National surveillance of cancer survival in Iran (IRANCANSURV): Analysis of data of 15 cancer sites from nine population-based cancer registries

Cancer survival is a key indicator for the national cancer control programs. However, survival data in the East Mediterranean region (EMR) are limited. We designed a national cancer survival study based on population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) from nine provinces in Iran. The current study reports 5-year net survival of 15 cancers in Iranian adults (15-99 years) during 2014 to 2015 in nine provinces of Iran. We used data linkages between the cancer registries and the causes of death registry and vital statistics and active follow-up approaches to ascertain the vital status of the patients. Five-year net survival was estimated through the relative survival analysis. We applied the international cancer survival standard weights for age standardization. Five-year survival was highest for prostate cancer (74.9, 95 CI 73.0, 76.8), followed by breast (74.4, 95 CI 72.50, 76.3), bladder (70.4, 95 CI 69.0, 71.8) and cervix (65.2, 95 CI 60.5, 69.6). Survival was below 25 for cancers of the pancreas, lung, liver, stomach and esophagus. Iranian cancer patients experience a relatively poor prognosis as compared to those in high-income countries. Implementation of early detection programs and improving the quality of care are required to improve the cancer survival among Iranian patients. Further studies are needed to monitor the outcomes of cancer patients in Iran and other EMR countries. © 2022 UICC

Cancer incidence in Iran in 2014: Results of the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry

Background: We aimed to report, for the first time, the results of the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry (INPCR) for the year 2014. Methods: Total population of Iran in 2014 was 76,639,000. The INPCR covered 30 out of 31 provinces (98 of total population). It registered only cases diagnosed with malignant new primary tumors. The main sources for data collection included pathology center, hospitals as well as death registries. Quality assessment and analysis of data were performed by CanReg-5 software. Age standardized incidence rates (ASR) (per 100,000) were reported at national and subnational levels. Results: Overall, 112,131 new cancer cases were registered in INPCR in 2014, of which 60,469 (53.9) were male. The diagnosis of cancer was made by microscopic confirmation in 76,568 cases (68.28). The ASRs of all cancers were 177.44 and 141.18 in male and female, respectively. Cancers of the stomach (ASR = 21.24), prostate (18.41) and colorectum (16.57) were the most common cancers in men and the top three cancers in women were malignancies of breast (34.53), colorectum (11.86) and stomach (9.44). The ASR of cervix uteri cancer in women was 1.78. Our findings suggested high incidence of cancers of the esophagus, stomach and lung in North/ North West of Iran. Conclusion: Our results showed that Iran is a medium-risk area for incidence of cancers. We found differences in the most common cancers in Iran comparing to those reported for the World. Our results also suggested geographical diversifies in incidence rates of cancers in different subdivisions of Iran