Thoracic Sarcoma: A New Glance at the Epidemiological Characteristics of Disease in Iran from 2009 to 2014

Our plain-English summary of Thoracic Sarcoma: A New Glance at the Epidemiological Characteristics of Disease in Iran from 2009 to 2014, by H. Rahmani Seraji, M.E. Akbari, H. Rezvani, et al (Iranian Journal of Public Health, 2022).

The study

• Authors: H. Rahmani Seraji, M.E. Akbari, H. Rezvani, D. Bashash, M. Mabani, A. Akbari, A. Raeisi, G. Janbabee, S. Salari
• Journal: Iranian Journal of Public Health
• Published: 2022;51(4):860-870
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: The heterogeneity, high rate of mortality and lack of comprehensive diagnostic methods have categorized primary sarcomas of the thorax as a malignancy with dismal outcomes and unknown etiology. Given the fundamental role of epidemiological analysis in establishing management strategies, we designed a study with focus on the epidemiological characteristics of primary thoracic sarcomas in Iran.

Methods: This national population-based cancer study was conducted on patients with histologically confirmed sarcoma of the thorax referred to the Iranian National Cancer Registry between 2009 and 2014. The incidence was calculated as number of cases per 100,000 person-years and was age-adjusted by the direct method using the weight of the 1960 world standard population.

Results: Over a 6-year period, 1477 cases with pathologically confirmed thoracic sarcomas were registered in Iran, of which 896 were male and 581 were female. Khuzestan Province had the highest incidence of thoracic sarcomas as compared to other provinces. Malignant mesothelioma was the most common histological subtype (20.85%). Moreover, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) of the disease was 1.94 per 100,000 which was more common in males than females with the highest incidence rate in men aged more than 65 years.

Conclusion: Our study provided valuable epidemiologic data on characteristics of thoracic sarcomas. This data can be used for strategizing preventive measures.

Copyright © 2022 Rahmani Seraji et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

In plain English

This study used Iran's national cancer registry to describe primary sarcomas of the chest (thorax) diagnosed between 2009 and 2014. The authors counted 1477 cases with a tissue-confirmed diagnosis from 31 provinces: 896 males and 581 females. The age-standardized incidence was 2.34 per 100,000 in males and 1.51 per 100,000 in females. The overall rate is given as 1.97 per 100,000 in the results and as 1.94 per 100,000 in the discussion. Apart from sarcomas not otherwise specified, malignant mesothelioma was the most common subtype, at 20.85% of all cases. It was among the two most common subtypes in people aged 15 to 64 and in those 65 and older. Most tumors (93.30%) arose in soft tissue rather than bone. Khuzestan Province had the highest incidence and Kermanshah the lowest. The article did not examine asbestos or any other exposure. The authors concluded that their data could lead to clues about causes and risk factors. They noted limits: no mortality data, no molecular or cytogenetic testing, and possible misdiagnosis by pathologists.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: national population-based observational (descriptive) cancer registry study
• Who was studied: 1477 patients with histologically confirmed primary sarcoma of the thorax registered in the Iranian National Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2014, from 31 provinces of Iran; 896 (60.6%) male and 581 (39.4%) female
• Main results:
  • Age-standardized incidence of thoracic sarcoma was 2.34 per 100,000 in males and 1.51 per 100,000 in females
  • Overall crude and age-standardized incidence was reported as 1.97 per 100,000 in the results section
  • The discussion reports the overall age-standardized incidence as 1.94 per 100,000, more common in males than females
  • After sarcoma not otherwise specified (28.56%), malignant mesothelioma was the most common histological subtype, accounting for 20.85% of all thoracic sarcomas
  • Malignant mesothelioma was among the most common subtypes in the 15 to 64 age group (with chondrosarcoma) and in the 65 and older group (with malignant fibrous histiocytoma)
  • After connective tissues of the thorax (33.92%), the most common site was heart, mediastinum and pleura (29.11%), followed by bronchus and lungs (19.97%)
  • 1378 of 1477 cases (93.30%) originated from soft tissue; the rest originated from bone
  • 69.97% of cases were aged 15 to 64 years, 25.73% were 65 or older, and 4.6% were 0 to 14
  • Khuzestan Province had the highest incidence and Kermanshah the lowest for both sexes. Among men, the highest age-standardized rates were Khuzestan 4.75, Lorestan 4.34, Isfahan 3.49, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 3.21, and Tehran 3.05 per 100,000
  • Among women, the highest age-standardized rates were West Azerbaijan 3.24, Khuzestan 3.06, and Isfahan 2.15 per 100,000
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that their observational study provided data on thoracic sarcomas that can lead to finding etiologic clues and risk factors of the disease
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Registry data were restricted to sarcoma of the thorax
  • No data on mortality
  • No advanced diagnostic technology such as molecular profiling and cytogenetics
  • Possible misdiagnosis of histology by the pathologist

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Sarcoma, Thorax, Etiology, Cancer Registry, Mesothelioma, Histological Subtype, Incidence.

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