Adversities are all you need: Classification of self-reported breast cancer posts on Twitter using Adversarial Fine-tuning

In this paper, we describe our system entry for Shared Task 8 at SMM4H-2021, which is on automatic classification of self-reported breast cancer posts on Twitter. In our system, we use a transformer-based language model fine-tuning approach to automatically identify tweets in the self-reports category. Furthermore, we involve a Gradient-based Adversarial fine-tuning to improve the overall model's robustness. Our system achieved an F1-score of 0.8625 on the Development set and 0.8501 on the Test set in Shared Task-8 of SMM4H-2021.

Evalution of the results of 3D conformal radiotherapy inT1/T2 of larynx cancer, Experience radiotherapy´department of tishreen university hospital

Larynx cancer is the most common cancer of the head and neck with the exception of the skin and it accounts for 2% of all cancer diagnoses, its genesis is directly associated with alcohol drinking and smoking, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common histological type (95%) of larynx cancer. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate 3D conformal radiotherapy of accelerated system for early larynx cancer and to estimate acute and late toxicity which appear because of irradiated normal tissues around the tumor (thyroid gland, spine cord, ….) and also to evaluate the rate of recurrence and survival. Materials and methods: The study was performed of 44 patients of scc larengeal cancer stage T1/T2, that underwent RT (2015 – 2017), 84% with glottic cancer, the median age was 63 years, all patients were treated 3D conformal RT, Total dose between (60-66) Gy, 2Gy/fraction (5 fractions in week).Our analysis was to evaluate the acute and late toxicity dure and after radiotherapy, and also the rate of recurrence and survival. Results: The most toxicity was dysphagia (42 PTs) 96%, radiodermitis (30 PTs) 70%, the least toxicity was tooth damage. No evidence of late toxicity, the rate of recurrence (11 PTs) 25%, metastases occur in (1 PT). (6/ 41 PTs) 16.4% were dead. Conclusion: Radiotherapy is the important role to control early larynx cancer, and 3DRadiotherapy is giving a large dose to treat the tumor and save the normal tissues around the tumor from effect of radiation, therefor absence the late toxicity.

Breast Cancer

-The study covered 143 famale patients with Breast cancer that have visited AL ASSAD and Tishreen University Hospital of LATAKIA in 2014-2017 (Four years) . -The patients were divided into three groups depending on diameter of the Mass, we found out that the most masses were between (2-5cm) in diameter . -The largest age group in our study was (50-60)years,54.54% then (40-50) years,23.77% . -57.34% of procedures were modified radical mastectomy, while 9.79% were conservative surgeries . -It has been noted that the incidence rate of the invasive Ductal carcinoma to Lobular carcinoma was 2/1 . All complications were simple and properly managed and their rate were 32,86%.

Coping strategies among cancer patients during chemotherapy

Background: cancer patients experience large physical and emotional challenges related to side effects of chemotherapy drugs, which make coping and adaptation essential issue for coping with disease. Aim: this study was conducted to identify coping strategies among cancer patients during chemotherapy and its relation with patient's age and gender Methods: data were collected from 150 patients from Tishreen university hospital by using brief coping questionnaire in addition to demographical sheet Results : the results revealed that cancer patients tend to use various coping strategies which are problemfocused and emotional- focused, reflected positive and negative coping. The most used coping strategies were active coping strategy (78.66%), followed by seeking social support for instrumental reasons strategy (76.66%), followed by planning strategy (76%), then focus on and venting of emotions (75.33%), followed by acceptance strategy (70.66%), then seeking social support for emotional reasons (68%), then turning to religion (58%). Also results showed that coping strategies changed according to age and gender changing (p < 0.05) where women tend to use emotional- focused coping strategies while aged patients prefer emotional social support and acceptance. Conclusion: emotional issues for cancer patients during chemotherapy require more concern with ongoing assessment for adaptation and coping strategies, for designing appropriate interventions agreed with coping behaviors which cancer patients demonstrate during treatment.

The prevalence of gastric intestinal metaplasia through upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and histological study, and association with Helicobacter pylori in the university hospitals of Tishreen university

gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is considered to be a precursor of gastric cancer which is still the fourth most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer related death worldwide after lung cancer. There is also a relationship between gastric intestinal metaplasia and H.pylory which is one of the most important factors predisposing it . As a result, H. pylori eradication is one of the most promising approaches in gastric cancer prevention. The aim of the study was investigated the prevalence of GIM and its subtypes, and the prevalence of H. pylori infection in GIM. the study was conducted on 200 patients who were undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsy between January 2016 and April 2017, in the university hospitals of Tishreen university. Specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to determine the pattern of intestinal metaplasia. And Helicobacter pylori was investigated by Giemsa staining. The prevalence of GIM was 16%. The prevalence of complete IM was higher than incomplete IM. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 50% in GIM, without presence of statistical importance ) P > 0.05). The prevalence of chronic gastritis was 100% in GIM (P Value = 0.02). Gastric intestinal metaplasia was more prevalent in older patients. GIM is a common finding in patients undergoing EGD with biopsy in our region. Chronic gastritis is considered as the most important reason for the development of GIM.

Psychological Hardiness and its Relationship with Life Satisfaction for sample of breast cancer patients Afield Study in Lattakia governorate

This research aimed to know the relationship between Psychological Hardiness and the life satisfaction and realized the level of Psychological Hardiness and the level of life satisfaction for sample of breast cancer patients, also aimed to examine the differences in Psychological Hardiness and life satisfaction according to the variables (age, marital status, duration of the disease). The research used Descriptive analytical method, The sample included (112) breast cancer patients in the year 2017. The research used two measures for Psychological Hardiness and the life satisfaction. Validity of the questionnaire was established though a jury of (7) of the teaching staff at Tishreen University. Pilot sample consisted of (28) breast cancer patients. Reliability was established by Cronbach – Alpha Reliability at lest (0.835) for life satisfaction measure, and (0.867) for Psychological Hardiness measure. The final results showed there are positive relationship between Psychological Hardiness and the life satisfaction for the Students. In fact, the level of Psychological Hardiness and life satisfaction for breast cancer patients were middle rated for the sample research. Finally, the study showed significant differences in Psychological Hardiness to the variable age in favor of the more than (45) years, also to marital status in favor of the marries, and to duration of the disease in favor of the breast cancer patients more than (5) years, also there are showed significant differences in the level of life satisfaction according to the variable age in favor of the more than (45) years, also to marital status in favor of the marries, and to duration of the disease in favor of the breast cancer patients more than (5) years.

Studying the level of Serglycin in Patient with Acute Leukemia

Serglycin is an intracellular proteoglycan in hematopoietic cells. It has been studied in normal and tumor hematopoietic cell, so it was suggested to have an important role in immunity and cancers as leukemia. The challenge to make a diagnosis for acute leukemia and to differentiate between myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemia, is the reason we go to assay concentration of serglyc in normal people and patient with acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia from children and adult at hematology department in the main hospitals in Damascus ( Pediatric’shopital, Almouasat and Al asaad hospital) before beginning any kind of treatment and studying the relation with white blood cells count. We found clear difference between the concentration in patient with acute leukemia and normal people. There was a high level of this marker in paint with AML in contrast with ALL patients. We found a relation between concentration of serglycin and the count of white blood cells.

A Comparative Study between Artificial Neural Network Performance and Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference Systems in Breast Cancer Diagnosis Depending On Structural Features

This research aims to produce a diagnosis system for breast cancer by using Neural Network depending on Back Propagation algorithm(BPNN) and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System ‘ANFIS’, the both of studies was done using structural features of biopsies in “Wisconson Breast Cancer “data base. In the end a comparison was made between the two studies of malignant- benign classification of breast masses of breast cancer which has accuracy 95,95% with BPNN and 91.9% with ANFIS system, this results can be consider very important if they compared with researches depending on image features that obtained of various devises like mammography, magnetic resonance.

Serum levels of S100A7 in Syrian lung cancer patients

Lung cancer is the major cause of cancer death. S100A7 overexpression has been associated with early stages of carcinomas . This study aimed to evaluate the levels of serum S100A7 in lung cancer. Our study contains 63 patients of lung cancer (46 newly diagnosis patients, 11 treated patients, 6 recurrence patients) and 15 healthy volunteers

Response to low- dose ketoconazole in patients with Androgen –independent prostate cancer

Background: low –dose ketoconazole (LDK) in combination with steroids has been recognized as an effective secondary hormonal therapy in androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC), we hypothesized that low-dose ketoconazole would likewise possess efficacy and tolerabilitiy in the (AIPC). Methods: in a single institution (Tishreen University Hospital, Lattakia), patients with AIPC treated with LDK (at a dose of 200 mg orally 3 times daily ) as secondary hormonal therapy with concomitant steroids were retrospectively identified, After experiencing a rising prostate –specific antigen (PSA) level. Results: 21 of 50 eligible patients)42%) treated with LDK experienced PSA declines ≥ 50% after the start of treatment, while there were 12 patients with low PSA between 25- 50% with a median duration of response (5.4 months) 7 patients less than 25 % decrease, while 10 patients did not never respond. The most common complications is the fatigue and general debility in 18 patients , digestive disorders in 21 patients (Summit, nausea and diarrhea) , muscle disorders in 3 patients, and Metabolic disorders in five patients The incidence of drug toxicity grade 3-4 is very few. There were only three patients not able to continue the treatment due to severe side effects. Conclusion: low dose ketokonazole and Predenisolone is a well – tolerated, relatively inexpensive and clinically active treatment option. PSA response to low – dose ketoconazole historically comparable to that of Abiraterone in patients with AIPC.