular, and microsurgery models. Different suturing techniques, benign mass removal, and complicated oncoplastic surgery can be practiced on these models. Surgitate aims to improve the quality of surgical trainings via a practical, affordable, and tactile simulation platform.