Background: There are no population-based data available for cancer in Tehran, a city that includes almost 10% of the Iranian population. This is the first report of cancer incidence in Tehran from a population-based cancer registry for the period of 1998-2001.
Methods: The cancer registry collects data on all new cases of cancer diagnosed in the resident population of Tehran metropolitan area. Data collection is active and trained abstractors visit close to 120 data sources comprising cancer diagnostic laboratories, secondary- and tertiary-care hospitals, and imaging centers to abstract cancer cases.
Results: During the period of 1998-2001, a total of 34,318 eligible cases were abstracted of which 24% were identified just by death certificates. The overall age-standardized rates (ASR) (adjusted to the world population structure) were 163.0 per 100,000 males and 141.8 per 100,000 females. The most frequently reported malignancies in males were stomach cancer (ASR 19.8), followed by cancers of the prostate (ASR 15.6), lung (ASR 14.9), bladder (ASR 13.3), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (ASR 7.1), and esophagus (ASR 6.8). In females, the most frequently reported malignancies were breast cancer (ASR 31.4), followed by cancers of the stomach (ASR 10.0), lung (ASR 7.0), ovary (ASR 6.8), and esophagus (ASR 5.3).
Conclusion: The data reported by the Tehran Cancer Registry provide information on the cancer profile in Tehran metropolitan area. It clearly shows the breast and stomach, prostate, and tobacco-related cancers as major cancer in this population. The observed cancer rates indicate that Helicobacter pylori eradication, tobacco control measures, and early detection of breast cancer are of importance for cancer control in this population.