Solving Iran's Gastric Cancer Puzzle: A New Look at Prevention

Gastric cancer is a big problem in Iran, ranking high on the list of causes of death for both men and women. To understand it better, scientists used a method called Causal Layer Analysis (CLA). They read lots of documents and talked to experts. They found that gastric cancer is deeply rooted in society, influenced by things like globalization, weak leadership, and cultural changes. One surprising discovery was that many people see cancer as a punishment, which can make it harder to prevent.The study suggests that to really tackle gastric cancer, we need to change how people think about it and the world around them. This means creating new ways of thinking about prevention, starting from the ground up. The study also found that these changes could make a big difference, especially for people who are often left out. This study offers important lessons for other countries too, showing that we need to work together and understand the deeper reasons behind gastric cancer.