Burden of Hospitalization for Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Patients - Results from a Cross-sectional Study in Tehran

Background: Cancer is the third most common cause of death in Iran. The gastrointestinal cancers are themost frequent neoplasms among Iranian males and second to breast cancer among females. The objective ofthis study was to provide accurate up-to-date epidemiological information of hospitalized patients with GI tractcancer in Iran.
Methods: This study was designed as a retrospective cross-sectional survey included all consecutiveGI cancer patients admitted over a one year period in a randomly selected hospital group located in metropolitanTehran in 2006. Residence, age, sex, type of cancer and length of hospitalization were analyzed.
Results: A totalof 2,674 GI tract cancer patients were included in the study, There were 1,616 men (60.4%) and 1,058 women(39.6%). The majority of cancers were in the colorectum (40.0%), followed by the stomach (34.5%) and theesophagus (17.1%). The mean hospitalized durations were 7.5±6.5 days for men and 7.2±8.1 days for women.Male patients were significantly older than the women.
Conclusion: By considering the hospitalized GI tractcancers and majority cases of colorectal cancer, prevention programs like as CRC screening should be going onin order to reducing morbidity and incidence rates in a high-risk population for GI tract cancers.