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This study aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of staging PET/CT and neck MRI in patients with laryngeal carcinoma and to assess the value of PET/CT in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Sixty-eight patients who had both modalities performed before treatment between 2014 and 2021 were included in this study. The sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT and MRI were evaluated. PET/CT had 93.8% sensitivity, 58.3% specificity, and 75% accuracy for nodal metastasis, whereas MRI had 68.8%, 61.1%, and 64.7% accuracy, respectively. At a median follow-up of 51 months, 23 patients had developed disease progression and 17 patients had died. Univariate-survival analysis revealed all utilized PET parameters as significant prognostic factors for OS and PFS (p-value < 0.03 each). In multivariate analysis, metabolic-tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) predicted better PFS (p-value < 0.05 each). In conclusion, PET/CT improves the accuracy of nodal staging in laryngeal carcinoma over neck MRI and adds to the prognostication of survival outcomes through the use of several PET metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positron-emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique that exploits the unique decay of positron-emitting isotopes of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and fluorine for development of diagnostically useful biological compounds available for PET to provide a functional or metabolic assessment of normal tissues or disease conditions. PET is evaluated for its ability to predict response or lack of response at very early stage in the course of treatment.

This article, titled "A Call for Protection of Medical Workers and Volunteers," emphasizes the importance of protecting medical workers and volunteers in conflict zones such as Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. It highlights the vulnerability of these individuals to harm and death during ongoing wars. The article cites a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which states that at least 484 medical workers and volunteers were killed in the past six months of the Gaza war. The authors argue that medical volunteers and workers deserve better protection during wartime, regardless of their motives, as they represent the best of humanity and embody the essence of the medical profession. They call for international protection and denounce attacks on civilian healthcare infrastructure. [Extracted from the article]

In Arab Countries, including Jordan, limited descriptive brain cancer data is available. We investigated the time trends of brain tumors with respect to gender and histological type distribution and age at our institution over the 1981-2011 period. We found a slight male predominance (52%, P< 0.05) throughout the study period for all tumors combined, with more pronounced male predominance for glioblastoma multiforme, anaplastic astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. Meningioma and pinocytoma showed female predominance (P<0.05). The gender distribution was stable for all histological types over the entire 30-year period. Relative frequency of all histological types was stable over the 30-year period except for anaplastic astrocytoma. However, the absolute numbers of cases diagnosed at the hospital increased in 18 of the 42 different types of tumors identified, peaking in 1990-1991 and in 2003-2006. Mean age at diagnosis for the study population was 35.2 years. Age at time of diagnosis increased overtime for craniopharyngiomas, colloid cysts and pinocytomas but remained stable for the remaining tumors. Aside from only a few exceptions, our study demonstrates stability of the various brain tumor types in Jordanians with respect to gender, histological type distribution and age at diagnosis over a long period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Arab Countries, including Jordan, limited descriptive brain cancer data is available. We investigated the time trends of brain tumors with respect to gender and histological type distribution and age at our institution over the 1981-2011 period. We found a slight male predominance (52%, P< 0.05) throughout the study period for all tumors combined, with more pronounced male predominance for glioblastoma multiforme, anaplastic astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. Meningioma and pinocytoma showed female predominance (P<0.05). The gender distribution was stable for all histological types over the entire 30-year period. Relative frequency of all histological types was stable over the 30-year period except for anaplastic astrocytoma. However, the absolute numbers of cases diagnosed at the hospital increased in 18 of the 42 different types of tumors identified, peaking in 1990-1991 and in 2003-2006. Mean age at diagnosis for the study population was 35.2 years. Age at time of diagnosis increased overtime for craniopharyngiomas, colloid cysts and pinocytomas but remained stable for the remaining tumors. Aside from only a few exceptions, our study demonstrates stability of the various brain tumor types in Jordanians with respect to gender, histological type distribution and age at diagnosis over a long period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]