TEHRAN – Some 115,000 to 120,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Iran during the past Iranian calendar year 1397 (ended on March 20, 2019), the president of the Iranian Society of Radiation and Oncology announced, Mehr reported on Monday.

Mohammad Reza Qavam Nasiri said that 60,000 Iranians suffering from cancer lost their lives during the past year.

The number of deaths can be reduced by equipping specialized medical centers and also giving enough information to people for early diagnosis, he said.

The new treatments like immunotherapy can increase the number of survivors, he explained. 

Cancer in Iran and the world

In January, the Iranian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Society announced that there is an estimated 900,000 cancer cases in Iran and gastric, breast, lung and brain cancers are the most commons in the country.

According to the report, annually, around 30 trillion rials (about $700 million) is spent in the health sector for cancer treatment and half of these expenses go to provision of cancer medicines.

The prevalence of cancer in the country is now below world average but it might increase in future, so all people should participate in fighting the disease.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer.

Approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Around one third of deaths from cancer are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use.

SB/MG