[Pancreatobiliary cancers in Iran: a population- based study]

Our knowledge regarding the epidemiology of pancreatobiliary cancers in Iran is limited. This study presents the first population-based report on pancreatobiliary cancers performed in five provinces of Iran. Data used in this study were retrieved from population-based cancer registries in five provinces of Iran [Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Ardabil and Kerman] from 1996 to 2000. Crude incidence rate, age standardized incidence rate [ASR] and age specific incidence rate were calculated for each cancer sites using the direct method. Overall ASR of pancreatic cancer in five provinces was 1.18 and 0.84 per 100, 000 person-years for men and women, respectively. These values for gallbladder and biliary tract cancers were 0.42 and 0.27 per 100, 000 person-years for men and 0.93 and 0.22 per 100, 000 person-years for women, respectively. ASR of pancreatobiliary cancer is low in Iran compared to western countries

Cancer incidence and mortality in Ardabil: report of an ongoing population-based cancer registry in Iran, 2004-2006

Ardabil cancer registry is the first population-based cancer registry in Iran that was established in 2000. The first report from this registry revealed that Ardabil has one of the highest rate of gastric cardia cancer and the lowest rate of cervical cancer in the world. We aim to update the cancer incidence in this area by the second follow up report from this registry. Method: Data on all newly diagnosed cancer cases between 2004 and 2006 were actively collected. CanReg4 software was used for data entry and the data of cancer-related death were obtained from the comprehensive death registry system. More than 4300 new cases were registered during 3 years. Diagnosis of cancer was based on histopathology in 69%, clinical investigation 8%, clinical only 5%, and Death Certificate Only [DCO] in 18% of cases. In terms of age-standardized rate [/100,000], the five leading cancers in men [excluding skin cancer] were stomach [51.8], esophagus [19.5], bladder [13.1], lung and bronchus [10.8], and colorectal [9.6]; in women, they were stomach [24.9], esophagus [19.7], breast [11.9], colon and rectum [7.4], and brain tumors [6.9]. According to death registration data, upper gastrointestinal cancers constituted more than 43% of cancer-related death in Ardabil. The ASR for gastric cancer is among the highest rate for this cancer in male and female in the world. Most of the cancers, especially in female, have a significant increase compared to previous report from Ardabil. This is most likely due to the change in the registration practice

[Review of gastric cancer in Iran]

Gastric cancer is the most common GI cancer. It has a very high incidence rate in the northeastern Iran. Contrary to western countries and Japan, the incidence of gastric cancer has been increasing in Iran during the past two decades. Helicobacter Pylori infection is the most important risk factor for developing gastric cancer. However, the presence and influence of other environmental and genetic cancer is considered necessary. Poverty, low consumption of fresh fruits and vegetable, high nitrate in the food and heavy smoking are among the most important risk factors. Primary prevention with H. Pylori eradication especially in countries like Iran where a large number of people are infected is still in doubt. Using Pepsinogen as a predictive factor for gastric cancer is still under investigation. Currently, there are several studies assessing the precision of measuring serum Pepsinogen 1 and 2 in relation with mucosal atrophy of gastric body and antrum in Iranian patients. The results of these studies and other prospective investigations can be a big help in identification of gastric cancer risk factors and prediction of its incidence

Prevalence of post stroke depression and its relationship with disability and lesion location

This study aims to investigation the incidence of depression after stroke and related factors. This investigation is a descriptive- analytic study which was conducted in the neurology department of Khatam hospital in 2007. We studied 100 patients with stroke in the first month after stroke, with using the available sampling. Patient's inclusion criteria were age higher than 18, defined place of cerebral lesion with CT scan or MRI, the sensory-motor disorders, Barthel disability index > 70 before the stroke. Exclusion criteria were aphasia, consciousness impairment and mini-mental status examination < 20. These patients were studied by demographic and Beck Depression Inventory and Bartheldisability index. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical soft ware with t-test and Chi-square test. We studied 100 [61 men and 39 women] patients, that 42 [42%] persons were depressed. Between physical disability after stroke on the basis of Barthel index and depression were significant relation [k[2]=12.322, df =1, P < 0.001] but there was no significant relationship between depression and lesion location. It seems there is a significant relation between the amount of physical disability after stroke and the occurrence of depression