Study of the cases of esophagus cancer registered in the province of Fars (2001-2005)

Background: Cancer is considered among the second largest groups of noncommunicable diseases and the third cause of death in Iran. Ranking in the top ten cancers in the world, Esophagus cancer comes out on the sixth place. This study examines the epidemiology of esophagus cancer in Fars cancer registry.

Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study of cases of esophagus cancer registered in Fars between 2001 and 2005. Data were analyzed using t-student and chi square tests.

Results: Overall 161 cancer patients had been registered. 61.5%were males. Mean age at diagnosis was 61.9 (SD=13.07). 91.3 % were married. Fars ethnic background accounted for 55.3% of the patients. Males and females were mainly farmers and housewives respectively. There was a history of smoking in 52.6% of the cases. Grade of tumor at diagnosis for most patients was well-differentiated. According to our follow-up, the disease resulted in death in 57.1% of the cases

Conclusion: Our results indicate the importance of eliminating risk factors for cancer of the esophagus including smoking and family history. Early detection of the disease in primary stages is also emphasized.