Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common health issues among men, especially older men. In recent years, incidences of prostate cancer is increasing. Objective: The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive estimate of the survival of prostate cancer in Asian countries. Methods: We searched five international databases including Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Knowledge and ProQuest until June 1, 2018. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment was used to evaluate the quality of selected papers. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019117044). Results: A total of 714 titles were retrieved. Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Based on the random-effect model one-year, five-year and ten-year survival rate of prostate cancer were 81% (95% CI 77.8-84.2), 61.9% (95% CI 59.5-64.3) and 36.2% (95% CI 9.2-63.2) respectively. Survival rates based on HDI level for five-year were 30.07, 43.43 and 70.84 percent for medium, high and very high levels, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of our study, the prostate cancer survival rate in Asian countries is relatively lower than in Europe and North America.

Globally, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness, that diminishes quality of life. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of DR, and its associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 478 diabetic patients in a referral center in Fars province, Iran. The mean±standard deviation age of the participants was 56.64±12.45 years old and DR prevalence was 32.8%. In multivariable analysis, lower education levels (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24 to 0.76), being overweight (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.83) or obese (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09 to 3.26), diabetes duration of 10 to 20 years (aOR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.48 to 3.73) and over 20 years (aOR, 5.63; 95% CI, 2.97 to 10.68), receiving insulin (aOR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.27 to 3.10), and having chronic diseases (aOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.85) were significantly associated with DR. In conclusion, longer diabetes duration and obesity or having chronic diseases are strongly associated with DR suggesting that control of these risk factors may reduce both the prevalence and impact of retinopathy in Iran.

Background:Breast cancer (BC) is one of the main problems of public health around the world. As a consequence, survival rates are one of the most salient indicators for assessing the quality of cancer control and treatment programs.Objectives:The aim of this study is to evaluate the survival rate of breast cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean region at different periods of time.Methods:Medline/PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Embase, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar databases until February 1, 2018. All observational studies (cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort) referring to the survival of breast cancer were included in the study. The heterogeneity and its value were examined by Cochran test and I2 statistics, respectively. Analysis of subgroups performed was based on geographical area and Human Development Index (HDI), using Stata 12 software.Findings:A total of 58 papers were analyzed. Based on a random effect model, the survival rates of breast cancer in different periods—1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 years—were estimated at 93.9, 85, 79.8, 72.6, 69.2, 62.1 and 55.5 percent, respectively. The highest 10-year survival rate was in Iran (59.2%), and the lowest was observed in Bahrain (45%).Conclusions:Evidence suggests that about half of the patients in this area would die before 10 years survival, which is different from more developed countries. Also, high survival rates are associated with high human development index, which can help health policy-makers to better predict the outcomes of patients.

Background: Childhood cancer (ChC) is very rare and occurs between birth and 14 years of age. There are several reports about ChC incidence from various regions of Iran, but with conflicting results.  The present study aimed to do a systematic review to estimate the accurate incidence rate of ChC among Iranian people. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was performed based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist in 2018. A literature search was conducted using international databases (Medline/PubMed, Scopus, ISI/Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar) for English papers, and national databases (Scientific Information Database, MagIran, IranMedex, and IranDoc) for Persian papers which estimated the incidence rate of ChC in any geographical location in  Iran. The incidence rate of ChC was calculated using random-effect model. Results: Out of 157 papers in the primary searches, 12 studies were included by advanced screening and refinement. The crude incidence rate (CIR) of ChC in 0-14 years was 16.8 per 100,000 (95% CI: 9.04-24.56) for boys and 16.56 per 100,000 (95% CI: 10.51-22.62) for girls. Conclusion: The incidence of ChC in Iran is higher compared to other parts of the world. Considering this issue, holding some interventional programs on tackling potential risk factors, including air pollution, in different regions of Iran is suggested.

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