With the projected increase in the global population, current healthcare delivery models will face severe challenges. Rural and remote areas, whether in developed or developing countries, are characterized by the same challenges: the unavailability of hospitals, lack of trained and skilled staff performing tests, and poor compliance with quality assurance protocols. Point-of-care testing using artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to be able to address these challenges. In this review, we highlight some key areas of application of AI in point-of-care testing, including lateral flow immunoassays, bright-field microscopy, and hematology, demonstrating this rapidly expanding field of laboratory medicine.

PURPOSEThe objective of this study was to establish the relationship between the timing of admission to a hospital and the severity of injuries following an earthquake.

METHODSIt was a retrospective chart review of injured patients admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. Age, gender, injury severity score, type of injuries, complications, operations, hospital stay and mortality were studied and compared at different time intervals using SPSS.

RESULTSMost injuries were musculoskeletal [145 (59%)] vs. all other injuries, including minor lacerations [103 (41%)], but the percentage of non-musculoskeletal injuries was higher within 24 h (67% vs. 53% respectively, p = 0.4). Injury severity score (25 ± 10 vs. 16 ± 9, p=0.01), multiple injuries [73% vs. 45%, p=0.05] and crush syndrome [20% vs. 03%, p = 0.02] were significantly higher in patients admitted within 24 h. More patients with head and neck injuries were admitted within 24 h (27% vs. 18%, p = 0.4). Patients admitted within 24 h had higher complication rates (67% vs. 32%, P = 0.01) as well as mean operative procedures (2.8 ± 1.9 vs. 1.9 ± 1.9, p= 0.08).

CONCLUSIONOur study showed that patients admitted to a hospital within 24 h following an earthquake had more severe injuries and higher complication rate than those admitted after 24 h.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Earthquakes ; Female ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pakistan ; Patient Admission ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Young Adult

Purpose: Breast cancer subtypes are delineated by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, pivotal in treatment selection. HER2-positive tumors typically respond to targeted therapies, whereas HER2-negative tumors lack HER2 overexpression. However, a subset exhibits low HER2 expression without amplification, termed HER2 low breast cancer. Despite being distinct, its clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic implications remain less understood. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on histologically confirmed breast cancer cases from January 2022 to December 2023. Clinicopathological data including age, tumor size, nodal involvement, and hormone receptor status were collected. Immunohistochemistry categorized tumors into luminal, triple-negative, and HER2-enriched subtypes. HER2 expression was re-evaluated, classifying tumors into HER2 low and HER2-negative based on staining intensity and amplification status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Seventy female patients with breast cancer were included, exhibiting diverse clinicopathological features. HER2 low tumors (40%) were significantly associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.03), nodal involvement (P=0.01), and positive androgen receptor expression (P=0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed HER2 low hormone receptor-positive cases (78.6%) were associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.01) and nodal involvement (P=0.01), while HER2 low triple-negative cases (21.4%) demonstrated distinct characteristics such as higher histological grade (P=0.02). Conclusion This study underscores the complexity of HER2 low breast cancer and its implications for clinical management, emphasizing the need for personalized treatment strategies. It provides insights into the clinicopathological parameters of HER2 low breast cancers, highlighting their diverse characteristics and clinical implications.

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, with an increasing incidence rate. It is a heterogeneous disease, and early metastasis remains a challenge. Tumor budding, defined as single tumor cells or small clusters at the invasive front, has been suggested as a prognostic marker in various cancers, including breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate tumor budding in invasive breast carcinoma using the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) scoring system and explore its association with pathological characteristics and prognosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 100 mastectomy specimens of histopathologically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma, excluding cases that underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Tumor budding was classified as low, intermediate, or high based on the ITBCC scoring method, and associations with clinicopathological features were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Tumor budding was classified as high in 52% of cases. A significant association was found between high tumor budding and higher tumor grade (P<0.001), negative estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status (P<0.001), positive HER2neu status (P=0.003), and high Ki-67 levels (P<0.001). High tumor budding was also linked to higher T stage, and dermal lymphovascular invasion (P=0.001). Our findings support previous studies showing that high tumor budding is associated with poor prognostic factors such as higher tumor grade, negative hormone receptor status, and higher T stage. Conclusion Tumor budding is a potential prognostic marker in breast cancer, associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics.

Purpose: Breast cancer subtypes are delineated by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, pivotal in treatment selection. HER2-positive tumors typically respond to targeted therapies, whereas HER2-negative tumors lack HER2 overexpression. However, a subset exhibits low HER2 expression without amplification, termed HER2 low breast cancer. Despite being distinct, its clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic implications remain less understood. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on histologically confirmed breast cancer cases from January 2022 to December 2023. Clinicopathological data including age, tumor size, nodal involvement, and hormone receptor status were collected. Immunohistochemistry categorized tumors into luminal, triple-negative, and HER2-enriched subtypes. HER2 expression was re-evaluated, classifying tumors into HER2 low and HER2-negative based on staining intensity and amplification status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Seventy female patients with breast cancer were included, exhibiting diverse clinicopathological features. HER2 low tumors (40%) were significantly associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.03), nodal involvement (P=0.01), and positive androgen receptor expression (P=0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed HER2 low hormone receptor-positive cases (78.6%) were associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.01) and nodal involvement (P=0.01), while HER2 low triple-negative cases (21.4%) demonstrated distinct characteristics such as higher histological grade (P=0.02). Conclusion This study underscores the complexity of HER2 low breast cancer and its implications for clinical management, emphasizing the need for personalized treatment strategies. It provides insights into the clinicopathological parameters of HER2 low breast cancers, highlighting their diverse characteristics and clinical implications.

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, with an increasing incidence rate. It is a heterogeneous disease, and early metastasis remains a challenge. Tumor budding, defined as single tumor cells or small clusters at the invasive front, has been suggested as a prognostic marker in various cancers, including breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate tumor budding in invasive breast carcinoma using the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) scoring system and explore its association with pathological characteristics and prognosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 100 mastectomy specimens of histopathologically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma, excluding cases that underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Tumor budding was classified as low, intermediate, or high based on the ITBCC scoring method, and associations with clinicopathological features were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Tumor budding was classified as high in 52% of cases. A significant association was found between high tumor budding and higher tumor grade (P<0.001), negative estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status (P<0.001), positive HER2neu status (P=0.003), and high Ki-67 levels (P<0.001). High tumor budding was also linked to higher T stage, and dermal lymphovascular invasion (P=0.001). Our findings support previous studies showing that high tumor budding is associated with poor prognostic factors such as higher tumor grade, negative hormone receptor status, and higher T stage. Conclusion Tumor budding is a potential prognostic marker in breast cancer, associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics.

Purpose: Breast cancer subtypes are delineated by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, pivotal in treatment selection. HER2-positive tumors typically respond to targeted therapies, whereas HER2-negative tumors lack HER2 overexpression. However, a subset exhibits low HER2 expression without amplification, termed HER2 low breast cancer. Despite being distinct, its clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic implications remain less understood. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on histologically confirmed breast cancer cases from January 2022 to December 2023. Clinicopathological data including age, tumor size, nodal involvement, and hormone receptor status were collected. Immunohistochemistry categorized tumors into luminal, triple-negative, and HER2-enriched subtypes. HER2 expression was re-evaluated, classifying tumors into HER2 low and HER2-negative based on staining intensity and amplification status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Seventy female patients with breast cancer were included, exhibiting diverse clinicopathological features. HER2 low tumors (40%) were significantly associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.03), nodal involvement (P=0.01), and positive androgen receptor expression (P=0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed HER2 low hormone receptor-positive cases (78.6%) were associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.01) and nodal involvement (P=0.01), while HER2 low triple-negative cases (21.4%) demonstrated distinct characteristics such as higher histological grade (P=0.02). Conclusion This study underscores the complexity of HER2 low breast cancer and its implications for clinical management, emphasizing the need for personalized treatment strategies. It provides insights into the clinicopathological parameters of HER2 low breast cancers, highlighting their diverse characteristics and clinical implications.

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, with an increasing incidence rate. It is a heterogeneous disease, and early metastasis remains a challenge. Tumor budding, defined as single tumor cells or small clusters at the invasive front, has been suggested as a prognostic marker in various cancers, including breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate tumor budding in invasive breast carcinoma using the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) scoring system and explore its association with pathological characteristics and prognosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 100 mastectomy specimens of histopathologically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma, excluding cases that underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Tumor budding was classified as low, intermediate, or high based on the ITBCC scoring method, and associations with clinicopathological features were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Tumor budding was classified as high in 52% of cases. A significant association was found between high tumor budding and higher tumor grade (P<0.001), negative estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status (P<0.001), positive HER2neu status (P=0.003), and high Ki-67 levels (P<0.001). High tumor budding was also linked to higher T stage, and dermal lymphovascular invasion (P=0.001). Our findings support previous studies showing that high tumor budding is associated with poor prognostic factors such as higher tumor grade, negative hormone receptor status, and higher T stage. Conclusion Tumor budding is a potential prognostic marker in breast cancer, associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics.

Purpose: Breast cancer subtypes are delineated by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, pivotal in treatment selection. HER2-positive tumors typically respond to targeted therapies, whereas HER2-negative tumors lack HER2 overexpression. However, a subset exhibits low HER2 expression without amplification, termed HER2 low breast cancer. Despite being distinct, its clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic implications remain less understood. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on histologically confirmed breast cancer cases from January 2022 to December 2023. Clinicopathological data including age, tumor size, nodal involvement, and hormone receptor status were collected. Immunohistochemistry categorized tumors into luminal, triple-negative, and HER2-enriched subtypes. HER2 expression was re-evaluated, classifying tumors into HER2 low and HER2-negative based on staining intensity and amplification status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Seventy female patients with breast cancer were included, exhibiting diverse clinicopathological features. HER2 low tumors (40%) were significantly associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.03), nodal involvement (P=0.01), and positive androgen receptor expression (P=0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed HER2 low hormone receptor-positive cases (78.6%) were associated with higher tumor stage (P=0.01) and nodal involvement (P=0.01), while HER2 low triple-negative cases (21.4%) demonstrated distinct characteristics such as higher histological grade (P=0.02). Conclusion This study underscores the complexity of HER2 low breast cancer and its implications for clinical management, emphasizing the need for personalized treatment strategies. It provides insights into the clinicopathological parameters of HER2 low breast cancers, highlighting their diverse characteristics and clinical implications.

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, with an increasing incidence rate. It is a heterogeneous disease, and early metastasis remains a challenge. Tumor budding, defined as single tumor cells or small clusters at the invasive front, has been suggested as a prognostic marker in various cancers, including breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate tumor budding in invasive breast carcinoma using the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) scoring system and explore its association with pathological characteristics and prognosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 100 mastectomy specimens of histopathologically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma, excluding cases that underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Tumor budding was classified as low, intermediate, or high based on the ITBCC scoring method, and associations with clinicopathological features were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Tumor budding was classified as high in 52% of cases. A significant association was found between high tumor budding and higher tumor grade (P<0.001), negative estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status (P<0.001), positive HER2neu status (P=0.003), and high Ki-67 levels (P<0.001). High tumor budding was also linked to higher T stage, and dermal lymphovascular invasion (P=0.001). Our findings support previous studies showing that high tumor budding is associated with poor prognostic factors such as higher tumor grade, negative hormone receptor status, and higher T stage. Conclusion Tumor budding is a potential prognostic marker in breast cancer, associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics.