Investigating Trends of Incidence Rates of Esophageal Cancer Divided by Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma in Southern Iran: a 10-Year Experience.

Background: Gastrointestinal cancers account for a significant number of deaths and new cancer cases worldwide. Our aim is to investigate stratum-specific incidence trends of esophageal cancer in southern Iran considering age, gender, and morphological (adenocarcinoma/squamous cell carcinoma) subtypes.

Method: We used data on esophageal cancer incidence in the catchment area of Shiraz Population-Based Cancer Registry. New cancer cases with ICD-O-3 codes of C15.0 to C15.9 were retrieved and prepared. New annual cases were counted for categories defied based on age group, gender, and morphology. Average annual percentage change (AAPC) and its 95% CI was estimated for each trend using joinpoint regression.

Results: The total number of esophageal cancer was higher in males than females. It is an increasing rate in esophageal adenocarcinoma in females and this increase was more prominent in older ages. Also, our study showed that SCC has a decreasing trend in females and a steady trend in males.

Discussion: Taken together, the increasing trend in adenocarcinoma in females in our study can be related to the increasing rate of obesity and smoking in females in recent years in our region. The incidence trend of different morphologic types of esophageal cancer is changing. This can be a consequence of alterations in the incidence trend of different risk factors. It is necessary to conduct more studies evaluating these risk factors.