---

Background: Serum lipids abnormalities have been observed in various forms of cancers including acute leukemia. Investigators report decreased total cholesterol and HDL, and elevated triglyceride in leukemic patients. Limited studies had been performed to discover the correlation between abnormal lipids profile and disease activity in leukemic patients in Iran. This study was done to evaluate the levels of serum lipid in Iranian leukemic patients, before and after chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: Seventy eight recently diagnosed and non-treated patients with acute leukemia were included in our study. Blood specimens were collected without anticoagulant before and after chemotherapy serum was separated and total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were assessed by enzymatic kits. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS16.0. Results: The mean age of patients was 24.87 years (range 9-52), with newly diagnosed ALL in 48 patients and AML in 30 patients. From the participating patients 42(53.8%) were male and 36(46.2%) were female. Data analysis showed that the mean total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, in all age groups and in both sexes, were significantly lower before chemotherapy than after whereas, mean triglyceride was higher before therapy than after. Conclusion: Based on our findings, it seems that lipid profile assessment can be employed as beneficial prognostic factor in acute leukemia. Besides, it can be a simple, fast and economical method to follow up the patients’ response to chemotherapy. Key words: Acute Leukemia, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride.

---

Survival of patients with multiple myeloma has improved substantially because of availability of new therapies including autotransplants, immunomodulating drugs and proteasome-inhibitors. Second primary cancers have emerged as an important determinant of morbidity and mortality among cancer survivors. Even though there is an increased risk of new cancers of the lymphoreticular and haematopoetic system, it is very rare for Hodgkin’s lymphoma to occur as a second malignancy following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) for myeloma. We report a case of a female with plasma cell leukemia treated with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and lenalidamide maintenance. She developed cervical lymphadenopathy 4.5 years after the APBSCT, biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma, nodular sclerosis type. Since she developed allergic reaction to ABVD, she was given 6 cycles of COPP chemotherapy and is in complete remission now.

---

Background: Hypofractionated radiotherapy (HF) method was introduced to overcome the quickly growing tumor cells as well as shortening whole treatment course in solid tumors such as breast cancers. Here, we compared the incidence of dermatitis and pharyngitis among patients undergoing HF versus conventional fractionationated (CF) radiation therapy following surgery for breast cancer.
Methods: During this prospective study, women who had undergone breast surgery since 2015-2017 were included in the initial sample population. 40 patients were included for analysis in each arm of CF and HF. Patients treated by CF received 50 Gy with 2.0 Gy per each fraction session and in group of HF; 42.4 Gy was delivered in 2.66 Gy per fraction sessions for 3 months. Severity of acute dermatitis and pharyngitis was recorded for all patients in both groups based on regular examinations during and after the radiation therapy. 
Results: 18 out of 40 patients in the conventional group experienced dermatitis of which 11 and 3 were grade 2 and 3, respectively. In the HF group, 8 experienced only grade 1 acute dermatitis. Thus, acute radiation-induced dermatitis occurred more frequently (P=0.017) and more severely (P=0.002) in the conventional group within 3 months of follow-up. There was no statistically significant difference in incidence of pharyngitis between the two groups. 
Conclusion: There was a statistically significant difference in occurrence of dermatitis between the two groups of conventional radiotherapy and those who received hypofractionated radiation. Incidence and severity of dermatitis was more common in those who received conventional radiotherapy in comparison to hypofractionated method.

---

---

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a significant medical and public health problem in the world. It is believed that it can worsen in extreme conditions. Also, it is suggested that blood disorders such as sickle cell disease (SCD) may increase the risk of COVID-19 symptoms. The present study reports a family facing COVID-19, in which one of two members with SCD presented with fever, repeated cough and dizziness followed by acute chest syndrome leading to death. The remained members that had sickle cell trait manifested mild symptoms based on our findings. Although COVID-19 in individuals with SCD showed an increased risk for COVID19 compared with individuals with sickle cell trait, it seems that SCD cannot lead to worse condition in our patients.

---

Background: Screening and counselling is the most effective way to prevent the birth of children with thalassemia major. An accurate and relatively less time-consuming protocol is necessary to screen large populations. Separating iron deficiency anaemia from thalassemia trait based on blood cell parameters has been used by hematologists for many years. We aimed to design a new approach to screen the microcytic populations.
Methods: Blood cell parameters and chromatography were used to screen the populations traditionally. Validating the result with a five-point decision tree analysis with two equations based on cut-off values of five blood cell parameters was performed. 2984 participants were screened traditionally, of which 289 were found to be beta-thalassemia trait, 63 were Hemoglobin E carriers, 15 were found to be Hemoglobin D (Hb D) Punjab, 4 hereditary persistent fetal hemoglobin (HPFH), and 14 belonged to beta thalassemia traits with HbA2 levels between 3.3% to 3.8% associated with reduced mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) (borderline cases).
Results: In the decision tree approach, 51.3% with beta thalassemia trait and 11.65% Hb E carriers were detected perfectly. 27% of participants were detected as non-thalassemia carriers which could be excluded from further chromatographic analysis.
Conclusion: During the early stages of the carriers screening program, a large portion of the sample could be excluded, based on segregating the IDA and thalassemia carrier population. Decision tree analysis and equation derived from the regression are essential to from limit of exclusion which implies significant cost reductions. 

---

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology is an innovative gene-editing technique that has emerged as a result of the development of genetic engineering. This technology has expanded the scope of oncology-related medical research and clinical applications. CRISPR is used in molecular techniques to decode genes and pathways, alter the expression of specific genes for therapeutic purposes, and comprehend the pathophysiology of cancer. If pre-clinical research with this technology is successful, it could lead to clinical trials and eventually be used in clinical therapy. To establish the CRISPR complex as a promising tool in oncology for effective clinical cancer therapy, a variety of CRISPR variants and applications, as well as numerous experimental techniques, are being developed at present. This review examines several CRISPR technology variations, their application in oncology, as well as the system's advantages and disadvantages in comparison to earlier gene-editing technologies. It also discusses the recently discovered capabilities of the technology and its potential future applications in oncology.