SOCIO-SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF ORAL AND OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER IN BELO HORIZONTE: HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY FROM 2005 TO 2015

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in relation to specific vulnerability conditions (residential adequacy characteristics and minimum monthly income) and the access to public primary health care. A total of 136 medical records of patients referred to a department of head and neck surgery in a public hospital in Belo Horizonte from 2005 to 2015 were reviewed for sociodemographic features. The spatial distribution of the patients was analyzed using Ripley's K function and Kernel maps. Most patients were men (77.2%), white or brown (82.4%), married (36.8%), and with low educational level (72.1%); mean was 59.6 years. Oral cancer represented 54.4% of cases, and 45.6% were oropharyngeal. Most of the patients lived in the Northwest and North regions. Cancer cases showed an aggregate spatial pattern concentrated in areas with a higher number of citizens with no regular sanitary conditions and no monthly income or minimum monthly salary. A homogeneous distribution between cancer cases and public primary health care providers were observed. This study suggests that patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Belo Horizonte are concentrated in clusters, and they live in regions with lower socioeconomic conditions. Supported by FAPEMIG This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in relation to specific vulnerability conditions (residential adequacy characteristics and minimum monthly income) and the access to public primary health care. A total of 136 medical records of patients referred to a department of head and neck surgery in a public hospital in Belo Horizonte from 2005 to 2015 were reviewed for sociodemographic features. The spatial distribution of the patients was analyzed using Ripley's K function and Kernel maps. Most patients were men (77.2%), white or brown (82.4%), married (36.8%), and with low educational level (72.1%); mean was 59.6 years. Oral cancer represented 54.4% of cases, and 45.6% were oropharyngeal. Most of the patients lived in the Northwest and North regions. Cancer cases showed an aggregate spatial pattern concentrated in areas with a higher number of citizens with no regular sanitary conditions and no monthly income or minimum monthly salary. A homogeneous distribution between cancer cases and public primary health care providers were observed. This study suggests that patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Belo Horizonte are concentrated in clusters, and they live in regions with lower socioeconomic conditions. Supported by FAPEMIG