Predictive Factors of Survival for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers in Iranian Population.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal cancers (esophageal and gastric cancers) are among the most common cancers with high mortality and low survival rate. This study aimed to determine the predictive factors of survival for patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers in Iranian population.

METHODS: In this study, 122 patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers diagnosed from 2007 to 2009 were included, who were referred to the only center of endoscopy in the northwest of Qazvin province. Patients were followed up for 5 years. Analysis of data was done using Kaplan-Meir method and Cox regression with STATA software version 11.

RESULTS: Data of 111 patients were analyzed, of whom75 cases (67.6%) were males and 36 cases (32.4%) were females. Mean age of male and female patients were 67.04±12.53 and 59.56±14.25 respectively. The one, three and five year survival rates were 30%, 21% and 2% in total. The one and three year survival rates were 28% and 9% for esophageal cancer, and the one, three and five year survival rates were 31%, 26% and 14% for gastric cancer. Median survival time was different by treatment type, stage of disease and the residential location, but only variables of stage of disease and residential location had significant effect on patients' survival (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of disease stage and residing in urban areaswere associated with better survival, which may also reduce the risk of death in upper gastrointestinal cancers.