Objective To highlight the main demographic characteristics and clinical profiles of female patients registered with breast cancer in Iraq; focusing on the impact of age.Methods This retrospective study enrolled 1172 female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Main Center for Early Detection of Breast Cancer/Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Data were extracted from an established information system, developed by the principal author under supervision of WHO, that was based on valid clinical records of Iraqi patients affected by breast cancer. The recorded information regarding clinical examination comprised positive palpable lumps, bloody nipple discharge, skin changes, bilateral breast involvement, tumor size, lymph node status, and the stage of the disease.Results The mean age at the presentation was 51 years; patients under the age of 50 constituted 46.8%. Overall 9.8% were not married, 22.4% were illiterate whereas 19.2% graduated from universities. About 72% of the patients had more than two children, merely 7.5% delivered their first child after the age of 35 years and only 11% were nulliparous. History of lactation and hormonal therapy was recorded in 57.6% and 19.4% respectively. Family history of cancer was positive in 28.8% and breast cancer specifically in 18.7%. Clinically, the most common presenting symptom was breast lumps (95%) followed by skin changes/ulcerations (6.7%) and bloody nipple discharge (4.3%).Bilateral breast involvement was encountered in 4.7%. More than two-thirds of the patients (68.2%) had palpable axillary lymph nodes; classifying 40.5% into advanced stages III and IV. In general stages I–IV comprised 12%, 47.5%, 31.9%, and 8.6% respectively. Upon stratifying the studied sample with respect to age at diagnosis, it was observed that the frequency of unmarried patients was significantly higher among younger women under the age of 50 years, whereas illiteracy and nulliparity features were statistically lower (p < 0.05).Conclusion A considerable proportion of breast cancer patients in Iraq still present with locally advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. That justifies the necessity to promote public awareness educational campaigns to strengthen our national early detection program. Excluding the marital status, level of education and number of parity, there was no statistical difference regarding the impact of age on the demographic and clinical profiles of breast cancer among premenopausal versus postmenopausal Iraqi patients.

Background: Breast Cancer is the most common malignancy among the Iraqi population; the majority of cases are still diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prospects of cure. Early detection through promoting public awareness is one of the promising tools in its control. Objectives: To evaluate the baseline needs for breast cancer awareness in Iraq through exploring level of knowledge, beliefs and behavior towards the disease and highlighting barriers to screening among a sample of Iraqi women complaining of breast cancer. Methodology: Two-hundred samples were enrolled in this study; gathered from the National Cancer Research Center of Baghdad University and the Oncology Teaching Hospital of the Medical City throughout the year 2015. The study population comprised two groups: the first included 100 female patients who were receiving treatment for breast cancer (Group A), while another 100 randomly selected apparently healthy women served as Control (Group B). Those were asked to complete a structured questionnaire which was designed to explore the level of knowledge, beliefs, behavior towards breast cancer and the barriers to early diagnosis. The studied variables included the socio demographic and clinical data, women needs and beliefs regarding breast health and cancer care, and the barriers to screening. Results: Ninety percent of patients with breast cancer in Group I recorded a minimum score of Good; they have answered confidently that the disease is common among women, can be curable when detected at early stages and is not contagious. They also display a significantly higher attitude regarding performing BSE, receiving routine CBE check up and having the courage to be informed about the diagnosis of cancer. Although both groups believe that early detection of cancer should be promoted culturally, Group I displayed a stronger reaction to place this approach as a priority in the community. Overall, both groups do not believe that the disease is usually fatal, could bring disgrace to the family leading to divorce, and did not consider mammography as an embarrassing procedure against religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the majority refuse to be examined by a male doctor and to undergo screening mammography if they have no complaints. Recommendations: Feasible strategies should be more promptly adopted to overcome barriers to early detection of breast cancer among the Iraqi patients; focusing on promoting public health education and ensuring the availability of accessible well equipped diagnostic facilities.    

The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of lung infections among a group of hospitalized cancer patients who received chemotherapy as well as to describe a population of these patients. The clinical data and demographic information were collected from the archived files of  in-patients  referred to  hematology center  / Baghdad Teaching Hospital / Medical City , ministry of health, Iraq  during the period  of  2018.     This study was carried out on 250 patients with different types of cancer ,they were mostly of age group (40 - 49)  59 / 250 (23.6)% , (14-19) 49 /250 (19.6%) and (60-69) 41/ 250(16.4%) . The patients had two major types of hematological malignancies: leukemia 109/250(43.6%) and lymphoma 105/250(42%), only 36/250 (14.4%) of the patients had other types of cancer which were distributed as : 26/250( 10.4 %)  microangiopathic  and 10 /250 (4 %) Multiple myelomoa. Statistically , there was significant correlation between  age parameter and types of cancer in p<0.05  (p value : 0.000).       Patients with positive Lung infections , as recorded on their medical reports, were not  in high frequency  and found only  in 48/250(19.2%) of the cases which were mostly shown in  patients with leukemia  28/48( 58.3 %)  .In spite of  that  there was no significant correlation  between lung infections   and type of cancer   . The higher percentage of patients, who admitted to the women wards of Baghdad hospital, came from Baghdad city 132/250(52.8%) and diyala governorate 45/250(18%). The married women were 173 /250(69.2%) and mostly they were housewives 200/250(80%). The illiteracy was in   67/250(26.8% )  of patients.  Low frequent lung infections  as resulted during this study could be because of  the good control of infections by giving suitable antibiotic drugs for the bacterial infections  but most of  patients with positive cases may be  infected with viruses or fungi ,which are difficult to diagnose and treat . These infections occurred due to  the immune defects induced by chemotherapy treatments  . So the greatest hope for the future is the availability of more targeted anticancer drugs that have fewer side-effects on the immune system.