title: [Epidemiologic behavior of malignant digestive tract tumors over a five year period in Veracruz, Mexico].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumors of the digestive system are considered to be a public health problem because of their elevated mortality rate. In Mexico, gastric cancer and colon cancer rank fourth and fifth, respectively, following tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer, and there has been an increase in their frequency in the last few years. However, there are no specific studies that have evaluated their epidemiologic behavior in Veracruz.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of digestive system cancer in five health institutions in the city of Veracruz and to describe its epidemiologic behavior over a five-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Annual statistics from the following hospitals were reviewed: the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, the Secretaría de Salud, the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Petróleos Mexicanos, and the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional within the time frame of January 2005 to December 2009. Diagnoses based on histopathology were recorded, along with patient age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1803 cases of digestive tract cancers were detected: 52% were men and 48% were women. A yearly increase in the number of cases was observed with colon cancer being in first place, followed by stomach cancer and rectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase in digestive system cancer cases over the last five years in Veracruz underlines the need to evaluate the implementation of screening programs for the at-risk population and to study the different etiologic factors involved in its manifestation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Médico- Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. Veracruz, Veracruz, México. edericoroesch@hotmail.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roesch-Dietlen
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Jiménez-García
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Remes-Troche
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rubio-Arce
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Salinas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Juárez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grube-Pagola
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Silva-Cañetas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult