Cancers in Younger Iranians

(Tehran, Iran) Iranian health experts have raised alarm about an unexplained surge in malignant cancers within the 18-to-25 demographic group.

"Among all types of cancer, stomach cancer has spread the fastest to become most commonly diagnosed cancer case in the country," said the head of the Cancer Institute of Iran, Abdollah Fazlalizadeh.

"Oncologists believe drug consumption, genetic disorders and people's eating habits are the main factors behind the deadly malady," Fazlalizadeh noted. [...]

"Skin cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among Iranian women, with breast cancer taking the second place," said the Iranian oncologist Mohammad-Reza Mir.

As I understand, cancer clusters are not uncommon, although infrequent, and they usually aren't associated with a whole nation. One must wonder if there is some link to the Iran-Iraq War which occurred about the same time as the individuals in the cancer demographic were born.