Cancer of the esophagus in southern Iran

The minimal yearly incidence of cancer of the esophagus in Fars Province in Southern Iran, based on hospital records in the capital city, is five to 10 times as high as the yearly incidence in Connecticut for the age group 15-44. Since these represent only a portion of cases among residents of the Province, the true rate is probably considerably higher. An unusual proportion of these cases (32% overall) presented with primary tumor in the upper third of the esophagus. The location of the tumor was related strongly to age, but not to sex after taking age into account. The proportion of esophageal cancer cases who were female was significantly greater than that of other GI tract cancers combined. It appears that the risk in males and females in this area is at least nearly equal, and risk could conceivably be higher in females (similar to the appearance of the disease in Northern Iran).