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Cancer is a worldwide health problem, and anemia is one of its manifestations. There are no published data on anemia among patients with cancer in Sudan. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anemia among patients with malignant tumors in central Sudan. The medical records of patients with malignant tumors admitted to the National Cancer Institute, University of Gezira, Sudan, from March to December 2020 were reviewed. Among the 471 patients enrolled in the study, 292 (62.0%) were female. The median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 55 (45-66) years. Breast cancer (109, 23.1%), colorectal/anorectal (88, 18.7%), head and neck (83, 17.6%), female genital tract (70, 14.9%), and prostate (35, 7.4%) cancer were the main cancers observed in this study. The median (IQR) hemoglobin was 11.9 (10.5- 13.0) g/dl and 237 (50.3%) patients had anemia. The prevalence of anemia ranged from 31.2% in breast cancer patients to 82.9% in those with prostate cancer. Compared with males (120/292, 41.1%), females (117/179, 65.4%) had a significantly higher prevalence of anemia (P<0.001). The median (IQR) age of the patients with anemia was significantly higher than that of those without anemia (57.0 years vs. 51.5 years, respectively; P=0.003). Half the patients with malignant tumors had anemia. Anemia was more common among female patients and elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Malaria during pregnancy can lead to maternal and perinatal adverse effects. Despite the preventive measures, recent research has shown that malaria during pregnancy is still a threatening health problem, especially in Sub-Saharan African countries. The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with placental malaria in Rabak Hospital in central Sudan. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2021. Pregnant women who delivered at the Rabak Maternity Hospital in Central Sudan were included. A questionnaire was used to gather both obstetric and socio-demographic information. Blood films for malaria were prepared using the maternal, placental, and cord blood, and a placental histology was performed. A logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: For the 208 women, the medians (interquartile range) of their age and parity were 25 (21.0 -30.0) years and 2 (1-4), respectively. Twenty-five (12.0%) of the women had used insecticide-treated nets. Active infection, active-chronic infection, and past-chronic infection were detected in four (1.9%), five (2.4%), and 35 (16.8%) placentas, respectively. One hundred and sixty-four (78.8%) placentas showed no signs of infection. Logistic regression analysis showed that none of the examined factors (age, parity, education, antenatal care level, use of insecticide-treated nets, and blood group) was associated with placental malaria. Conclusions: Malaria affects 20% of pregnant women, regardless of their age and parity. Preventative measures should therefore be encouraged in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]