Spatial Analysis and Epidemiology of Lung Cancer in the Northwest of Iran

Background: One of the most important steps in controlling cancer is the identification of places where cancer burden is more than the expected limit. Aim: To investigate the occurrence, distribution, and identification of high-risk lung cancer centers in Ardabil province. Methods: In this study, data from 2011-2016 were collected from the Cancer Registry Center of Ardabil. Periodic prevalence of the total number of cases and the incidence of new cases of the disease per 100,000 people were calculated. The Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and ArcMap GIS10.4.1 software were used to determine the high-risk areas. Results: In a 6-year period (2011-2016), 850 cases of lung cancer were registered in Ardabil Province. The mean(SD) age of the patients was 65.51(13.8) years. The age-standardized rate(ASR) was 70.1 for men and 42.4 for women. the overall prevalence was 96.3 for males and 42.5 for women. The results of IDW analysis show that the residents of Ardabil(capital of the province) with a 21-30% probability, have the highest chance of catching and one of the most dangerous areas in the province. Conclusion: This study provides the most up-to-date information on the epidemiology of lung cancer in northwestern Iran, which can be used for prevention and control interventions. The incidence of lung cancer in men was 2.3 times higher than that of women, and the incidence of this disease in recent years has been increasing. The incidence rate varies in different cities of the province.