Original Article


Mapping gastrointestinal cancer mortality in Kurdistan province

Jamshid Yazdani-charati, Faride Khosravi, Masood Moradi, Azar Kabirzade

Abstract

Background: In public health and epidemiologic studies, cancer mortality rates are an extremely important tool for preventing, controlling, effective screening and cure of the disease. This study aimed at recognizing the high risk gastrointestinal cancer mortality regions of Kurdistan province in the west of Iran.
Material and methods: In this longitudinal descriptive study, the gastrointestinal cancer mortality data recorded between 2005 and 2010 in Kurdistan province were analyzed through appropriate methods at 0.05 level of significance. The relationship between variables was checked through Poisson regression and using indirect comparison methods, the high risk regions of the province were identified using GIS software.
Findings: The common gastrointestinal cancers in Kurdistan province were stomach cancer with 1,700 cases (55.3%), liver and biliary cancer with 581 cases (18.9%), oesophageal cancer with 402 cases (13.1%), small intestine cancer with 106 cases (6%), colon cancer with 180 cases (5.9%), lips, mouth and throat cancers with 24 cases (0.8%) and rectal and rectosigmoid cancer with 3 cases (0.1%). The result of Poisson regression model showed gastrointestinal cancer death risk among men was 1.53 times as much as among women and in rural areas it was 1.13 times as much as in urban areas. Divandare, Ghorve, Saghez, and Bijar were in order the highest risk cities in the province.
Conclusions: Identifying the high risk regions of the province, measures, such as awareness raising and encouraging people to adopt healthier life styles especially correcting food habits, should be taken to help decrease the gastrointestinal cancer mortalities.