Gastrointestinal Cancers Diagnosed in 514 People in Western Iran Province in 2019

A population-based study of gastrointestinal cancers in Lorestan province, western Iran, has counted 514 new cases in 2019 and calculated an overall age-standardized incidence rate of 31.9 per 100,000 population, according to research published in BMC Gastroenterology.

The study, led by Parastoo Baharvand and colleagues, drew its data from the National Population-Based Cancer Registry system, the Integrated Health System (SIB), and the National Death Registration System. The researchers extracted records of gastrointestinal cancers diagnosed in 2019, along with demographic and clinical information recorded at the time of diagnosis, and calculated age-standardized incidence rates by sex and by city.

Of the 514 new cases, 58 percent occurred in men and 42 percent in women. Gastric cancer was the most common diagnosis, with 267 cases, followed by colorectal cancer with 174 cases and esophageal cancer with 62 cases. Only 11 new cases of small intestine cancer were recorded. Most patients were older adults, aged over 60 years.

After adjusting for age, the overall incidence rate of gastrointestinal cancers in the province stood at 31.9 per 100,000 population, with a marked difference between the sexes: 37.6 per 100,000 in men and 26.5 per 100,000 in women. The age-standardized incidence rates for the individual cancer types were 16.6 per 100,000 for gastric cancer, 10.4 per 100,000 for colorectal cancer, and 4.1 per 100,000 for esophageal cancer.

Incidence was not evenly distributed across the province. The highest age-standardized rates were found in the cities of Dorud, at 65 per 100,000 population, Delfan, at 48.6 per 100,000, and Khorramabad, at 40.7 per 100,000. These three cities were identified as high-risk areas within the province.

The authors conclude that the age-standardized incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in Lorestan is lower than in provinces located in the north and east of Iran. They nevertheless recommend that targeted early screening of older adults for gastric and colorectal cancers in the identified high-risk cities of Dorud, Delfan, and Khorramabad should be strongly considered.

The study’s recommendations also extend to public health measures beyond screening. The authors suggest that educational programs should be used to raise awareness among people in these regions, considering the adverse effects of unhealthy lifestyles, and that provincial policymakers should facilitate access for residents of high-risk cities to cancer screening and treatment centers.

As a population-based registry study covering a single province and a single year, the analysis provides a snapshot of gastrointestinal cancer incidence in Lorestan in 2019 rather than a measure of trends over time. The findings are based on registry and death registration data, and the reported rates reflect the province’s population structure after age standardization. The article was published as an open-access paper on 22 October 2026 in BMC Gastroenterology, and the version shared at publication is subject to further editorial edits before the final version of record appears.

Subject of Research: Population-based incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in Lorestan province, western Iran, in 2019

Article Title: New cases and age-standardized incidence rates of gastrointestinal cancers in Lorestan province, western Iran, 2019: a population-based study

Article References: Baharvand, P., Valipour, M., & Moradifard, S. (2026). New cases and age-standardized incidence rates of gastrointestinal cancers in Lorestan province, western Iran, 2019: a population-based study. BMC Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-026-05466-1

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12876-026-05466-1

Keywords: gastrointestinal cancers, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, cancer registry, age-standardized incidence rate, Iran, Lorestan province, epidemiology, population-based study, cancer screening, public health