Review of cancer registration and cancer data in Iran, a historical prospect.

Cancer data reporting in Iran dates back to 1960, when the first report of cancer frequency data was prepared and published by the late Prof. Abdollah Habibi, an Iranian pathologist working at the Cancer Institute of Iran.The next data came from two registries, one in the Caspian littoral and the other in Fars province. This paper reviews all activities regarding cancer registry and cancer data in Iran since the early seventies. The authors consider the results published by the different bodies interested in cancer data and make conclusions on prospects for further needs and challenges for cancer registration as a fundamental infrastructure component of a comprehensive cancer control program in Iran.