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Simple Summary: There is a noticeable dearth of information regarding chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) within the Gulf region. This study seeks to address this gap by offering comprehensive insights into the status of CML in the Gulf, encompassing aspects such as diagnosis, testing, treatment objectives, toxicities, and discontinuation. Through a survey completed by 15 experts and subsequent discussions, this research sheds light on the management and treatment approaches for CML within the region. Remarkably, the practices observed among these experts closely align with global standards, although unique challenges pertinent to the Gulf region were distinctly identified during the discourse. Studies on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the Gulf region are scarce, consisting of a survey and expert meeting that included 15 experts in 2023 which discussed CML diagnosis, testing, treatment objectives, toxicities, and discontinuation in the Gulf region. Most patients were reported to be in first-line therapy, and the most common treatments were imatinib/imatinib generic in first-line and dasatinib in second- and third-lines. Mutation analysis was not reported to be routinely performed at the time of diagnosis but rather in case of progression to accelerated/blast phase or any sign of loss of response. While all participants were aware that BCR-ABL should be monitored every three months during the first year of treatment, 10% reported monitoring BCR-ABL every six months in practice due to test cost and lab capability. The most important first-line therapy objective was "achievement of major molecular response" (MMR) in younger patients and "overall survival" in older ones. The most important treatment objectives were "MMR" and "early molecular response followed by prolongation of overall survival" in the short term and "treatment-free remission" in the long term. The current practices in CML in the Gulf region appear to be similar to global figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of a child rights-based approach to policymaking and crisis management. Anchored in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 3P framework—provision, protection, and participation—forms the foundation for health professionals advocating for children's rights. Expanding it with two additional domains—preparation and power—into a 5P framework has the potential to enhance child rights-based policies in times of crisis and future pandemics. The study aimed to (1) gather perspectives from child health-and-rights specialists on how children's rights were highlighted during the early phase of the pandemic in their respective settings; and (2) evaluate the usefulness of the 5P framework in assessing children's visibility and rights. A qualitative survey was distributed among child health-and-rights professionals; a total of 68 responses were analysed in Atlas.ti 9 from a multi-disciplinary group of policymakers and front-line professionals in eight world regions. As framed by the 5Ps, children's rights were generally not safeguarded in the initial pandemic response and negatively impacted children's health and wellbeing. Further, children lacked meaningful opportunities to raise their concerns to policymakers. The 5P framework holds the potential to shape an ethical child rights-based decision-making framework for future crises, both nationally and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Midline gliomas are tumors that can manifest as either circumscribed or diffuse growths. These tumors typically develop in midline structures, including the thalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord. Other structures along the midline, such as the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, ventricles, paraventricular structures, and cerebellum may also be affected. Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are a subtype of midline gliomas and are considered highly aggressive and are most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults. These tumors are difficult to treat due to their location and invasive nature, and their prognosis is generally poor. We aim to describe our experience with midline gliomas, with a focus on DMGs. Midline gliomas are tumors that occur in midline structures and can be circumscribed or diffuse. Classical midline structures include the thalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord. Other midline structures include the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, ventricles, paraventricular structures, and cerebellum. Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a diffuse glioma that occurs in the classical midline structures, characterized by a specific genetic alteration, and associated with grim outcome. This study was conducted at King Hussein Cancer Center and reviewed the medical records of 104 patients with circumscribed and diffuse gliomas involving midline structures that underwent biopsy between 2005 and 2022. We included a final cohort of 104 patients characterized by a median age of 23 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1.59-to-1. Diffuse high-grade glioma (DHGG) was the most common pathological variant (41.4%), followed by DMG (28.9%). GFAP was positive in most cases (71.2%). Common positive mutations/alterations detected by surrogate immunostains included H3 K27me3 (28.9%), p53 (25.0%), and H3 K27M (20.2%). Age group, type of treatment, and immunohistochemistry were significantly associated with both the location of the tumor and tumor variant (all; p < 0.05). DMGs were predominantly found in the thalamus, whereas circumscribed gliomas were most commonly observed in the spinal cord. None of the diffuse gliomas outside the classical location, or circumscribed gliomas harbored the defining DMG mutations. The median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 10.6 months. Only the tumor variant (i.e., circumscribed gliomas) and radiotherapy were independent prognosticators on multivariate analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]