title: Fasting among Muslim cancer patients during the holy month of Ramadan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Muslims constitute more than 20% of the world's population and have a significant share of its cancer cases. Many Muslim cancer patients witness the fasting month of Ramadan but we do not know which individuals elect to fast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study conducted among Muslim cancer patients at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Egypt, during Ramadan, Hijri 1430 (the month of fasting) August-September 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and two patients being treated at the NCI were interviewed. The most common diagnoses were breast cancer (31%), acute leukemia (24%), colorectal cancer (7%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (5%), bladder cancer (4%), lung cancer (4%), and laryngeal cancer (4%). The two sexes were equally represented and so were metastatic and nonmetastatic diseases. The outpatient:inpatient ratio was 3:1. Treatments being received by these patients included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, and nonspecific therapy in 42%, 31%, 10%, and 17%, respectively. Other concomitant diseases were present in 22% of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While 40% of patients did not fast at all during Ramadan, 36% and 24% were partial and complete fasters, respectively. Female patients, those with performance status (PS) 0 to 1, those whose disease was a nonmetastatic solid tumor, and those receiving non-intravenous chemotherapy as outpatients were more likely to be fasting than their corresponding counterparts. Being a female, having PS 0 to 1, and receiving treatment as an outpatient were the only factors that were significant on multivariate analysis. Only 46% of patients sought the treating oncologist advice on whether they could fast.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most cancer patients fast during Ramadan, but only half of them discuss the issue with their oncologists. We hope that our study stimulates more research on this topic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Fom El Khalig, Cairo, Egypt. amabood1@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zeeneldin
authors.forename: Fatma M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Taha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005215:Fasting / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D012069:Religion and Psychology