Cancer Types in Pathological Samples Referred to Educational Hospitals in Birjand During the Past Three Years (2011 - 2013)

Introduction: Cancer is ranked as the third leading cause of death in Iran. Today, more than 20 million people worldwide suffer from this disease. By the year 2030, this number is predicted to reach 75 million. Regarding the importance of cancer and its outbreak and different age patterns for cancer outbreak and also the occurrence of cancer in different geographic regions, the current study aimed at studying the occurrence of this disease during 3 past years in order to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of the cases among patients visiting educational hospitals in Birjand, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients visiting educational hospitals affiliated to Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS) from December 22, 2011 to December 22, 2013 were assessed. The required data was collected from medical records of patients. Demographic data such as age, gender, types of cancer, and the total number of pathological cases were collected and recorded. The obtained data was analyzed by means of SPSS (V;15. using χ2 and ANOVA test). Results: The results show that 458 out of 2631 of biopsy samples referred to the pathology wards in the educational hospitals of BUMS suffered from cancer, among whom 257 (56.1%) were male and 201 (43.9%) were female. The most common cancers were those of the brain and the spinal cord (15.1%), skin (14.8%), and the breast (14%). The mean age of the patients was 60.35 ± 17.15 years. The most common cancer in men was stomach cancer (17.1%), and the most common cancer in women was breast cancer (31.8%). There could be found a significant relation between the type of cancer and gender (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Considering the importance of cancer and the possibility of prevention and treatment in the early stages of most cancers, and carrying out research projects to find risk factors related to common cancers in the area, one can use mass media for further awareness of the public and their education; and also help patients who pass away as a result of lack of awareness.