1.The Positive Impact of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Utilisation in Cancer Treatment: A Scoping Review of Published Articles From the Perspective of the in Vitro Studies
Nurul Ain Mohammad Hamdi ; Muhammad Salahuddin Haris ; Ahmad Fahmi Harun Ismail
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2021;17(No.4):275-284
Survival benefit of patients with advanced cancer was reported with intravenous vitamin C administration. Nevertheless, a recent systematic review failed to support the clinically use of vitamin C in cancer patients due to the
diversity of interventions and cancer type. This study aimed to provide a scoping review of vitamin C utilisation and
its impact on cancer treatment from the perspective of in vitro studies. The review was conducted using predefined
search terms in three scientific databases. 44 articles were retrieved with a total of 15 cancer types being studied from
2015 to 2020. The findings were classified into primary and secondary outcome. The primary outcome refers to chief
consequences of vitamin C treatment, while the secondary outcome denotes the additional advantages generated as
a result of the primary outcome, which occurs both in monotherapy and combination therapy. This review discussed
the major mechanism of vitamin C as anti-cancer and its relation with the outcomes.
2.A Systematic Review on Effectiveness of Nicotine-Based and NonNicotine Based Drug Delivery System for Smoking Cessation Among the Elderly
Amri Nurhakim Mat Husin ; Nurul Atifah Azmi ; Nurul Hanis Mohd Sabari ; Mohamad Haniki Nik Mohamed ; Nurul Ain Mohammad Hamdi ; Muhammad Salahuddin Haris
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2023;19(No.1):232-241
Introduction: Smoking is associated with a higher risk of mortality, especially in smokers with cardiovascular and
respiratory diseases. Smoking cessation remains the most effective approach in reducing smoking-related illness risks
at all ages. For elderly smokers, smoking cessation has been proved to prolong life expectancy and reduce the risk of
stroke and ischemic heart disease. However, a wide selection of smoking cessation medications makes prescribing
challenging, especially among elderly smokers. Inability to recommend the best treatment may reduce the smoking
cessation success rate in the elderly. Therefore, this study compares the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy available
and correlate the effect of ageing on the effectiveness, leading to the recommendation of the best medication for
elderly smokers. Method: A systematic searching strategy was performed in three different databases by using predetermined search strings. Results: Overall, this systematic review revealed that varenicline showed the greatest smoking cessation rate among the elderly, followed by bupropion and NRT. Conclusion: It is suggested that varenicline
offered the best medical aid for smoking cessation in the elderly.