A 25-year trend in gastrointestinal cancers in northern Iran (1991-2016)

Identifyng the incidence of cancer helps in planning and prioritizing resources for its screening, prevention, treatment and diagnosis. This study aimed at investigating a 25-year trend in gastrointestinal cancer in Northern Iran in the time span of 1991-2016. This research was a trend analysis. Study population was one thousand five hundred and thirty-five cancer patients referring to Shahid Rajai Hospital in Babolsar, northern Iran, as the only center for radiotherapy in the North of Iran, during 1991-2016. The highest incidence of stomach cancer was 111 (35%) in 2011 and the lowest incidence was 44 (16.3%) in 1996, The highest frequency of esophageal cancer was reported 137(56.1%) cases in 1991 and the lowest frequency was 78 (26.3%) cases in 2016, while the highest incidence of colorectal cancer was 109 (36.7%) cases in 2016 and its lowest frequency was 32 (16.3%) in 1996. There was also a significant difference in the frequency of gastrointestinal cancers in different studied years (p <.001). The trends in the incidence of stomach and colorectal cancers in northern Iran were increasing and esophageal cancer was decreasing.