Background: Despite the significant advances in thalassemia pathobiology and efficacy of chelation regimens, complications of transfusion therapy have attenuated the reproductive health of thalassemia patients. Depending on clinical profiles, we aimed to assess the fertility status and stresses among thalassemia patients who desired to have children. Material and methods: A total of 213 couples in reproductive ages were enrolled in this study in Tehran. Patients' demographic, clinical, fertility and spouse's health status were documented. We evaluated the pituitary-gonadal axis, serum ferritin, liver enzymes, and alloimmunization before planning a pregnancy and reported them as a function of spontaneous conception and transfusion dependency. Results: Data showed that 131 patients (62%) had 228 spontaneous pregnancies leading to 198 (86.6%) successful pregnancies. A significant difference was observed in spontaneous pregnancy with respect to fertility complications and transfusion dependency. In addition, the clinical conditions of spouses in patients with any spontaneous pregnancy were more thalassemia carriers (P < .05). Moreover, serum ferritin levels had a significant negative correlation with the levels of Testosterone, Estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was reported with the level of liver enzymes. Finally, alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase had a significant negative correlation with pituitary hormones. Conclusion: We suggest that organised instruction in addition to good iron chelation, especially during the puberty period, would reduce the oxidative damage and related complications in thalassemia patients. Moreover, infertility seems to be attributed to iron deposition in various endocrine organs, pituitary, reproductive system and the liver, contributing to hormonal metabolism.

Introduction: Cancer is ranked as the third leading cause of death in Iran. Today, more than 20 million people worldwide suffer from this disease. By the year 2030, this number is predicted to reach 75 million. Regarding the importance of cancer and its outbreak and different age patterns for cancer outbreak and also the occurrence of cancer in different geographic regions, the current study aimed at studying the occurrence of this disease during 3 past years in order to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of the cases among patients visiting educational hospitals in Birjand, Iran. Methods:In this cross-sectional study, patients visiting educational hospitals affiliated to Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS) from December 22, 2011 to December 22, 2013 were assessed. The required data was collected from medical records of patients. Demographic data such as age, gender, types of cancer, and the total number of pathological cases were collected and recorded. The obtained data was analyzed by means of SPSS (V;15. using χ2 and ANOVA test). Results:The results show that 458 out of 2631 of biopsy samples referred to the pathology wards in the educational hospitals of BUMS suffered from cancer, among whom 257 (56.1%) were male and 201 (43.9%) were female. The most common cancers were those of the brain and the spinal cord (15.1%), skin (14.8%), and the breast (14%). The mean age of the patients was 60.35 ± 17.15 years. The most common cancer in men was stomach cancer (17.1%), and the most common cancer in women was breast cancer (31.8%). There could be found a significant relation between the type of cancer and gender (P = 0.001). Conclusions:Considering the importance of cancer and the possibility of prevention and treatment in the early stages of most cancers, and carrying out research projects to find risk factors related to common cancers in the area, one can use mass media for further awareness of the public and their education; and also help patients who pass away as a result of lack of awareness.

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