Cancer patterns in Iran: a gender-specific spatial modelling of cancer incidence during 2014-2017

Sharareh Faramarzi; Behzad Kiani; Shahla Faramarzi; Neda Firouraghi

doi:10.1186/s12885-024-11940-4

Cancer patterns in Iran: a gender-specific spatial modelling of cancer incidence during 2014-2017

BMC Cancer. 2024 Feb 12;24(1):191. doi: 10.1186/s12885-024-11940-4.

Authors

Sharareh Faramarzi¹, Behzad Kiani², Shahla Faramarzi³, Neda Firouraghi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
² UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
³ Department of Health Information Management School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
⁴ Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. n.firooraghi@gmail.com.

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a significant public health concern and the second leading cause of death. This study aims to visualize spatial patterns of top common cancer types and identify high-risk and low-risk counties for these cancers in Iran from 2014 to 2017.

Methods: In this study, we analyzed 482,229 newly diagnosed cancer cases recorded by the Iranian National Population-Based Cancer Registry from 2014 to 2017. We employed a purely spatial scanning model and local Moran I analysis to explore spatial patterns across Iran.

Results: Approximately 53% of all cases were male. The average age of cancer diagnosis was 62.58 ± 17.42 years for males and 56.11 ± 17.33years for females. Stomach cancer was the most common cancer in men. The northern and northwestern regions of Iran were identified as high-risk areas for stomach cancer in both genders, with a relative risk (RR) ranging from 1.26 to 2.64 in males and 1.19 to 3.32 in females. These areas recognized as high-risk areas for trachea, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer specifically in males (RR:1.15-2.02). Central regions of Iran were identified as high-risk areas for non-melanoma skin cancers in both genders, ranking as the second most common cancer (RR:1.18-5.93 in males and 1.24-5.38 in females). Furthermore, bladder cancer in males (RR:1.32-2.77) and thyroid cancer in females (RR:1.88-3.10) showed concentration in the central part of Iran. Breast cancer, being the most common cancer among women (RR:1.23-5.54), exhibited concentration in the northern regions of the country. Also, northern regions of Iran were identified as high-risk clusters for colon cancer (RR:1.31-3.31 in males and 1.33-4.13 in females), and prostate cancer in males (RR:1.22-2.31). Brain, nervous system cancer, ranked sixth among women (RR:1.26-5.25) in central areas.

Conclusions: The study's revelations on the spatial patterns of common cancer incidence in Iran provide crucial insights into the distribution and trends of these diseases. The identification of high-risk areas equips policymakers with valuable information to tailor targeted screening programs, facilitating early diagnosis and effective disease control strategies.

Keywords: Cancer incidence; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Iran; Public health; SaTScan; Spatial epidemiology; Spatial scan statistics.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Humans
Incidence
Iran / epidemiology
Lung Neoplasms*
Male
Middle Aged
Prostatic Neoplasms*
Registries
Risk
Stomach Neoplasms*

Grants and funding

4001462/Mashhad University of Medical Sciences