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Background: Concurrent to changes in lifestyles, non-communicable diseases such as cancers are one of the main causes of mortality. Identifying effective factors on the survival status of cancer patients is essential for health practitioners. Purpose: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of sociodemographic and health indices on cancer survival among the Iranian military community (MC). Material and methods: The required data were extracted from the registered cases in the Iranian MC insurance organisation. The Kaplan-Meier method, logrank test and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used to analyse data. All analyses performed using SPSS 22. Results: Overall, 31 657 cancer cases were registered during the understudied period. In total, 14 698 (46.4%) and 16 959 (54.6%) of cases were males and females, respectively. The median survival time among males and females was 5.58 years (95% CI: 5.32--5.84) 11.41 years (95% CI: 10.70--12.12, P<0.001), respectively. The hazard ratio for gender (female) was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.51--0.56, P<0.001) and for age was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03-- 1.14, P<0.001). The number of rural, urban and active health centres, hospitals and hospital beds, clinics and physicians and the HDI did not show a significant effect on the risk of death of cancer patients (P>0.05). Conclusion: It seems that the coverage of health services in all provinces of Iran is the same, and the inequality is few. However, other variables such as age and gender are influential factors in cancer deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: This study investigates epidemiologic and practical information about the incidence and risk factors of childhood cancer in a population of Southern Iranian children. Materials and Methods: A total number of 300 cancer patients along with 600 age- and gender-matched healthy control were interviewed by a trained physician regarding their demographic characteristics, and major family-associated risk factors, childhood malignancies. Results: The average annual percentage change for cancers in the studied population is calculated as 45%. Our study indicated that possible risk factors which could contribute to the development of childhood cancer are maternal oral contraceptive pill use during pregnancy, exposure to radiation during pregnancy, parental smoking, residence near high voltage electricity lines, exposure to pesticides and fertilizers, patient allergy, contact with domestic animals and father's educational degree. Furthermore, new ecological risk factors such as air pollution due to nonstandard petroleum or toxic inhalant particles, nonhealthy food consumption, and satellite jamming are other predisposing factors. Conclusion: Our study reported a higher average annual percentage change of childhood cancers in our area, compared to the existing literature. In conclusion, detection and prevention of the consistent and possible new environmental risk factors such as nonstandard petroleum or satellite jamming from all around the country should be taking into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oropharyngeal malignancies represent management challenges for the head and neck surgeons. Tumor resection and reconstruction with graft is the standard treatment. Split-thickness skin grafts are routinely used to cover the mucosal defects arising from resections. As amniotic membrane (AM) is used as a dressing substitute in bum, we decided to evaluate the efficacy of AM as a biologic wound dressing material for surgical defects of mucosa in the oropharyngeal region. Methods: This was a single-institution prospective study which included 50 patients with primary oropharyngeal malignancy who underwent tumor resection between March 2010 and November 2011, and were up for two to 20 months after the surgical procedure. We used amniotic membrane (AM) for dressing of the defects in the oral cavity and pharynx under general anesthesia. Efficacy of this procedure was assessed by rating of the pain and granulation tissue formation with surface epithelialization at the site of graft. Results: The results were evaluated in the postoperative period. Forty males (80 %) and 10 females (20 %) were participated, age from 20 to 80 years with a mean age of 50 ± 10.41 years. The patients underwent partial glossectomy, or floor of mouth resection according to tumor location. Complete adherence of AM to the wound was detected in all cases. Allergy either systemic or local was not reported in any of the cases. The membrane was very effective in 40 patients, and effective in 10 cases. Conclusion: Amniotic membrane (AM) can be used as a biologic dressing material for covering the mucosal defects in the oropharynx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignancies are primarily environmental diseases mostly attributed to environmental factors. By plotting the prevalence and spatial distribution maps, important differences can be observed in detail. This study aimed to determine the association between map distribution of malignancies and the geological phenomena of lead (Pb) accumulation in soil in the province of Isfahan, Iran. Methods: Spatial distribution maps of malignant diseases were plotted by using data recorded during 2007 to 2009 in the Isfahan Cancer Registry Program. Data on Pb accumulation in soil was obtained from the National Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration. Pb concentrations were documented in three parts of agricultural, non-agricultural, urban, and industrial land. The geographical mapping of cancers and soil Pb were then incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) to create a spatial distribution model. Results: The spatial distributions of ten common malignant diseases in the province, i.e. skin cancers, hematological malignancies, and breast cancers, followed by other malignancies were scattered based on Pb distribution. In fact, common cancers were more prevalent in the parts of the province where soil Pb was more abundant. Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the importance of preventing Pb exposure and controlling industrial production of Pb. The data is also important to establish further effects modeling for cancers. Moreover, physicians and health professionals should consider the impact of environmental factors on their patients' health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]