Burden of hospitalization for gastrointestinal tract cancer patients - Results from a cross-sectional study in Tehran.
BACKGROUND
Cancer is the third most common cause of death in Iran. The gastrointestinal cancers are the most frequent neoplasms among Iranian males and second to breast cancer among females. The objective of this study was to provide accurate up-to-date epidemiological information of hospitalized patients with GI tract cancer in Iran.


METHODS
This study was designed as a retrospective cross-sectional survey included all consecutive GI cancer patients admitted over a one year period in a randomly selected hospital group located in metropolitan Tehran in 2006. Residence, age, sex, type of cancer and length of hospitalization were analyzed.


RESULTS
A total of 2,674 GI tract cancer patients were included in the study, There were 1,616 men (60.4%) and 1,058 women (39.6%). The majority of cancers were in the colorectum (40.0%), followed by the stomach (34.5%) and the esophagus (17.1%). The mean hospitalized durations were 7.5-/+6.5 days for men and 7.2-/+8.1 days for women. Male patients were significantly older than the women.


CONCLUSIONS
By considering the hospitalized GI tract cancers and majority cases of colorectal cancer, prevention programs like as CRC screening should be going on in order to reducing morbidity and incidence rates in a high-risk population for GI tract cancers.
Pourhoseingholi
Mohamad Amin
MA
Research Center of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University M.C, Tehran, Iran.
Vahedi
Mohsen
M
Moghimi-Dehkordi
Bijan
B
Pourhoseingholi
Asma
A
Ghafarnejad
Fatemeh
F
Maserat
Elham
E
Safaee
Azadeh
A
Mansoori
Babak Khoshkrood
BK
Zali
Mohammad Reza
MR
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged