Ministry of Health Reports 90,000 New Cancer Cases Annually

The Director General of the Non-Communicable Diseases Management Office of the Ministry of Health announced that there are up to 90,000 new cancer cases annually in Iran, stating that breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers are the four most common types. Kourosh Etemad reported that over 75% of the causes of death in the country are due to non-communicable diseases, with approximately 350,000 deaths occurring annually, of which about 250,000 are due to non-communicable diseases. Accordingly, it has been stated that around 20,000 deaths due to cancer occur each year in the country. This statistic comes as the latest report from the Ministry of Health of the Islamic Republic indicates that 55,000 Iranians die from cancer each year, and cancer incidence is expected to increase by 43% next year. The report from the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education published in November emphasized that 34,000 deaths out of a total of 122,000 annual premature deaths occur in individuals under 70 years old. This health official reported an increase in cancer treatment costs, stating that some prescriptions are not based on principles and do not yield the necessary results and benefits, thus increasing costs. The rise in cancer treatment costs comes as the latest national cancer registry data predicts that cancer incidence in Iran will reach 160,000 cases by 2025, representing a 43% growth, which means a significant increase in the number of individuals facing financial difficulties due to this illness. This issue has not received special attention in the government's plans, whether in next year's budget or the seventh development plan. Currently, patients with specific and hard-to-treat diseases face numerous challenges, from securing medications to covering treatment costs. In this context, the Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education has stated that only 25% of diseases are covered. Saeed Karimi mentioned that the fund for 'specific and hard-to-treat diseases' operates to compensate for some of these patients' treatment costs, but currently, only 107 out of 400 rare and specific diseases in the country are covered by this fund. The experience of cancer for a partner or spouse of the individual; explanations by Dr. Ghazal Karimpoor. A responsible official reported: 26,000 deaths annually due to air pollution. Annual deaths of 55,000 cancer patients in Iran; a predicted increase of 43%. Confirmation of subcutaneous injection of a cancer drug; Dr. Kordasti: Patients will be less exposed to infections. For the first time in the world, a permit for injection for cancer treatment was issued in the UK.