Analysis of the Environmental and Human Factors Influential on the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in the Coastal Areas of the Caspian Sea (Guilān Province)

The incidence of different types of cancers is not the same in the different geographical areas. The environmental factors are one of the most important factors influential on the incidence of colorectal cancer in the coastal provinces of Iran. Being aware of the environmental effects influential on the incidence of the disease can play a major role in preventing the colorectal cancer. The research method was library and documentary studies and the Excel, SPSS and Arc GIS software were used to analyze the statistical population of about 1512 patients with colorectal cancer during 2010-2014. The effect of environmental factors on the incidence of this disease was also studied. The correlation of these factors was investigated by GIS software, using variance analysis and Pearson correlation. The results showed that the men were 10% more than the women, with the mean age of 60-69 years and Bandar-e Anzali, Lāhijan and Fooman cities had the highest incidence. The reduction of the sunshine hours in the cold seasons has a significant relationship with the reduced production of vitamin D and the increase in the number of patients. Imbalance in the distribution and amount of chemical fertilizers per unit area of the agricultural land in the province is influential on the health and quality of the products. Moreover, the lifestyle changes, the use of cheap and fast foods with the saturated fats and the preservatives and the reduction of the consumption of fruits and vegetables, were significantly associated with increasing the incidence of this disease. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the environmental factors including agricultural soil composition, change in the diet and lifestyle are influential on the incidence of colorectal cancer in Guilān province.