en Health Health Original Article Original Article <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm text-align: justify text-indent: 0cm"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue font-size: 10pt">Background: </span></i></b><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34) font-size: 10pt">Cancer is a major public health problem</span><span style="font-size: 10pt"><font color="#000000"> </font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">in the world. In Iran especially after a transition to a dynamic and urban community, the pattern of cancer has changed significantly. An important change occurred regarding the incidence of cancer at the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, including </span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan province.</span><font color="#000000"> </font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">This study was designed it investigate the epidemiology and changes in trend of cancer incidence in the geographic region of the Caspian Sea (North of Iran).</span></span></font></p> <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm text-align: justify text-indent: 0cm"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue font-size: 10pt">Methods:</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt"><font color="#000000"> Data were collected from Cancer Registry Center report of Iran health deputy. Trends of incidence were analyzed by joinpoint regression analysis.</font></span></font></p> <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm text-align: justify text-indent: 0cm"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue font-size: 10pt">Results:</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt"><font color="#000000"> </font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">During</span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)"> the study period </span><font color="#000000">year (2004-2009), 33,</font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">807</span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)"> cases of cancer had been recorded in three provinces of Gilan, Mazandran and Golstan.</span><font color="#000000"> </font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">Joinpoint analysis indicated a significant increase in a</span><font color="#000000">ge-standardized </font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">incidence</span><font color="#000000"> rates </font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">(ASR) with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) </span><font color="#000000">10.3, 8.5 and 5.2</font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)"> in </span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan, respectively. The most common </span><font color="#000000">cancer in these provinces were correspondingly cancer of stomach, breast, skin, colorectal and bladder, respectively.</font></span></font></p> <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm text-align: justify text-indent: 0cm"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue font-size: 10pt">Conclusion: </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt"><font color="#000000">The incidence of cancer tends to be increasing in North of Iran. These findings warrant the epidemiologic studies are helpful in planning preventive programs and recognition of risk factors.</font></span></font></p> Epidemiology, Trend, Cancer, Caspian Sea, Iran 25 30 http://caspjim.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-306-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Hamid Salehiniya Alesaleh70@yahoo.com 10031947532846004655 10031947532846004655 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sakineh Ghobadi-Dashdebi h-Rafiemanesh@razi.tums.ac.ir 10031947532846004656 10031947532846004656 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Hosein Rafiemanesh rafiemanesh.hosein@gmail.com 10031947532846004657 10031947532846004657 Yes Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Abdollah Mohammadian-Hafshejani rafiemanesh.hosein@gmail.com 10031947532846004658 10031947532846004658 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Mostafa Enayatrad rafiemanesh_hosein@yahoo.com 10031947532846004659 10031947532846004659 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran