Objective: Colorectal cancer is the fourth cause of cancer after stomach, bladder, prostate in men and secondcause after breast in women in Iran. It is estimated that 4,000 new cases occur each year with 1,150 deathsannually. The present study aimed to determine survival of colorectal cancers in Iran in a national manner.Methods and Results: The data from national cancer registry department of the Ministry of Health and MedicalEducation (MOH&ME) were used as the main source of incident colorectal cancer information in Iran fromMarch 2000 to March 2005. One and five year survival proportions were 88% and 45% for females versus 86%and 39% for men. The median overall survival for colorectal cancer in Iran was 3.5 years with a 95 % confidenceinterval of 3.2-3.8 years. The worst survival status was found for patients less than 20 and more than 80 yearsold. Conclusion: The overall 5 year survival for colorectal cancer in Iran (41%) is comparable even with somedeveloped countries but it is far from those with advanced health care systems, or community based screeningprograms. Thus at the policy level, application of an appropriate national cancer control program andmanagement guidelines should be under consideration.
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