National and Subnational Incidence Trend of Bladder Cancer in Iran: Report of a 12-Year Period

Background: Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and also in Iran. Understanding of bladder cancer epidemiology is of great value for policymakers and assists in the prevention and early detection of the disease. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to report national and subnational incidence trends of bladder cancer in Iran between 2003 and 2015. Methods: This study investigated the age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) per annum of bladder cancer from 2003 to 2015 in Iran using the data from the cancer registration system of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. The crude incidence rates were calculated by dividing incident cases by the country and province population, which were provided by the Statistic Center of Iran. Age standardization was performed using the WHO standard population, and ASIRs were compared by age, sex, and province. Results: The ASIR of bladder cancer increased from 8.35 in 2003 to 13.57 in 2015 in men. The ASIR of bladder cancer also showed a mild increase in females, 2.12 in 2003 versus 2.86 in 2015. The province of Yazd had the highest rate of bladder cancer in men, and West Azerbaijan had the highest rate for women (15.13 and 7.79 per 100,000), while Sistan va Baluchestan and Ilam had the lowest ASIRs for men and women (3.01 and 0.96 per 100,000, respectively). Conclusions: The increasing trend of bladder cancer incidence in Iran, despite the clear decreasing global trend accompanying to ongoing aging of the population highlights the diseases as a potential health problem in the upcoming years in Iran. Therefore, it is necessary for health organizations to implement effective research and control programs in the country to prevent further increases in disease burden.