TEHRAN –The health ministry is planning to implement a comprehensive screening program for the early detection of the three most common, but preventable cancers (namely breast, cervical, and colon) in the country.

The program will be initially piloted in the three pilot provinces of Qom, Isfahan, and Mazandaran within the framework of the family physician program. 

The target groups are the individuals aged 30 to 70 and, in some cases, those who are 40 to 75 years old, ISNA quoted Jafar Jandaqi, an official with the health ministry, as saying.

Both early and advanced tests for breast, cervical, and colon cancers are available. Six or seven months into the implementation of the program, it will be expanded all over the country, he noted. 

Forty percent of the cancers can be avoided; early detection through screening will increase the chance for successful treatment, and improve the life expectancy of the patients, he added.

While in other countries, screening program will only target high risk groups, like those with a family history in cancer, the health ministry intends to implement a comprehensive screening program for the aforementioned cancers throughout individuals’ lives, from birth to the final years of life, within the Primary Health Care (PHC) system to be able to define treatment, and home-based palliative and care services to those in need of these services, Jandaqi noted.

The screening program will involve different service packages, including prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation packages. The health ministry will utilize modern technologies such as artificial intelligence to further promote diagnosis and offer services, the official said.

According to the health ministry, cancers are the leading causes of premature mortality in the country. 

Cancers account for more than 55 thousand deaths annually. Some 34 thousand deaths out of 122 thousand premature deaths (under 70 years of age) and 11 thousand deaths out of 85 thousand very premature deaths (under 50 years of age) are caused by various cancers.

The latest national cancer census shows that the number of new cancer cases in Iran is expected to increase to 160,000 by the Iranian calendar year 1404 (March 2025-March 2026), indicating an increase of 43 percent.

The first 10 most common cancers in Iran are breast, prostate, colon, stomach, lung, bladder, thyroid, uterus, brain, and spine cancers. The most common cancers of Iranian women include breast, colon, thyroid, stomach, uterine, leukemia, ovary, brain and spine, lungs, and esophagus. Around 250,000 Iranians are now living with cancer. 

Recent achievements 

Launching the first national production line for electroporation systems, Iran has become the first country in Asia to acquire advanced cancer treatment technology.

The inauguration ceremony of the Iranian-made device was held on Monday at University of Tehran, IRNA reported.

The home-grown electrochemotherapy ablation system (a new method of targeted treatment of cancerous tumors) is a significant achievement that relies mainly on domestic technical knowledge and global standards.

The electroporation system uses electrical pulses to enhance the permeability of cancer cells and significantly enhance the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs.

In February, an Iranian knowledge-based company managed to develop a new method for the synthesis of Technetium (99mTc) tilmanocept, a radiopharmaceutical diagnostic imaging agent used to determine lymph nodes that may be draining from tumors.

Since 2013, the U.S. has been the only manufacturer of this radiopharmaceutical agent, IRNA reported.

The lymphatic system is known as one of the main conduits of cancer metastasis. In patients with breast, lung, and genital tract cancers, accurate detection of lymph node involvement is critical for surgeons.

Thanks to this remarkable achievement, about 90 percent of patients with various cancers in the country will gain access to a more affordable and more accurate method for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Having passed the preclinical phases successfully, the drug has entered the clinical phase. 

MT/MG