[Mortality due to neoplasms in Brazil (1980/1983/1985): grouping by states, behavior and trends]

Geographic distribution and time trends of esophageal cancer in Brazil from 2005 to 2015

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the geographical distribution and time trends of the incidence and lethality of esophageal cancer (EC) in Brazil. The present study conducted an ecological study of EC using records from January 2005 to December 2015 in the Health Informatics Department of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS) registry. In addition to demographical data on the population, EC incidence and lethality rates were estimated from hospitalizations and in-hospital mortalities and were adjusted by total available hospital beds. The adjusted EC rates per 100,000 increased from 9.1 in 2005 to 12.1 in 2015. The prevalence among males increased from 69 to 78%, while the female rates remained stable over the same period. Although EC was the most common in South and Southeast Brazil, the rates increased proportionately more in the other regions of the country, especially among males. Geographical analysis revealed higher rates of EC in more urbanized areas, with a coast-to-inland gradient. While rates increased in people older than 50 years, they decreased among people below this age. However, the lethality rates remained stable and high during the study period, overlapping with hospital admission rates. The recent increasing trend in the EC incidence, with shifts from the south towards the north and from more urbanized towards rural areas, suggests that environmental factors are crucial in EC pathogenesis. The concentration of EC in South Brazil may reflect the presence of major environmental factors in association with a possible genetic predisposition. The unchanging high mortality associated with EC in the rapidly aging population suggests that EC will continue to impose a significant social and economic burden in the future.

Pancreatic Cancer Incidence and Lethality Rates in Brazil: An Ecological Study

OBJECTIVES

To describe incidence and lethality time trends rates of pancreatic cancer (PC) in Brazil.

METHODS

Data from Brazilian Health National Public System (SUS) were retrospectively collected with regard to PC from January 2005 to December 2012. Pancreatic cancer incidence and lethality rates were estimated from SUS hospitalizations and in-hospital PC deaths and adjusted to total available hospital beds.

RESULTS

From 2005 to 2012, a total of 36,332 admissions for PC were registered in Brazil. Pancreatic cancer incidence nearly doubled from 2.4/100,000 to 4.5/100,000, particularly among patients older than 70 years, whereas no difference in sex was noted. The greatest incidence rates increase (+109%) occurred in the northeast, a less developed region that has recently achieved significant economic advances. Dynamic changes were observed, notably a shift to increasing PC incidence in rural areas. Lethality rates increased from mean 25% to 27%, the highest rates registered in those 70 years or older.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall increase trends in PC incidence and lethality were observed. Pancreatic cancer remains an urban disease in Brazil, the highest incidence found in the most developed regions as in large metropolitan integrated municipalities. Improvement in diagnosis, notification quality, a rapidly aging population, and a great demographic dynamism could in part explain this fact.

[Mortality due to malignant neoplasms of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts in Brazil, 1980-2010]

This study aimed to analyze trends in mortality due to malignant neoplasms of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts in Brazil from 1980 to 2010. This was a time series study using data provided by the Mortality Information System. Crude and standardized mortality rates were calculated according to age, area of residence, and gender. Trends were analyzed using polynomial regression models. An increasing trend in mortality was observed for both males and females in Brazil. Mean overall mortality was 3.59, with a linear increase of 0.020 (R² = 0.588; p < 0.001). The rate for males was 4.20 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants with a linear annual increase of 0.044 (R² = 0.81; p < 0,001), and for females, 2.98 per 100,000 inhabitants with a linear annual increase of 0.0194 (R² = 0.35; p = 0.008). The article discusses possible explanations for this increase, as well as potential information bias.

Limitations in improving detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To review the current trends in pancreatic cancer research and propose alternatives for an earlier diagnosis.

METHOD

A search was conducted using the PubMed and Scielo electronic databases to find statistics related to the incidence of pancreatic cancer.

RESULTS

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality in the USA; in Colombia the incidence of this neoplasia is 4.5 per 100,000 individuals; and in Peru, amongst digestive diseases, it is the fifth most common cause. In Brazil and Chile this cancer has increased in incidence, while in Mexico, it has decreased in terms of the relative percentage of gastrointestinal cancers from 1976 to 2003. Chronic pancreatitis, cigarette smoking, diabetes, obesity and dietary mutagen exposure are the most consistent risk factors implicated in the development of pancreatic cancer; however, the genetic and molecular changes underlying the epidemiological association between these factors and pancreatic cancer remain largely unknown, and only 5-10% are hereditary in nature.

CONCLUSION

The prognosis for pancreatic cancer has not changed substantially for at least the last 20 years. The most useful tumor marker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma is still the carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). Currently, a multimodal-screening approach of endoscopic ultrasound, computed tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are the most effective methods to detect pancreatic cancer in high-risk patients. Future options for early detection of this malignancy are focused on new molecular markers, telomerase enzyme, receptor-targeted imaging using multifunctional nanoparticles, detection of glycan changes and epigenetics.

Colorectal cancer in Porto Alegre and Fortaleza, Brazil: incidence trends and distribution pattern from 1990 to 1999

The aim of this study was to describe the incidence distribution of colorectal cancer in Fortaleza, Ceará State, and Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and the time trend in the disease from 1990 to 1999. Mean annual age-adjusted incidence rates and estimated annual percent change were calculated by gender, using population-based cancer registries. EAPC showed an increase in the rates in Porto Alegre and Fortaleza for men, +4.2% (p = 0.14) and +9.3% (p < 0.001), and women, +4.6% (p = 0.11) and +5.3% (p = 0.15), respectively. The mean adjusted incidence rates were three times higher in Porto Alegre than in Fortaleza both for men (25.1 vs. 8.6/100 thousand) and women (19.9 vs. 7.1/100 thousand). This rise in incidence rates may be due to early cancer detection strategies, lifestyle changes, and alterations in the population age structure. A population profile similar to that of developed countries may explain the higher incidence rates in Porto Alegre. However, Fortaleza showed the largest increases during the period studied.

[Colon and rectal cancer mortality in Brazilian capitals, 1980-1997]

BACKGROUND

In Brazil, colorectal tumors are among the five more important sites of neoplasms, for both sexes, in terms of mortality. The etiology of colon and rectal cancer is complex and some of the factors involved in its genesis are related to diet. Brazilian geographic regions present heterogeneous alimentary profiles, that could be influencing the distribution of the mortality rates for these tumors.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the patterns of mortality from cancers of the colon and the rectum in Brazilian State capitals in the period 1980-1997.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Mortality data for individuals of both sexes, residents in Brazilian State capitals (except Palmas, Tocantins) was obtained from the Ministry of Health Mortality System (SIM/MS). We considered as death from colon and rectum cancers those whose underlying cause of death was coded as 153.0 to 153.9, 154.0 and 154.1, according to ICD 9, in the period 1980-95; C18.0 to C18.9, C19 and C20,according to ICD 10, in the period 1996-97. The trends of the standardized mortality rates from colon and rectum cancer were analyzed through linear regression models.

RESULTS

The highest standardized mortality rates for colorectal cancer were observed in the South and Southeastern regions and varied between 8,0 and 10,7/100000 inhabitants. Porto Alegre (11,9), São Paulo (10,8) and Rio de Janeiro (9,6) presented the greatest rates among the State capitals in the study period. In the South region, rates of mortality for Porto Alegre and Florianópolis presented an increasing trend in the study period and the same behavior was observed for São Paulo and Vitória in the Southeastern region. Brasilia and the other capitals of the Midwest, with the exception of Goiânia, showed a tendency of increment of the mortality rates. Among the capitals of the North and Northeast regions, an increasing trend of mortality was observed in Rio Branco and Fortaleza. The separate analysis of the mortality rates for tumors of the colon and for tumors of the rectum showed a similar pattern, with higher values being observed for colon neoplasia.

DISCUSSION

Regional differences in the mortality rates for colon and rectum neoplasias have been discussed for different authors, who point to the contribution of cultural and alimentary habits, and differences of life style and socioeconomic status to this heterogeneity, besides other aspects related to access to health services and quality of hospital care and preventive services. These factors must be considered in the evaluation of the differences observed in Brazilian capitals. Although the State capitals situated in South and Southeastern regions presented higher rates than the others, mortality rates of Porto Alegre (9,8/100.000) and Rio de Janeiro (9,0/100.000), in period 1983- 85, were about three times lower than those observed in the United States, Canada and France, in 1985. The sex distribution pattern of the mortality rates in Brazilian capitals was not uniform, with higher rates in men. We observed a trend of increment of the mortality rates of colorectal cancer in all Brazilian regions, similar to that was observed in some countries of the world, although with different gradients.

CONCLUSIONS

The standardized mortality rates for colon and rectum neoplasias presented important regional differences among Brazilian State capitals. The highest rates were observed in the South and Southeastern regions. A trend of increment of the standardized mortality rates for cancers of the colon and the rectum was observed in all Brazilian regions in the period 1980-1997.

Padrões espaço-temporais da mortalidade por câncer de pulmão no Sul do Brasil

As neoplasias representam a segunda causa mais comum de mortalidade no Brasil, juntamente com as chamadas causas externas. Dentre as neoplasias, o câncer de pulmão é um dos mais freqüentes, tanto em homens quanto em mulheres, e é também um dos que apresentam maior letalidade. Além disso, o risco atribuível do tabagismo como agente etiológico deste câncer é bastante alto, o que o torna potencialmente susceptível a medidas preventivas de saúde pública. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar os padrões espaço-temporais de câncer de pulmão em quatro Estados brasileiros (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná e São Paulo), no período de 1996 a 2000. Os valores observados foram obtidos do Sistema de Informações de Mortalidade do Ministério da Saúde. Os valores esperados foram calculados utilizando-se a técnica de padronização indireta segundo sexo e faixa etária. As unidades geográficas utilizadas foram microrregiões definidas pelo IBGE. Foi utilizado um modelo bayesiano que permite interação espaço-temporal, ajustado através do software WinBUGS. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que no sul do Brasil existe um padrão em "U" nas razões de mortalidade por câncer de pulmão para homens, além de indicar áreas específicas que apresentaram riscos mais elevados e/ou maior ritmo de crescimento. A principal hipótese para este resultado seria diferentes incidências de tabagismo, mas a inexistência desta informação de abrangência regional impediu que esta variável fosse incluída na análise. Os resultados deste artigo podem ser utilizados para instruir políticas públicas voltadas para a redução do tabagismo e da mortalidade por câncer de pulmão.

Histopatologia do câncer de estômago (classificação de Lauren) em amostra de pacientes hospitalares no Rio de Janeiro, 1980-1995

Foi selecionada uma amostra aleatória (334 indivíduos) de todos os pacientes diagnosticados com câncer de estômago no período de 1980 a 1995 no Instituto Nacional do Câncer, Rio de Janeiro, sendo revisados seus dados histopatológicos. A concordância entre os diagnósticos prévios e atuais quanto à Classificação de Lauren foi considerada substancial (kappa= 0,65). Baseando-se nesta classificação, observou-se um declínio estatisticamente não significativo das proporções de câncer gástrico de tipo intestinal em idosos (sessenta anos ou mais) de ambos os sexos (em homens, 41,0% no período de 1980-1985, 37,9% de 1986 a 1990 e 28,8% de 1991 a 1995; entre mulheres, as proporções foram, respectivamente de 41,4%, 31,5% e 15,2%). As proporções de câncer gástrico de tipo intestinal permaneceram relativamente estáveis para os pacientes menores de sessenta anos.