Sheikh Zahoor Ahmad

Association Between Male Circumcision and Cervical Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Analytical Studies

PURPOSE Cervical cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and one of the leading causes of death in women. The objective of the current review was to synthesize the available evidence on the association between male circumcision and risk of cervical cancer in females. METHODS We searched PubMed, Cochrane, CancerLit, Google Scholar, medRxiv, bioRxiv, UpToDate, TRIP database, and the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global databases to identify relevant articles. We considered research studies that assessed male circumcision status and cervical cancer in females for inclusion. The risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scales. We estimated summary measures of effect and 95% CIs for the odds of developing cervical dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, or invasive cervical cancer in females based on the circumcision status of their male partners. RESULTS We identified 380 potentially eligible records through systematic database searches. After excluding 278 records on the basis of title and abstract screening, 102 full-text records were assessed for eligibility. We included 19 studies in the final analysis. The risk-of-bias assessment revealed a low risk across 10 records. Male circumcision was associated with decreased odds of cervical cancer (odds ratio [OR], 0.65 [95% CI, 0.53 to 0.79]). Circumcision was also associated with decreased odds of developing Invasive cervical cancer (OR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.51 to 0.99]), cervical dysplasia (OR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.45 to 0.92]), and carcinoma in situ cervix (OR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.50 to 0.90]). CONCLUSION Male circumcision has been found to be associated with lower odds of developing various cervical lesions, suggesting its prophylactic potential. Understanding the effects of male circumcision on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection would have important implications for studies of HPV transmission, leading to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.

Patterns of Treatment and Outcomes in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Retrospective North Indian Single-Institution Experience

PURPOSEOvarian cancer (OC) is ranked as the third most common gynecologic cancer in various Indian cancer registries. In India, OC is seen in the younger age group, with a median age < 55 years being reported by most of the studies. The majority of patients are diagnosed in advanced stage (70%-80%), where the long-term (10-year) survival rate is poor, estimated at 15%-30%. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical epidemiology, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes in patients with epithelial OC.METHODSThis was a retrospective analysis of patients with epithelial OC who were treated at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, over a period of 9 years, from January 2010 to December 2018.RESULTSOC constituted 2.94% of all cancers registered. Epithelial OC constituted 88.4% of all OCs, with a median age 50 years. More than two third of patients belonged to rural background and the majority (76.9%) of the patients were in stage III or IV at the time of diagnosis. The main presenting symptoms were abdominal distension/bloating (46.5%) and gastrointestinal disturbances (35.2%). The most common histologic types were serous (65.9%) followed by mucinous carcinoma (15%). Median overall survival for the whole study cohort was 30 months (95% CI, 28.0 to 31.9). Median overall survival for stage I, II, III, and IV was 72, 60, 30, and 20 months, respectively.CONCLUSIONMost of the patients presented in advanced stage of the disease and have poor outcome. Delay in diagnosis and improper management before registering in tertiary cancer center and lack of tertiary care facilities are the root causes of poor outcomes. The general population and primary care physicians need to be made aware of OC symptoms.

Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of Women With Ovarian Cancers in Syria

the goal of this observational study is to describe ovarian cancer epidemiology and characteristics in Syrian women, especially during the war to do more research in the future about the risk factors of ovarian cancer.