Trend Analysis of Gastrointestinal Cancer Incidences in Guilan Province: Comparing Rates over 15 Years

Background: Cancers of gastric and esophagus are the most frequent gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers inIran. This study aimed to analyze time trends of GI tract cancers in Guilan province by gender and age to providesolid scientific evidence for cancer prevention and control. Materials and
Methods: The data were obtainedfrom the Guilan Cancer Registry System and Guilan Provincial Health Center, over the 15 year period between1997 and 2011. Crude incidence and age standardized (AS)incidence rates were calculated and annual percentchange was estimated by Joinpoint software for long term trend analysis.
Results: During the study period, 8,332cases of GI malignances with a male to female ratio of 1:1.73 were registered in Guilan province. The AS ratesfor esophageal, gastric, colon and rectal cancers were 5.97, 14.5, 7.59 and 3.58 per 105 respectively. While thetrend was declining and relatively constant for esophageal and gastric cancer, respectively, the incidence trendfor colon and rectal cancers was of increase over the period of the study.
Conclusions: The results indicatedthat the incidence of GI cancers was relatively low in Guilan province compared to neighboring provinces. Aneffective cancer control program including prevention measures, early detection and effective treatment needsto be implemented to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality.