title: Demographic survey of four thousand patients with 10 common cancers in North Eastern Iran over the past three decades.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer is a major cause of mortality in developing countries and correct and valid information about the epidemiology of this disease is the first step in the planning of health care in each region. The aim of this study was to determine the relative frequency, mean age and sex ratio of the most 10 common non-skin cancers in the world and Iran, among patients referred to an oncology clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study was conducted in Mashhad, north east of Iran. The data obtained from the records of patients referred to the private oncology center between the years of 1985-2012." According to the latest report of GLOBOCAN study commonest malignancies included were lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, stomach, liver, cervix, esophageal, bladder cancers and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 4,606 cases were analyzed. The mean age was 55.5±13.8years (male: 59.5±13.9, female: 52.6±12.9). Overall, breast cancer (1,264 cases, relative frequency of 27.4%) was the most prevalent cancer; however the mean ages of diagnosis were not significantly different between 5-year time period divisions (p=0.290). The most common cancer in men was esophageal cancer (26.3%).The lowest mean age was related to women diagnosed with breast cancer (48.5±11.8) and men with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (48.4±17.8). There were statistically significant differences between the mean age of men and women with gastric (p=0.003) and esophageal cancers (p<0.001). Male to female sex ratios in our study for bladder, lung and stomach cancers were 6.57, 2.60 and 2.50 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that breast cancer tends to be found in younger female patients and bladder cancer appears more often in men. Screening in target population in addition to early diagnosis may reduce death and disability.
authors.affiliation: Students Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran E-mail : salehim@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nikfarjam
authors.forename: Toktam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Massoudi
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Mahta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khoshroo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult