High Prevalence of Esophageal Cancer in South East of Iran

Introduction: Esophagus cancer is most common GI malignancies in Zahedan. This investigation was undertaken to define the epidemiology, and prognostic factors relevant to patients with Esophagus cancer in this region. Methods: We did a retrospective review of 175 patients with Esophagus cancer who presented to Ali Ebne Abitaleb Hospital and Khatam Alanbia Hospital in 2005-2010. Data analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The majority of the patients were male (70%) and 30% in female, and the mean age of them was 48.5 years. The vast majority were Iranian and from Baluch ethnicity group. 166 patients were Iranian population and in Balouchs ethnic group (118 cases) is more common than Sistani (49cases), and 9 patients were Afghan. Most of the cancer cases reported a history of Tobacco consumption (82 %) and the most common type of tobacco use was PAAN or Nass which is a combination of tobacco, lime, water, menthol and oil. Squamous Cell Carcinoma was the most commonly type of cancer (97%) in the region and adenocarcinoma was the second most common and the median survival time of patients was 13 months. Dysphagia and weigh lose were the most frequently encountered symptoms at the time of presentation. At the time of diagnosis early stage disease was found in 22%, locally advanced in 54% and metastatic in 24% of all cases. Any patients didn’t have a family history of Esophagus cancer. Conclusion: Clinical and epidemiological pattern of esophageal cancer in South-East of Iran is partially differed with other parts of the county as well as also other parts of the world which is important for both clinicians and health policy makers. Esophagus cancer is the most common GI malignancies in Zahedan. And this pattern is difference with other region in Iran, that, gastric cancer is most common GI malignancies according to previous of our study