Abstract. Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), which is a rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway. The pleiotropic effects of statins may be mediated by the inhibition of downstream products such as small GTP-binding proteins, Rho, Ras and Rac whose localization and function are dependent on isoprenylation. Preclinical studies of statins in different cancer cell lines and animal models showed antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-invasive effects. Notably, statins showed targeted action in cancerous cell lines compared to normal cells. Previous studies have also shown the synergistic effects of statins with chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy. This effect of statins was also observed in chemotherapeutic-resistant tumors. Statins were reported to sensitize the cells to radiation by arresting them in the late G1 phase of the cell cycle. Similarly, population-based studies also demonstrated a chemopreventive and survival benefit of statins in various types of cancers. However, this benefit has yet to be proven in clinical trials. The interindividual variation in response to statins may be contributed to many genetic and non-genetic factors, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms in HMGCR gene and the overexpression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1, which was reported to reduce HMGCR enzyme activity. However, more studies with large phase III randomized controlled trials in cancer patients should be conducted to establish the effect of statins in cancer prevention and treatment.

Conclusive statements in the abstract can differ from those in the full text. Clinicians should use caution when they consider making changes in their practice on the basis of reading only the abstract of a published RCT.

ConclusionsClinical practice patterns at our institution showed that more than 50% of ebc patients treated with modern act received pp-g-csf, which led to fewer fn episodes and increased delivery of planned act. The observed high fn risk despite pp-g-csf was linked to older age, taxane-based chemotherapy, and filgrastim.

with a diagnosis of primary CNS tumor (brain and spinal cord) were selected. Data about sex, age, tumor location, and histologic type were collected. The classification was based on the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd Edition (ICD-O-3). Results. Nine hundred and ninety-two (992) cases of primary CNS tumors throughout the ten years (2005 to 2014) were reviewed. There were 714 (71.97%) adults and 278 (28.02%) in the pediatric age group. Nonmalignant tumors dominated the adult population (60.08%) while malignant tumors were more frequent in the pediatric population. Gliomas constituted the most common neoplastic category in children and adults. The most common single tumor entity was meningioma (26.99%, ICD-O-3 histology codes 9530/0, 9539/1, and 9530/3). Medulloblastomas (ICD-O-3 histology codes 9470, 9471, and 9474) were the most common single tumor entity in the pediatric age group (26.62%). Conclusions. This is an institution-based, detailed, and descriptive epidemiological study of patients with primary CNS tumors in Saudi Arabia. In contrast to other regional and international studies, the medulloblastomas in our institution are more frequent than pilocytic astrocytomas. Limitations to our study included the referral bias and histology-based methodology.