Cancer mortality in childhood and adolescence: analysis of trends and spatial distribution in the 133 intermediate Brazilian regions grouped by macroregions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the magnitude, trend, and spatial patterns of childhood and adolescent cancer mortality between 1996 and 2017 in 133 Brazilian intermediate regions by using socioeconomic and healthcare services indicators. Methods: This is an ecological study for analyzing the trend of mortality from cancer in childhood and adolescence through time series. Data on deaths were extracted from the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Data on population were extracted from the 1991, 2000, and 2010 demographic censuses of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, with interpolation for intercensal years. Time series were delineated for mortality by type of cancer in each intermediate region. Such regions were grouped by macroregions to present the results. The calculation and interpretation of mortality trends use the Prais-Winsten autoregression procedure. Results: Mortality rates for all neoplasms were higher in the Northern region (7.79 deaths per 100 thousand population), while for leukemias, they were higher in the Southern region (1.61 deaths per 100 thousand population). In both regions, mortality was higher in boys and in the 0-4 age group. The trend was decreasing (annual percent change [APC] – -2.11 [95%CI: -3.14; - 1.30]) for all neoplasms in the Brazilian regions and stationary (APC – -0.43 [95%CI: -1.61; 2.12]) for leukemias in the analyzed period. Conclusion: The mortality rate for all neoplasms showed higher values in regions with smaller numbers of ICU beds in the public healthcare system.