A Systematic Review of Cancer Surveillance Systems in Iran: Advances, Obstacles, and Prospective Pathways

<p> Introduction: Cancer has emerged as a significant public health challenge globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Iran. Various cancers, including breast, stomach, and prostate cancers, hematologic malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas, are prevalent, necessitating robust surveillance systems to monitor their incidence, survival rates, and outcomes. Establishing population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) across provinces has provided a framework for collecting and analyzing data essential for understanding cancer epidemiology and informing public health policies. </p><p> Methods: This systematic review was conducted using the keywords “cancer surveillance”, “cancer registry”, “population-based cancer registry”, “hospital-based registry”, “PBCR”, “registry quality”, “incidence”, “survival”, “mortality”, “data linkage”, and “Iran” (including “IRANCANSURV” and Persian equivalents) in PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central from 2000 to 2024. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and the PICO framework, 12 eligible articles were included in the final analysis. </p><p> Result: The IRANCANSURV project represents a significant step in national cancer surveillance, focusing on survival rates across multiple cancer types and providing insights into cancer care in Iran. However, challenges such as incomplete data reporting, regional variations in data quality, and limited public awareness about cancer prevention and early detection remain. </p><p> Discussion: Iran has achieved progress in developing its cancer surveillance infrastructure; however, deficiencies in data completeness and quality, limited public health awareness about prevention and early detection, and inequalities in access to healthcare services remain unresolved. </p><p> Conclusion: Strengthening registry coordination, improving data completeness, and public health education are crucial to improving cancer outcomes across the country. </p>