Glioblastoma is known as the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, and it is still largely not curable, with a median survival of approximately 15 months when standard multimodal therapy is applied. The standard treatment nowadays is maximal safe surgical resection, associated with radiotherapy and temozolomide. Treatment effectiveness is limited not only by an impassable blood–brain barrier (BBB) to drug delivery to the brain, but also by the heterogeneity of the tumors and intrinsic or acquired drug resistance, resulting in a certain and inescapable tumor relapse. Therefore, novel drug delivery systems are being designed to overcome the BBB and improve therapeutic efficacy. These approaches include nanoparticle-mediated delivery systems, convection-enhanced intra-tumoral infusion, implantable drug-releasing devices, and noninvasive focused ultrasound technology, which induced transient disruption of the BBB. These approaches are designed to enhance local drug exposure and reduce systemic toxicity with promising preclinical and early clinical results. However, many clinical and technical challenges remain, especially the need for safety, homogeneous drug delivery, and translation of these advances into effective clinical therapies. Current glioblastoma treatment landscape and opportunities include maturing delivery systems, novel therapeutic approaches, including targeted molecular therapies and immunotherapy, as well as personalized regimens. This multidisciplinary modality may have the capacity to help not only patients with GBM but others as well through a multimodal approach of targeted drug delivery and innovative therapy in the long run to improve clinical outcomes of GBM in patients.

Background and Objectives: Congenital abnormalities are a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and are frequently detectable through prenatal ultrasound. While widely implemented in high-income countries, such screening remains inconsistently applied in low- and middle-income regions. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of congenital abnormalities identified via prenatal ultrasound in Lebanon and to explore associated maternal, obstetric, and psychosocial factors. Methods: A multicenter retrospective observational study, supplemented by follow-up interviews, was conducted in five Order of Malta medical centers. Pregnant women in their second trimester underwent an obstetric ultrasound, and data were collected through structured questionnaires and follow-up phone interviews. Variables included maternal demographics, obstetric history, anxiety levels (GAD-7 scores), and ultrasound findings. Results: A total of 426 pregnant women were enrolled (mean age: 28.8 ± 5.9 years). The overall prevalence of congenital abnormalities was 13.1%. Growth abnormalities were observed in 8.5% of fetuses and were significantly associated with obstetric complications and the presence of multiple abnormalities. Morphological malformations were found in 10.1% of cases and were more common among women of advanced maternal age, those with a history of anomalies, and those reporting elevated anxiety scores. Combined abnormalities, as well as growth and morphological malformations, were significantly associated with higher parity, prior anomalies, and current pregnancy complications. Conclusions: Prenatal ultrasound is essential for early detection of congenital abnormalities, facilitating timely intervention and improved neonatal outcomes. These findings emphasize the need to integrate systematic screening into prenatal care in Lebanon and for ongoing research to identify context-specific risk factors.

Background/Objectives: Women’s health represents an integral component of public health. With breast cancer being the first worldwide and cervical cancer the fourth most common cancer among women, and while habits of intimate hygiene remain mediocre, it is crucial to address these issues. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a community-based intervention on the knowledge and preventive measures (K&P) of women toward breast cancer, cervical cancer, and intimate hygiene. Methods: This longitudinal multicentric prospective interventional study was conducted on women residing in Lebanon aged 18–83 years old. The awareness sessions took place either in person or online to address these three topics, covering the eight governorates of Lebanon. Our sample included women both from the general population and from Order of Malta Lebanon (OML)’s centers and mobile medical units. A stratified randomized sampling method was implemented using age and governorates. Women were interviewed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the awareness session. The K&P score and the improvement post-intervention were represented in a function of all the study variables. A p ˂ 0.05 was found statistically significant. Results: A total of 657 women, with the majority being nonsmokers and having a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education, completed surveys before and after the intervention, showcasing a significant overall K&P mean score improvement of 50.48% in the pre- vs. post-test (an average score of 22.01 ± 5.95 over 38 (57.93% of correct answers) vs. 33.12 ± 3.41 over 38 (89.58% of correct answers), respectively, p < 0.001). A significant difference was also noted between pre- and post-test (p < 0.001) in each of the three topics individually, with improvements of 52.39% for breast cancer, 60.00% for cervical cancer, and 22.27% for intimate hygiene. Conclusions: National awareness campaigns are key to shedding light on breast and cervical cancer matters and improving women’s reproductive health and intimate hygiene in Lebanon. Addressing the knowledge gaps and promoting early screening and healthy habits through national public health policies can empower women to protect their health and well-being.

Glioblastoma is known as the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults and it is still largely not curable, with a median survival of approximately 15 months when standard multimodal therapy is applied. The standard treatment nowadays is maximal safe surgical resection, associated with radiotherapy and temozolomide. Treatment effectiveness is limited not only by an impassable blood–brain barrier (BBB) to drug delivery to the brain, but also by the heterogeneity of the tumors and by intrinsic or gained drug resistance – resulting in a certain and inescapable tumor relapse. Therefore, novel drug delivery systems are being designed to overcome the BBB and improve therapeutic efficacy. These approaches include nanoparticle-mediated delivery systems, convection-enhanced intratumoral infusion, implantable drug-releasing devices, and noninvasive focused ultrasound technology induced transient disruption of the BBB. These approaches are designed to enhance local drug exposure and to reduce systemic toxicity with promising preclinical and early clinical results. However, many clinical and technical challenges remain, especially the need for safety, homogeneous drug delivery, and translation of these advances into effective clinical therapies. Current glioblastoma treatment landscape and opportunities include maturing delivery systems, novel therapeutic approaches including targeted molecular therapies and immunotherapy, as well as personalized regimens. This multidisciplinary modality may have the capacity to help not only GBM patients but others as well through a multimodal approach of targeted drug delivery and innovative therapy in the long run in order to improve clinical outcomes of GBM in patients.