[To determine the prognostic factors in esophageal cancer using log-logistic regression model in Iran]

Each year almost 400,000 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer worldwide. Wide variation in incidence has been reported both between countries and in different ethnic groups and populations within a country. The area with the highest reported incidence for oesophageal cancer is the so-called Asian 'oesophageal cancer belt', which stretches from eastern Turkey through north-eastern Iran, northern Afghanistan and southern Russia to northern China. In the high risk area of Gonbad in Iran, world age-standardised rates are more than 200 per 100,000 and the male/female ratio is reported as 0.8:1.0.This study aimed to assess the risk factors and demographic factors influencing survival of patients with esophageal cancer in north of Iran using weibull and log-logistic regression models. Demographic and clinical data of 359 patients with confirmed diagnosis of esophageal cancer from Babol Cancer registry utilized for our model. parametric and weibull models were employed to analyze the data. The Akaike information criterion [AIC] was also considered as a criterion to select the best model[s]. All p values as 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The sample study consisted of 62.7% men and 37.3% women. Estimated survival rates in 1, 3, and 5 years following diagnosis were 23%, 15%, and 13% respectively. According to AIC criterion, the hazard rate of non-monotonic and rejection proportional hazards assumption [p<0.05], log-logistic model was more efficient than weibull model. Family history of having cancer in patients showed a significant difference in both models. It is concluded that early detection of people with a family history of cancer can be effective as an important factor in reducing the risk of death in patients with esophageal cancer