Background
Considering the importance of gastrointestinal cancers and their high prevalence in Iran, the analysis of national and local programs and policies are of high importance. The current document review was conducted to assess policies and programs related to the prevention of colon, stomach, liver, esophageal and pancreas cancers in Iran.
Methods
This paper used 'policy triangle' as a framework to analyze documents related to gastrointestinal cancer prevention in Iran. We searched PubMed and SCOPUS, as well as web pages of Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), all Medical Sciences Universities, and some related research centers. Documents were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software.
Results
Three documents, one guideline, 16 national meeting reports, and 11 articles were found containing or describing interventions directed at the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers in Iran. Also, a large amount of news was obtained from the searched web pages. Findings of this paper are organized based on the four aspects of health policy triangle including content, context, process, and actors. Health affairs of MOHME developed a plan, called 'Iran Package of Essential Non-communicable Disease’ (IraPEN), for preventing three common cancers namely colorectal, breast, and cervix in 2015. The contextual factors affecting prevalence and incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in this country included economic, social, and cultural. Regarding high prevalence and incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in Iran, prevention programs have been developed in this country since 2012 and have been implemented in some areas. However, these programs don’t have any evaluation phase within them. The most effective actor in preventing these cancers in Iran is MOHME.
Conclusions
Considering the interventions conducted to prevent gastrointestinal cancers in the country, the prevalence and incidence of these cancers have not been diminished. This issue needs care of policy makers in health and other sectors to design and implement policies and strategies in order to prevent these cancers at the primary level. Also, non-governmental organizations might be attracted to provide financial support.