Recent Trends and Geographical Distribution of Thyroid Cancer in Iran from 2004 to 2009

BACKGROUND To prevent and control the cancers in Iran, the Iranian Department of Health has released the cancer rates data of the country. As the report has suggested, the incidence rate of thyroid cancer would be the most rapidly increasing among all the cancers. The study has aimed to carry out a qualitative assessment of thyroid cancer in Iran, during the 2004 to 2009, in a cross-sectional setting. METHODS The incidence rates, the trend of individual provinces, the mean age at which the disease occurred, the correlation between incidence rate and median urinary iodine concentration were the parameters evaluated in our study. RESULTS The average annual incidence rate during these six years was 2.17 per 100000. Chaharmahal-o-bakhtiari, had the highest incidence rate, but the East Azerbaijan provinces had the lowest incidence rates respectively. The age of diagnosis was the lowest in Ardebil but the highest in West Azerbaijan. In our study, we have found the positive correlation between thyroid cancer incidences with low urinary iodine concentration among all provinces (p-value=0.025). CONCLUSION Presently, the only recognized measure procedure for reducing thyroid cancer risk would be perhaps the correction of median urinary iodine concentration. Further researches have seemed to be required for investigation the other factors, in order to introduce preventive measures in Iran.