The Incidence of Lung Cancer and Smoking in Iran, Turkey, England, and USA: A Comparative Study

Introduction: lung cancer is the deadliest and the costliest cancer in the world. In this study, we have tried to compare the situation of this disease in several countries by considering the most important risk factor of lung cancer (smoking cigarette). Method: This is a comparative study, a comprehensive one which was done on lung cancer rates in four countries, Iran, Turkey, England and UAS during the past twenty years (2002-2021). Age Standardized Rate(ASR) indexes and the percentage of smokers were extracted from available information in WHO data bases, OECD Health Statistics 2021 and other valid related articles. After comparison, control procedures were examined. Finding: England with ASR: 46 has the highest rate of lung cancer and Iran with on ASR: 21 has the lowest rate. The highest percentage of smokers is in turkey (29.3%) and lowest percentage belongs to Iran (20%). In terms of the growth trend of the ASR index, lung cancer in Iran and Turkey has had an upward growth and has a downward trend in the England and the United States. Taxes on cigarettes are a significant factor in smoking reduction. Among these four countries the lowest taxes on cigarettes belong to Iran (4.83%). Conclusion: the result of this study shows that the incidence of lung cancer in Iran is rising, so following successful countries in imposing taxes on cigarette can be an effective step to reduce smoking. Training programs, cultural improvement and new diagnostic methods can also be useful in reducing lung cancer ASR.