Mohammad Reza Qavam Nasiri made the statement at a news conference on Thursday to elaborate on the upcoming 9th Annual Clinical Oncology Congress in Tehran. He added that skin, prostate and stomach cancer are more prevalent among men while breast cancer afflicts more women than any other cancer in Iran, according to Saturday's edition of 'Iran Daily'

Leukemia, he added, ranks first among cancers affecting children. The leading causes of the disease can be attributed to lead in petroleum, particulate matters, air pollution and cell phone radiation

Cancer, he said, takes about 30,000 lives in the country each year whereas, based on global figures, the number of people suffering from cancer will stand at around 20 million people by 2020. “The number of people with tumor is also increasing worldwide”

In an exclusive interview with 'Iran Daily' published Thursday, Nassiri noted that the high lung cancer rate in the capital is due to air pollution and smoking

Also, the air in Tehran contains a high quantity of lead due to poor combustion and inferior and substandard gasoline. Breathing in such air will increase the likelihood of respiratory disorders and cancers