Iraqi Journal of Cancer and Medical Genetics

Lung cancer, which is characterized by uncontrolled cell division in the lungs, is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, accounting for one-fifth of all cancer deaths. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of lung cancer, focusing on its epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and risk factors, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The objective is to explore recent advancements in diagnostic techniques, including low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), liquid biopsies, and biomarkerbased approaches, which enhance early detection and monitoring. Additionally, the review examines treatment strategies, including surgical interventions, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy, with a focus on personalized treatment plans based on cancer type and stage. Emerging risk factors, such as genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, are also discussed to highlight their implications for prevention and early intervention. In conclusion, this review underscores the importance of integrating the latest research and clinical advancements to improve diagnostic accuracy, develop innovative treatments, and implement preventive measures. By doing so, it aims to contribute to reducing the global burden of lung cancer and improving patient outcomes.

Objective: Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant tumor arising in breast tissue due to abnormal cell growth and has the ability to spread to other body parts. It is the second most prevalent cancer, and its incidence rate among women has significantly increased, prompting research into contributing factors. Obesity is recognized as a critical factor linked to the development and dissemination of this disease. This research aims to understand the potential impact of obesity on
BC development in women.
Methods: A statistical analysis was conducted with 130 women diagnosed with breast cancer to evaluate the relationship between obesity levels and the development and dissemination of BC among obese women in Iraq (Kirkuk governorate). Data were collected via a specifically designed questionnaire, which classified obesity levels as moderate or high. SPSS Statistics software was used for data processing and analysis. Relationships and differences among the variables were assessed via the chi-square test, t test, and standard deviation.
Results: The analyses revealed a significant increase in obesity prevalence among women with BC. These findings indicate that obese women are at increased risk of developing BC, highlighting obesity as a potential risk factor for this disease.
Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore that obesity is a considerable risk factor linked to an increased probability of BC development in women. Statistical analysis confirmed that obesity rates were significantly higher among women diagnosed with BC. These findings support the notion that excess weight may significantly contribute to the onset and progression of the disease. Evidence suggests that obesity influences various biological processes contributing to cancer, including chronic inflammation, hormonal changes, and elevated insulin levels. Emphasizing obesity as a risk factor for BC is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is still a worldwide health problem with a high mortality rate in Iraq and other countries. reductase gene (MTHFR) controls cell DNA methylation, and any defect in this gene may lead to cancer development.
Aim: The goal of this study was to investigate the associations of SNP (rs1801131) A1298C genetic polymorphism of MTHFR gene as well as its haplotypes with breast cancer risk among Iraqi females.
Materials and Methods: The study included fifty individuals diagnosed with breast cancer and fifty healthy controls. The ages of the patients ranged between 25 and 67 years. For DNA extraction, 1 ml of peripheral blood from each individual was used. The A1298C polymorphism was detected with a previously prepared kit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Taq-Man allelic discrimination assay was used for genotype identification. Then, p values were calculated via a chi-square test for statistical analysis.
Results: DNA was successfully extracted from all the samples. The breast cancer patients and control groups all had frequency genotypes consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) expectations. Logistic regression was used to assess the etiological risk of A1298C polymorphism in breast cancer cases. Breast cancer cases were more common in people with the heterozygous mutant AC genotype, which was significantly associated (p = 0.016; OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.29–
6.4). The risk factor of the mutant AC genotype increased 2.88 times more than that for the wild type.
Conclusions: According to the study results, there is a variation in the distribution of the genetic frequency of the MTHFR polymorphism between patients and control individuals, which is associated with increased etiological risk of the A1298C SNP (rs1801131) in breast cancer patients.

Objective: An increasing number of women are being diagnosed with breast cancer, which ranks as one of the most common cancers in women globally, particularly in developed nations. Although genetic environmental factors and lifestyle choices are all contributors to breast cancer risk, dietary habits are known to play a modifiable role in both the disease›s prevalence and prognosis; therefore, the aim of this study was to correlate dietary habits with the prevalence of breast cancer in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq.
Methods: Hiwa Oncological Hospital in Iraq›s Sulaymaniyah City was the site of the research. In all, 301 individuals who received a breast cancer diagnosis between June 2023 and January 2024 were included in the sample size. Patient demographics, medical history, eating habits, and other crucial details related to daily dietary regimens were among the data obtained. Once collected, the data were processed via IBM SPSS Statistics.
Results: Among 301 breast cancer patients, 43.5% were aged 40--49 years, and 85.6% were married. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most prevalent subtype. Most patients (82.7%) followed a balanced diet, with IDC being the predominant subtype (73.9%). The majority (63.5%) consumed fruits and vegetables 1–2 times daily, while only 1% exceeded five servings. Additionally, 58.1% had no dietary restrictions, whereas 29.6% avoided sugar, meat, or fatty
foods. It was observed that patients with uncontrolled dietary habits and lower fruit and vegetable intake were more likely to develop invasive breast cancer subtypes.
Conclusion: These results emphasize the necessity of advocating for healthier lifestyles through nutritional habits and screening in order to decrease the increasing breast cancer burden in the region. In order to lower the incidence of breast cancer and improve outcomes, it may be essential to implement dietary interventions and early screening techniques within the population.

Indole Schiff base derivatives have attracted considerable interest in the field of medicinal chemistry because of their broad range of biological activities. This study aimed to synthesize a new indole Schiff base derivative, and its cytotoxic activity was subsequently tested against the MCF7 breast cancer cell line and the REF normal cell line. The new compound 2-((E)-((E)-2-(5-chloro-3,3-dimethylindolin-2-ylidene)-3-oxopropylidene) amino) benzoic acid was synthesized via the condensation reaction of malonaldehyde with 2-aminobenzoic acid in methanol under acidic conditions, as shown in Figure (1). The chemical structure of the synthesized compound was characterized by TLC, FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR, and the absorption bands confirmed the chemical structure of this new compound.
The cytotoxic activity of the new synthetic Schiff base compound was studied by using a breast cancer cell line (MCF7) and a normal cell line (REF). The results revealed a low inhibition rate at low concentration on normal cells with 11% and 12% for 48 hrs. and with (40, 60) μg/ml concentration showed 16% and 22% for the same time. The cytotoxic activity of this compound toward MCF7 showed a higher inhibition rate with 64% for the concentration (60 μg/ml), 63% for (40 μg/ml), 60% for (20 μg/ml), and 56% for (10 μg/ml) after 48 hrs. Therefore, this new compound has high potential to inhibit MCF7 breast cancer cell line.

Chemotherapy may cause psychological effects such as anxiety, and the level of anxiety varies from one person to another.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of anxiety in patients treated with chemotherapy and to determine the relationships between anxiety levels and several variables, such as age and sex, level of education, and marital status. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to February 2023 at the Oncology Teaching Hospital in Baghdad city; the study involved 65 patients on the morning shift, and a questionnaire was used to measure anxiety levels (Anxiety Self-Rating Scale). The collected data were analyzed via SPSS V.23, which included descriptive statistical tests, frequencies, percentages, means, and chi-square tests for inferential analysis.
Results: The results indicated that the majority of participants were women. (58.5%), aged between 39 and 48 years (30.8%) and diagnosed with breast cancer (41.5%). The highest percentages of anxiety (55.4%, 32.3%, and 12.3%) were moderate, mild, and extreme, respectively. Furthermore, the chi-square test revealed no statistically significant relationship between anxiety level and participants› demographic variables. Conclusion: This study revealed that patients had a moderate level of anxiety. There was no significant relationship between the level of anxiety of patients treated with chemotherapy and their demographic characteristics.

The whole world is still searching for natural sources in various fields, especially natural alternatives for treating diseases and various health disorders, most notably in the treatment of tumors and cancers. The current study included an in vitro anticancer estimation of Annona seed extract on two cell lines of breast cancer (MCF-7& MDA-231) and one normal cell line represented by REF. Active constituents in the seeds were extracted by maceration with 70% ethanol. General phytochemical tests were conducted to investigate the active constituents of the extracted seeds. The phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracted residue were estimated via HPLC in addition to the nonpolar substances in the seed residue. The three cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-231 & REF) were subjected to different concentrations of seed extract for the anticancer assay. Results showed that the ethanolic extract residue was 8.4 g from 90 g of powdered plant seeds, representing 9.34% W/W, and the seed residue contained many active constituents. The HPLC results indicated that the seed extract was rich in gallic acid, caffeic acid, pyrogaloll, cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid and, to a lesser extent, chlorogenic acid, which are simple phenolic compounds. Luteolin, kaempferol, and apegnine and lower amounts of quercetin, rutin and catechin, which are flavonoids, were also detected in the residue extracted from the seeds. For the nonpolar seeds, the following components were detected at a decreasing level: β-myrcene, p-cymene, α-pinene, eugenol, and β-pinene. The anticancer activity of the seed extract at several concentrations differed across the three types of cell lines in the present study.

Introduction: Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with the risk of LC, which deserves to be studied further.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify immunological and biochemical markers for Iraqi lung cancer patients.
Method: Fifty LC Iraqi patients and 50 apparently healthy people, who composed the control group, were involved in the study. Blood samples were used for biochemical and immunological studies. DNA extraction and polymorphism of the EXO1 and CHRNA5 genes were carried out via polymerase chain reaction.
Results: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), blood urea, and serum creatinine levels were significantly greater (P≤0.01) in LC patients compared with control. In contrast, adenosine deaminase (ADA), HbA1c, and Hb were significantly decreased. Moreover, the levels of immunoglobulin-E (IgE) and cancer antigen 15–3 (Ca-153-) are increased in LC patients. Scanning the EXO1 gene revealed that the percentage of the mutant homozygous (AA) and (GA) genotypes is greater than that of the wild-type homozygous (GG) genotypes. Homozygous (GG) was highly significant in the control group than other genotypes (AA and GA). Conversely, the CHRNA5 gene revealed that, in comparison with other genotypes (GA, GG), the AA genotype was considerably greater in LC patients. However, the number of homozygous GG genotypes was more significant in the control group than in other groups. EXO1 and CHRNA5 were significantly higher in all the biochemical markers associated with the mutant (AA) genotype. While they were significantly normal in the GG genotype, they also decreased in ADA, HbA1c, and Hgb. IgE was significantly increased in all genotypes.
Conclusions: The results of the present study clarify that promoting a precise estimate of the clinical utility of two significant biomarkers, CA153- and IgE, may be helpful in lung cancer surveillance. Therefore, this study highlights the warning of lung cancer patients.

Compared with other malignancies, brain tumors rank among the most fatal types of cancer affecting humans, with the lowest survival rates. The overall 5-year survival rate for all primary brain tumors is approximately 5%, although this figure varies significantly on the basis of factors such as tumor type, location, size, patient age, and overall health. Glioblastoma, in particular, is among the most aggressive lethal cancers, making it one of the most devastating brain tumors. Its molecular pathogenesis is highly complex and involves genetic mutations in key regulatory genes, such as IDH12/, EGFR, PDGFRA, the hTERT promoter, and NF1, along with epigenetic alterations and contributions from the tumor microenvironment, all of which drive tumor progression and invasion. Addressing the extremely poor survival rate of glioblastoma requires a deeper understanding of its origins and the cells responsible for its initiation. Various cancer initiation theories—such as the two-hit hypothesis, random mutation model, and clonal selection hypothesis—have proven experimentally effective in explaining its development. However, the cancer stem cell hypothesis stands out, as it successfully accounts for glioblastoma’s unmanageable aggressiveness and recurrence. Glioblastoma cancer stem cells (GSCs) can self-renew, differentiate into multiple tumor cell types, resist conventional therapies, and contribute to tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and infiltration into surrounding brain tissue. These characteristics significantly impact patient prognosis and mortality. The exact cellular origin of glioblastoma remains a subject of ongoing research. However, studies suggest that glioblastoma may arise from neural stem cells (NSCs) or glial precursor cells, which undergo oncogenic mutations that drive uncontrolled proliferation. The molecular subtype of a tumor is often influenced by the lineage of its originating cells, with mesenchymal stromal cells emerging as potential glioblastoma-initiating cells, particularly in tumors with mesenchymal molecular features. This review explores the origin of glioblastoma and the biological factors that make it the most aggressive and lethal brain tumor.