Common Cancer In Iran Research Articles

Epidemiology and trends of gastrointestinal cancer in Iran (2004-2008).

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is among the most common cancers in Iran. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in the time trends of stomach, colon and rectum, and esophageal cancer during the past decade in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, the study population was all cases of GI cancers diagnosed in Iran between 2004 and 2008. Cancer incidence data for the years 2004-2008 were obtained from the cancer registry system of the Ministry of Health. All incidence rates were directly age standardized to the world standard population. Age-Satndardized incidence rate (ASR)per 105 persons was calculated using direct standardization and the world standard population. The crude rate was calculated in this study. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 17) and Microsoft Office Excel 2007. During the 2004-2008 period, the ASR and crude rates of GI cancers, including esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, among males were 5.05, 15.02, and 8.29 and 4.01, 11.81, and 6.4, respectively, and among females were 6.52, 7.055, and 7.75 and 4.40, 4.85, and 5.49, respectively. The most common cancers in women were colon and rectum, and stomach cancer had the highest incidence in males. In this study, most cases of stomach cancer were adenocarcinoma adenocarcinoma (Nos) in both women and men. The most common type of colorectal cancer was adenocarcinoma, which was greater in men than women. The most common type of esophageal cancer was squamous cell carcinoma in both sexes. The north and northwestern regions of Iran have the highest risk of GI cancer. According to this study, a significant increase was observed in the incidence of cancers in the north and western regions of Iran. Hence, screening and early detection programs are highly recommended in these high-risk areas.

Effect of Metalloprotease Arazyme on the Expression of MMP2 and MMP9 Genes in Metastasis of Colon and Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines

Background: After cardiovascular diseases, cancer is the main cause of death in the United States, and its prevalence is continually increasing. Ovarian cancer is a fetal and common cancer among women and is the eighth common cancer in Iran. Colorectal cancer is known as the second and fourth common cancer in Iranian women and men, respectively. Arazyme is a metalloprotease with strong antitumor effects on tumor cells. Objectives: This study aimed at studying the effect of metalloprotease arazyme in vitro on the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 genes, causing metastasis in ovarian and colon cancer. Methods: Bacterial strains and cell lines, the construction of an expression vector, and preparation of recombinant protein were done. Then, they were evaluated by Western blot, cell culture, cell viability assay, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results: The effects of arazyme on ovarian and colon cell lines were assessed by the MTT assay showing that the viability of cancer cells treated with arazyme decreased significantly in comparison with control cells. Also, RT-PCR showed that the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 genes decreased after treatment with arazyme, which was significant when compared to the results of pre-treatment. Conclusions: In this study, the results showed that the use of arazyme protein as a bacterial anti-protease can play a significant role in reducing the expression of metastatic genes. According to numerous studies on the role of bacterial proteases in the process of metastasis in recent years, this method can be considered as a therapeutic approach in reducing the metastatic process.

Bladder Cancer in Iran: An Epidemiological Review.

PurposeBladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Iran. Information about the epidemiological situation of the disease and its risk factors is necessary for conducting a planning program to reduce the disease. This study is conducted with the aim of evaluating the epidemiological features of bladder cancer in Iran.MethodsThis is a systematic review of the published articles in both Persian and English in international and national journals during the years 2000–2019 with key words of Iran and bladder cancer. Articles were selected from the national information database (SID, Magiran) and international databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). Articles related to the epidemiological aspects of the disease, including incidence, prevalence, mortality, and risk factors, were evaluated.ResultsThe incidence rate of bladder cancer was about 1.6–115; cumulative survival rate was 0.95, mortality rate was 0.5–0.84 and its prevalence in the Iranian population was between 4.10% and 12.8%. The risk of developing malignancy in major risk factor groups, including smoking and opium, was 6.2 (2.04–18.7), increases in protein and animal fat consumption were about 5- and 19-times higher than in the general population, respectively. In terms of occupational exposure, bus and heavy truck drivers were 11.3 (1.3–92.05) more at risk than others.ConclusionRegarding the increasing trend of this disease, changes in lifestyle to reduce risk factors can be effective in decreasing the incidence and mortality rate of this malignancy.

13P - Breast cancer distribution in East Azerbaijan, Iran: Results of population-based cancer registry

BackgroundBreast cancer (BC) is the third most common cancer in the world and is the most common cancer in Iran in both sexes. Worldwide, there will be about 2.1 million newly diagnosed female breast cancer cases in 2018, accounting for almost 1 in 4 cancer cases among women. The aim of this study was to provide recent data on the BC incidence and distribution in East Azerbaijan, Iran. MethodsEast Azerbaijan is the largest and most populous province in the northwest of Iran, which more than 95% of the population is of Azeri ethnicity. Data of the patients diagnosed with confirmed BC as registered in the East Azerbaijan population based cancer registry between 2015 and 2017, were linked to the main data sources. The age standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) for BC were estimated. ResultsWe had overall 1410 primary breast cancer cases during two years, in both sexes, which accounted 10.3% of cancer cases. The mean age of our patients was 51.07(±13.29), with the age range of 21 to 99 years old. About 98.2% of BC was female, and 1.7% of them were male. The most common morphology was ductal carcinoma (n = 1077, 76.4%), and most of our BC patient were in grade II of disease (35.9%). In 31.2% of patients had lymphatic Invasion, 17.8 % vascular invasion, and 8.7% of them had neural invasion. Also, our results showed that breast cancer was the most common cancer among female, with slightly increasing of ASRs from 31.1 to 31.7 per 100,000 women during 2 years. There were two age peaks of ASRs in women, first in approximately 45-55 years and second in 60-70 years old groups. ConclusionsWe observed slightly increase in incidence of BC, which might be explained by the improvement of compliance to the cancer registration, compared with previous reports of our region. However, the low tumor stages and improved knowledge and attitude of women to early diagnosis and screening, which we have recently addressed in our ongoing screening programs in the province, may have played important roles in these results. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingHas not received any funding. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Predictive Factors of Advanced Colonic Adenomas and Cancer Using Data Mining.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is the third common cancer in Iran. In this study we aimed to identify factors associated with the prevalence of advanced colonic neoplasms among a high-risk population. METHODS Participants were 474 first degree relatives of patients with colon cancer who underwent a screening colonoscopy at Digestive Disease Research Institute, Shariati Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Features examined in this study were age, sex, body mass index, Aspirin use, smoking, and relationship type with patients with cancer in family. Also, patient’s age at the time of cancer diagnosis, number and sex of the patients with colon cancer in the family were assessed. Data analysis was performed by data mining methods using K-Medoid clustering and decision tree C4.5. RESULTS Results showed that female sex of the patients with colon cancer and their young age (< 60 years old) at the time of cancer diagnosis were important predictive factors for the prevalence of colorectal advanced neoplasms among their family members. CONCLUSION Data mining methods were found to be applicable in recognizing predictive factors of colorectal advanced neoplasms in each cluster and tree.

Cancer incidence in Iran in 2014: Results of the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry

BackgroundWe aimed to report, for the first time, the results of the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry (INPCR) for the year 2014. MethodsTotal population of Iran in 2014 was 76,639,000. The INPCR covered 30 out of 31 provinces (98% of total population). It registered only cases diagnosed with malignant new primary tumors. The main sources for data collection included pathology center, hospitals as well as death registries. Quality assessment and analysis of data were performed by CanReg-5 software. Age standardized incidence rates (ASR) (per 100,000) were reported at national and subnational levels. ResultsOverall, 112,131 new cancer cases were registered in INPCR in 2014, of which 60,469 (53.9%) were male. The diagnosis of cancer was made by microscopic confirmation in 76,568 cases (68.28%). The ASRs of all cancers were 177.44 and 141.18 in male and female, respectively. Cancers of the stomach (ASR = 21.24), prostate (18.41) and colorectum (16.57) were the most common cancers in men and the top three cancers in women were malignancies of breast (34.53), colorectum (11.86) and stomach (9.44). The ASR of cervix uteri cancer in women was 1.78. Our findings suggested high incidence of cancers of the esophagus, stomach and lung in North/ North West of Iran. ConclusionOur results showed that Iran is a medium-risk area for incidence of cancers. We found differences in the most common cancers in Iran comparing to those reported for the World. Our results also suggested geographical diversities in incidence rates of cancers in different subdivisions of Iran.

Epidemiology and Histopathology of Breast Cancer in Iran versus Other Middle Eastern Countries

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among females worldwide. This study compares the results of the most cited published Iranian studies and studies from other Middle East countries on breast cancer with data from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and approximately 2000 cases from the Cancer Research Center of Shahid Beheshti Medical University of Iran.Methods: Data from the Cancer Registry System of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the Cancer Research Center were obtained in addition to data from other published Iranian articles to increase the accuracy of incidence, prevalence, disease burden, risk factors, clinical staging, clinical pathology, biological markers, clinical subtypes, and survival rate of breast cancer in the last decade and compare the epidemiological data with other areas of the world.Results: Overall, breast cancer was the most common cancer in Iran. The agestandardized rate for breast cancer was 33.21 per 100,000 according to the latest national databases. The mortality rate for breast cancer has not changed in the past 30 years in Iran. The age-standardized rate for mortality was 14.2 per 100,000 with a mean age of 49.84 years. The most common cancer in Iran is invasive ductal carcinoma. In our last review, 65.5%-70.5% of cases were in the early stages (1 and 2) and less than 30% were in the advanced stages. The five-year overall survival rate was estimated at 72% in women and 60% in men. The stage and number of positive lymph nodes significantly affected the survival rate. In the Gulf Cooperation Council, ASR of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was (12.9), Bahrain (46.4), Kuwait (44.3), Qatar (35.5), United Arab Emirates (19.2), and Oman (14.4) per 100,000.Conclusion: Our study shows that epidemiology and histopathology of cancer is different with other neighborhood countries and is multi-dimension and needs multicenter involvement from government authorities, clinicians and scientists.

The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on Health Belief Model and Social Support on Promoting Skin Cancer Preventive Behaviors in a Sample of Iranian Farmers.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iran. Farmers are exposed to the sun's ultraviolet radiation due to their job and are susceptible to skin cancer. The aim of this study is to survey the effect of educational intervention based on health belief model and social support on promoting skin cancer preventive behaviors in farmers of Fasa City, Fars province, Iran. In this quasi-experimental study, 200 farmers (100 in experimental group and 100 in control group) in Fasa City, Fars, Iran, were selected in 2017. The educational intervention for the experimental group consisted of eight training sessions (introduction to skin cancer, risk factors, complications, benefits and barriers to proper use of sunscreen, UV sunglasses and physical protection, self-efficacy in applying preventive behaviors, role of social support). A questionnaire consisting of demographic information, knowledge, HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy and cues to action), and social support was used to measure skin cancer preventive behaviors before, 3months after the intervention, and 6months later. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22 via chi-squared, independent samples t test, Mann-Whitney, and repeated measures ANOVA at a significance level of 0.5. The mean age of the farmers was 42.21 ± 10.52years in the experimental group and 44.28 ± 10.16years in the control group. Three months after the intervention and 6months after the intervention, the experimental group showed a significant increase in the knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, cues to action, social support, and skin cancer preventive behaviors compared to the control group. This study showed the effectiveness of the intervention based on the HBM constructs and social support in adoption of skin cancer preventive behaviors in 3 and 6months post intervention in farmers. Hence, these models can act as a framework for designing and implementing educational interventions for the prevention of skin cancer.

Evaluating the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme by immunohistochemistry in normal and tumoral tissue before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer in Khorasan Province

Esophageal cancer is the third most common cancer in Iran. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is the appropriate treatment for esophageal cancer. This study investigated the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 enzyme in normal and tumoral tissues before any treatment in patients with esophageal cancer, this study also assessed the effect of NCRT on the expression of COX-2 enzyme in normal and tumoral tissue in samples derived by surgery furthermore, and this study investigated the relationship between expression of COX-2 enzyme and the pathologic tumor regression grade (PTRG) patients. In this study, a total of 120 patients admitted to Omid Hospital, Imam Reza Hospitals, and Reza-Mashhad Medical Center, who were treated with NCRT, were recruited and the expression of the COX-2 enzyme in normal and tumoral tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry before and after treatment by an expert pathologist between zero and 300. PTRG was determined by a pathologist after treatment. The mean levels of COX-2 expression, obtained from tumoral and normal tissue baseline biopsy in patients, were 177.69 and 64.29, respectively, while in surgical specimen were 177.25 and 49.84, respectively. A significant association was found between PTRG of surgical specimen and COX-2 expression in normal tissue (baseline biopsy) at diagnosis (P = 0.034). The results indicated that expression of COX-2 in tumoral tissues exceeds the expression of COX-2 in normal tissue of the baseline biopsy. Patients with a high expression of COX-2 in baseline tumor biopsies had less response to treatment of pathology compared to patients with lower expression of COX-2 in baseline tumor biopsies.

Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Risk of Breast Cancer: a Case-Control Study

Background:Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most common cancer among women worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women, in developed countries. This cancer is among the top five most common cancers in Iran. Studies have shown that dietary components are implicated in the etiology of BrCa. The existence of molecular connections between inflammation and BrCa has been demonstrated via different bimolecular events.Methods:We examined the ability of the dietary inflammatory index (DIITM) to predict the risk of BrCa. This included 145 cases and 148 controls, who attended the specialized centers. DII scores were computed based on dietary intake assessed using a 168-item FFQ. Logistic regression models were used to estimate multivariable ORs.Results:Modeling DII as a continuous variable in relation to risk of BrCa showed a positive association after adjustment for age and energy (OR=1.76; 95% CI=1.43-2.18); and were nearly identical in the multivariable analyses (OR=1.80; 95% CI=1.42-2.28). DII as tertiles, and adjusting for age and energy, subjects in tertile 3 had an OR of 6.94 (95% CI= 3.26-14.79; P-trend ≤0.0001) in comparison to subjects in tertile 1. After multivariable adjustment, results were essentially identical as in the model adjusting for age and energy (OR tertile 3vs1=7.24; 95% CI=3.14-16.68; P-trend ≤0.001). Sub group analyses revealed similar positive associations with HER 2 receptor +ve, progesterone receptor +ve, estrogen receptor +ve and lymph node invasive cases.Conclusion:Subjects who consumed a more pro-inflammatory diet were at increased risk of BrCa compared to those who consumed a more anti-inflammatory diet.

5-year survival rates based on the type of leukemia in Iran, a Meta-analysis.

Background:According to epidemiological studies, leukemia is among the five most common cancers in Iran. Keeping efforts to estimate survival is critical to monitoring and improving patients’ quality of life with leukemia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 5-year survival rate of leukemia patients in Iran using meta-analysis method. Methods: This meta-analysis was carried out according to studies that adhere to inclusion and exclusion criteria during enrolment. The valid Iranian databases included: Medex, Magiran, SID, and Medlib, along with international data bases, namely, Scopus, Pubmed, and ISI were searched to find relevant articles. After determining the heterogeneity between studies, the random effects models were used to estimate pooled survival in leukemia patients. Results: In total, 18 studies involving 2517 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled 5-year survival rate was 0.56 % (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.58). According to types AML and ALL, the 5-year survival rates in Iran were 35.0 % (95% CI: 32.0-38.0) and 57.0 % (95% CI: 54.0-60.0), respectively.Conclusion:Based on our findings, slightly less than 50% of leukemia deaths happened in the first 5 years after diagnosis, which is lower than the global average.

Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy of Locally Advanced Rectal Adenocarcinoma: Results of 8 Year Experience in Iran Cancer Institute

Background: Colorectal carcinoma is one of most common cancers in Iran with increasing incidence. The mean age of the affected is decreasing. With progresses in multimodality treatment, we witnessed improved prognosis in colorectal cancers. Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the outcomes of patients with rectal adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed the oncologic treatment outcomes of patients with locally advanced (T3-4 or N+ve) rectal adenocarcinoma in our high volume cancer center, Iran cancer institute, Tehran, Iran. Patients with synchronous metastasis, previous malignancy, and history of pelvic radiation were excluded. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) rate and secondary endpoints were disease-free survival and pathologic response. Results: Of patients being treated between 2008 and 2014, 158 were entered to final analysis; they completed planned neoadjuvant treatment and retuned after surgery with pathology report. The mean age was 56 years and mean interval from radiotherapy to surgery was 9 weeks. Thirty percent achieved pathologic complete response. Two-year overall and disease-free survival rate was 87% and 80%, respectively. In multivariate analysis age, sex, local recurrence, clinical stage, and radiotherapy to surgery interval failed to predict OS. The pathologic response (complete vs. non-complete) and the absence of distant metastasis were independent predictors of OS. Conclusions: The rate of pathologic response and survival in our series was comparable to other big randomized studies in the world and even better than previous national reports. These findings emphasize the necessity of treating patients with locally advanced rectal cancer in high volume centers.

Economic burden of colorectal cancer in Iran in 2012.

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iran. However little is known about the economic burden associated with this cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to estimate the economic burden of colorectal cancer in Iran in the year 2012. Methods: We used the prevalence-based approach and estimated direct and indirect costs of all colorectal cancer cases in 2012. To estimate the total direct costs, we model the treatment process of colorectal cancer patients in initial and continuing phase in Iran. Then the average cost of each treatment in each phase was multiplied by the number of patients who received the treatment in the country in 2012. We used the human capital method to estimate the indirect costs. We extracted data from several sources, including national cancer registry reports, hospital records, literature review, occupational data, and interviews with experts. Results: The incidence and 5-year prevalence of colorectal cancer in Iran in 2012 were 7,163 and 22,591 individuals respectively. The economic burden of colorectal cancer in Iran was US$298,148,718 in 2012. Most of the cost (58%) was attributed to the mortality cost, and the direct medical cost accounted for 32.14 percent of the estimated total cost. The majority of the direct medical cost was associated with chemotherapy costs (50%). Conclusion: The economic burden of colorectal cancer in Iran is substantial and will increase in the future years.

Evaluation of serum zinc level as a risk factor for gastrointestinal cancers

Introduction: Gastric adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are the second and third common cancer in Iran respectively and are the leading causes of cancer deaths in the world. The status of serum zinc level in these cancers has not been fully evaluated. Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare serum zinc levels in patients with ESCC and gastric adenocarcinoma as compared to patients with other non-digestive cancers. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 consecutive patients (10 patients with SCC of the esophagus, 40 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 50 cases with other non-digestive cancers as the controls). Morning blood samples were taken containing 5 ml of blood from both groups and immediately stored in the laboratory at 8°C until all samples were taken. After collecting, serum levels of zinc in the specimens were measured by 24i chemistry analyzer. The SPSS version 23.0 for Windows was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The results of this study did not show a significant difference between mean serum level of zinc across the patients with ESCC and patients with gastric adenocarcinoma or those with other nondigestive cancers adjusted for age and gender (P > 0.05). However, a significant difference between the mean serum zinc level in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and other non-digestive cancers was detected (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the normal serum level of zinc in other non-digestive cancers and a decrease in zinc level in gastrointestinal cancers in our study, malnutrition which is common in all malignancies, has no effect on zinc deficiency in gastrointestinal malignancies, and zinc deficiency can be considered as a primary risk factor for the development of these two digestive malignancies.

The Relationship between Food Insecurity and Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: A Case-Control Study.

Food insecurity is defined as the limited or uncertain availability of enough food for permanent active and healthy life. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (esophagus and stomach) are one of five most common cancers in Iran. This study aimed to determine the association of food insecurity and upper GI cancers in newly diagnosed patients. Case-control study. Overall, 120 patients with upper GI cancers as cases and 120 patients with orthopedic, ear-nose-throat (ENT), and neurologic diseases as controls were recruited from Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran in 2013. The patients were newly diagnosed using endoscopy or imaging or biopsy methods. They were individually matched for age, sex, and residential area. The general and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) household food security questionnaires were completed. The univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression tests were applied using the Stata 11SE statistical software. The food insecurity prevalence was 69.2% and 43.3% in cases and controls, respectively. Food insecurity, low economic level and family history of cancer were significantly associated with cancer (P<0.05). Food insecurity was one of the important risk factors for upper GI cancers that health care providers should consider it.

EGFR Expression in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and its Association with Pathologic Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy: A Study in Northeastern Iran.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for 80% of all esophageal cancers worldwide. It is the most common histological type of esophageal carcinoma in low-resource countries. ESCC is prevalent in Asian countries, accounting for more than 95% of esophageal cancers. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is involved in cancer development, as its gene is often mutated and/or amplified in cancer cells. According to recent statistics, esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer in Iran. In this retrospective study, we assessed EGFR overexpression, using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 68 patients with ESCC, undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and esophagectomy in 2011-2014. The treatment protocol included external beam radiotherapy (40 Gy), concomitant with cisplatin 20mg/m2 and 5- fluorouracil (5-FU) 1000 mg/m2 for 4 consecutive days during the first and fourth weeks of treatment. To compare the two groups (EGFR positive and negative) in terms of complete pathologic response, Chi-square test was performed using SPSS version 16. The median age of the patients was 59 years (range: 27-70 years), with a female-to-male ratio of 1.06. Overall, 70% of the subjects showed EGFR overexpression. Complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant treatment was significantly higher in EGFR-positive patients (40% vs. 15.8%, P = 0.05). In all cases, 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 86.6% ± 4.1 and 48% ± 6.9, respectively. The 1- and 3-year disease free survival rates were calculated as 71.8% ± 5.4 and 44.3% ± 6.5, respectively. The overall survival rate was relatively higher in cases with EGFR overexpression, although the difference was not statistically significant (5-year survival rate: 47.9 ± 8.2 vs. 30.9 ± 13, P = 0.23). EGFR overexpression was reported in the majority of patients with ESCC in northeastern Iran. Moreover, EGFR overexpression was significantly associated with complete pathologic response.

GASTRIC, ESOPHAGEAL, AND COLON CANCERS BIOBANK IN NORTHEAST IRAN

Abstract Introduction: Gastric, esophageal and colon cancers are prevalent in Iran. Human bio specimens are increasingly utilized as materials in cancer research. Modern, molecular biomedicine is driving a growing demand for extensively annotated tissue bank specimens. These biological samples provide valuable information on the prevalence of germline mutations, epigenetic modifications or interaction between genes and proteins associated with the development of cancers. The study aimed to develop a biobank of gastric, esophageal, and colon cancers in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: Repository of blood and fresh cancer tissues have been stored in a biobank in the endoscopy unit of imam Reza hospital since 1395 (2016). Standard questionnaires have been developed to collect demographics, ethnicity, personal history of cancer, as well as the patient's tumor tissue characteristics. Pathology reports were added to registered demographic patient data. Results: Blood and fresh tissue of 59 colon cancer, 63 gastric cancer, and 27 esophageal cancer specimens were saved in the data biobank. Conclusion: Bio specimens will be a good source for further studies to investigate genetic and epigenetic causes in esophageal, gastric and colon cancers and assess valuable serum biomarkers for these common cancers in Iran. It will also help specialists to use new treatments for related patients and will help policy makers to apply appropriate and preventable policies to decrease cancer incidence.

Effect of Eggplant Skin in the Process of Apoptosis in Cancer Cells

The process of programmed and physiological cell death, or apoptosis, is generally characterized by distinct morphological characteristics and energy-dependent biochemical mechanisms. Apoptosis normally removes old, damaged, excessive and harmful cells and is essential for tissue homeostasis. Cancer is a disease in which damaged cells do go through apoptosis and ultimately uncontrolled cell division results in the formation of a malignant tumor. Stomach cancer is the most common cancer in Iran with about 7751 affected in the year of 1387. This is about 10.17% of the total male and female population per year. Unfortunately, existing treatment options are often aggressive with harmful side effects for the patient. In this study, we decided to prepare anti-cancer drugs from natural ingredients such as eggplant skin which is rich in antioxidants. The primary hypothesis of this study was that due to the presence of compounds containing antioxidants in eggplant skin, the extract should be able to destroy cancer cells by activating their apoptosis. This hypothesis was examined by MTT colorimetric method in two series of cells: gastric cancer cells (AGS) and normal fibroblasts cells (FIB). The yellow MTT salt becomes an insoluble purple formazan by dehydrogenase enzymes in the active mitochondria of cells. The results of this study show that eggplant skin extracts in concentrations of 2.5 μM have a high cytotoxic effect on gastric cancer cell lines, which could be due to the induction of apoptosis in these cells and the least effect on normal fibroblasts cells. Therefore, eggplant skin extract has a positive effect on the apoptosis of cancer cells and can be used in the production of stomach cancer drugs.

Analysis of Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Iran Using Joinpoint Regression Analysis

Abstract Background: It is important to be able to predict cancer incidence and mortality rates for planning and managing the risk factors. Objectives: The present study investigated the changes in the incidence and mortality rates of five most common cancers in Iran. Methods: The cancer incidence and mortality data were obtained from the national cancer and mortality registries. Five most common cancers in both men and women were selected. Changes in the incidence and mortality rates of the selected cancers in both sexes were estimated by age group, annual percent change (APC), and average APC (AAPC) and then graphically displayed. Results: The most common cancers (except skin cancer) were breast, colorectal, stomach, esophageal, and thyroid cancers in women and stomach, prostate, bladder, colorectal, and esophageal cancers in men, respectively. The AAPCs of all cancer incidence rates had increased by 11.9% in men and 11.6% in women from 2002 to 2010. Also, the mortality rates had enhanced by 0.4% and 0.1% per year in men and women from 2006 to 2011, respectively. The greatest APC was reported in prostate cancer. The rate had increased by 41.9% from 2002 to 2004, by 13.4% from 2004 to 2008, and slowly augmented by 3.9% from 2008 to 2010. In women, the greatest APC was observed in colorectal cancer; the rate had enhanced by 13.4% per year from 2002 to 2010. The greatest increase for age-standardized mortality and incidence in 2011 was attributed to gastric cancer (12.5% and 17.1% per 100,000 men, respectively). In women, the highest age-standardized mortality rate was related to gastric cancer at 6.9% per 100,000 women. The incidence and mortality patterns of colorectal and esophageal cancers in men and women were similar, although they were slightly higher in men than women. Conclusions: Overall, cancer incidence rates had increased in both sexes. Many factors were responsible, such as changes in lifestyle, environmental factors, increased life expectancy, improvements in the registration systems, and declining mortality rates due to early detection and treatment. The results of this study provided useful information for the prediction of changes in the incidence and mortality of cancer and subsequent design of cancer control programs in Iran.

Association between proto-oncogene mutations and clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival in colorectal cancer in East Azerbaijan, Iran.

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most common cancer in Iran. The increasing incidence of CRC in the past three decades has made it a major public health burden in the country. This study aimed to determine any relationship of specific mutations in CRCs with clinicopathologic aspects and outcome of patients.Materials and methodsThis study was conducted on 100 CRC patients by the case-only method. Polymerase chain-reaction products were analyzed by Sanger sequencing, and sequence results were compared with the significant KRAS and BRAF gene mutations in the My Cancer Genome database. Logistic regression models were used to detect associations of clinicopathologic characteristics with each of the mutations. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression models were constructed to estimate overall survival in patients.ResultsA total of 26 subjects (26%) had heterozygote-mutant KRAS, and mutations were not detected in the amplified exon of BRAF in both tumor and normal tissues of the 100 CRCs. Rectal tumors had 1.53-fold higher likelihood of KRAS mutations than colon tumors, and men had 1.37-fold higher odds than women. The presence of metastasis increased the likelihood of KRAS mutations 2.36-fold over those with nonmetastatic CRCs. Compared to patients with KRAS wild-type cancers, those with KRAS mutations had significantly higher mortality (hazard ratio 3.74, 95% confidence interval 1.44–9.68; log-rank P=0.003).ConclusionBetter understanding of the causality of CRC can be established by combining epidemiology and research on molecular mechanisms of the disease.