Cancer Trends in Iran: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Preventive Strategies - A mini review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1071/ejmbs.v5i1.32Keywords:
Cancer, Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Prevention, IranAbstract
Cancer has emerged as a severe public health problem in Iran, with drastically rising rates of incidence and mortality over the last decades. Aging population, lifestyle, environmental pollution, and limited access to early diagnosis facilities are among the leading factors in the widening cancer burden. This mini-review will provide an overview of cancer epidemiology in Iran, identify the key risk factors, and summarize the challenges of cancer prevention and control. The most prevalent cancers among the Iranian population are digestive tract cancers, breast cancer, and lung cancer. Modifiable risk factors such as smoking, poor diets, and opium use are accountable for increases in cancer incidence. Moreover, limited cancer screening services and inequalities in healthcare access exacerbate the condition, leading to late cancer detection and poor prognosis. Preventive strategies, including increased national screening services, awareness among the public, and changes in lifestyle, are significant in curbing the cancer burden. Despite the challenges, Iran's health sector is attempting to increase prevention and treatment of cancer through research and policy. However, more investment in research, public health education, and healthcare infrastructure is needed to achieve effective control of cancer and to reduce the cancer burden on the Iranian population.
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