A Study of Frequency of Cancerous Organs in Guilan Province (1999-2000)

Cancer is the second cause of mortality after cardiovascular disease in human communities. Frequency of cancers follows ethnic, geographical, and environmental conditions in each area so registration and collection of cancers in each area for centralizing of diagnostic and therapeutic programs should be done.

In this Survey, we determined frequency of cancerour organs in Guilan from 1999 till 2000.

This research is a descriptive case-series study that was carried out performed as census in hematology and pathology centers of Guilan. All malignancy cases was diagnosed from 11/1999- 11/2000 were gathered . The prevalence rate per 100,000 population determined with regard to census of Guilan population in 1996. Data were analyzed by EPI info 2000 program.

Among 1409 malignant cases, 750 cases (53.8%) were males and 644 cases (46.2%) were females. Sex ratio (M/F) was 1:16. The mean age of patients was 57.1+ 17.2. There was the most frequency of cancers in 60-69 age group (36%). The prevalence rate of cancer was 62.8 per 100,000 people. In this research, stomach cancer was identified as the most common cancer in both sexes (17.8%) and after it follows breast (11%), urinary bladder (9.3%), colorectal (8%), esophagus (7.3%), blood (4.3%), prostate (3.3%), uterus (3%), lymph node (3%) and abdominal cavity (2.1%) respectively.

Frequency of cancers in Guilan Province has had a considerable increase in comparison with previous studies. Of course, it may be due to difference in research method and data collection. In recent years, Guilan has been in the first place for stomach cancer in Iran. Perhaps it is because of exposure to nutritional risk factors. It is possible that nutritional factors like salted fish, pickle vegetable, smoked herring, cooked potato and cereals which are important parts of Guilanian’s diet play a major role in developing gastric cancer.