The average rate of cancer in Iran is one-fifth of the cases reported in the developed countries, said Mohammad-Esmaeil Akbari, head of Iran Cancer Research Center at the inaugural ceremony of Razavi Hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Research, Training and Remedy Center in Mashhad on Saturday.
“Nearly 140 persons among 100,000 Iranians are affected by cancer whereas the figure in developed states is 600 cancer patients per 100,000,” he said, quoted by IRNA.
But, as 90,000 new cancer cases are reported in the country annually, indicating that the deadly disease is fast accelerating, “Iran ranks first in that respect globally,” he said. Advanced nations have effective preventive mechanisms which have led to reining in progression of the disease in their countries.
Breast cancer is the most widespread among Iranian women with 10,000 victims annually.
Akbari said the annual growth of breast cancer has reached 6% in recent years which is unprecedented in the world. Stomach cancer is also among the most fatal diseases among Iranian men and women.
The rate of tobacco consumption has doubled among Iranian women in the past several years, particularly cigarette and hookah smoking, resulting in an increase in the rate of lung cancer from 4 to 7% among women. Akbari hoped that Razavi Hospital’s launching of an advanced cancer center will encourage such measures by other hospitals.
