Improvement of esophageal cancer survival in Northeast Iran: A two-decade journey in a high-risk, low- resource region.

Abstract

Background and objectiveTwo decades ago, an international initiative (GEMINI) was launched in a high-risk, low-resource region in Northeast Iran, aiming to investigate incidence, etiology, early detection, and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). An earlier report from this area, highlighted poor ESCC survival rates, with a 5-year survival probability of 3.3% and the median survival time of 7 months. Our study assesses whether ESCC survival has improved since the implementation of the GEMINI initiative in this region.Material and methods490 adult patients with histologically-confirmed ESCC were recruited from the Atrak clinic, Golestan, Iran, between 2007 and 2018. At recruitment, information on demographics and various exposures were collected. Active (telephone surveys) and passive (linkage to Golestan population-based cancer and death registries) follow-up methods were used to determine patients' vital status though March 2019. Survival estimates were obtained by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression models.ResultsOver the study period 340 deaths were recorded. Five-year ESCC survival probability was 23% (95% Confidence Interval: 19% to 28%), and the median survival time was 19 months. Five-year survival probability was higher among individuals who were younger (35% in 70-year-olds, pConclusionOver the last two decades, ESCC survival in this population has significantly improved, highlighting the potential of enhancing healthcare infrastructure and ensuring access to affordable medical care in resource-limited, high-risk regions. Older age at diagnosis, Turkman ethnicity, opium use, and untreated cases (indicative of advanced disease at diagnosis) were identified as the main ESCC prognostic factors in this population.