Mortality from colorectal cancer in Brazil in the last three years ( 2019-2011)

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) encompasses tumors that occur in the initial part of the large intestine, rectum, anus, and anal canal. It is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, ranking as the third most common in men and the second most common in women. In Brazil, it is considered the fourth most frequent type of neoplasia. When analyzing the incidence by geographical region, colon and rectal cancer in men is the second most incident in the Southeast (28.62/100,000) and Midwest (15.40/100,000) regions and the third most frequent in the South (25.11/100,000) region. In women, it is the second most frequent in the Southeast (26.18/100,000) and South (23.65/100,000) regions and the third most incident in the Midwest (15.24/100,000), Northeast (10.79/100,000), and North (6.48/100,000) regions 4. The development of colorectal cancer involves various factors such as: age equal to or above 50 years, obesity, physical inactivity, prolonged smoking, high consumption of red and/or processed meat, low calcium intake, excessive alcohol consumption, and a diet low in fruits and fibers. There are also hereditary factors such as a family history of colorectal cancer and/or adenomatous polyps, genetic conditions like familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, a history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), and type 2 diabetes 1. CRC is often curable when detected early. It typically responds well to preventive measures due to the long carcinogenic period, which lasts around 10 years 5 . Although its mortality rate has been decreasing over the years, largely attributed to screenings, early polyp removal, and improved treatments, its incidence has been increasing in adults under 55 years of age 2. Therefore, analyzing the dynamics of CRC incidence and mortality in the regions of Brazil is of fundamental importance in establishing effective healthcare management, planning, and actions to address specific and targeted demands. Thus, this study aims to analyze CRC mortality in the state of Bahia, considering sex and age groups, from 2019 to 2022. METHODOLOGY This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, ret