Trends in the Incidence of Cancer in Iran (2003 - 2009)

Background Cancer is a leading cause of death throughout the world. Increasing life expectancy and aging population are important factors for increasing cancer incidences in developing countries. National programs are essential for prevention and control of cancer in any society. Objectives This study aimed to investigate cancer incidence and trend of its changes in Iran. Methods National incidence was rated by Iran national cancer registry data derived from Iran’s annual national cancer registration reported from 2003 to 2009. The crude rate and age standardized rate were used to express the incidence of cancer. Cochrane Armitage test was used for linear trend by Winpepi software 2.1 to study the trends in cancer incidence. Results Based on the results of this study, the incidence of cancer was rising in Iran from 2003 to 2009 and the sex ratio was more in men than women. During this time a total of 413591 cases of cancer have been registered in the country. Of the incidence cases, 231572 cases were males and 182019 were females. Conclusions This study indicated remarkable increasing trends in cancer incidence. According to changing lifestyles and dietary habits, it is possible that in the coming years we will be faced with a higher incidence of cancer in the country, Therefore, it is recommended to promote the use of screening programs and to increase awareness of the population to reduced the incidence of cancer in the country.