ESOPHAGEAL CANCER MORTALITY IN BRAZIL: A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS FROM THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF DISEASE STUDY

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: In the world, around 450,000 new cases of esophageal cancer are diagnosed each year. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the trend of esophageal cancer mortality rates in Brazil between 1990-2017. METHODS: A time series study using data on mortality from esophageal cancer in residents ≥30 years in Brazil from 1990 to 2017. Data was estimated by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and analyzed according to sex, age group and federal unit of Brazil. The standardized rates according to age were calculated by the direct method using the standard GBD world population. Annual average percentage change and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated for mortality by Joinpoint regression. RESULTS: The age-standardized mortality rate in males was 20.6 in 1990 and 17.6/100,000 in 2017, increasing according to age, being 62.4 (1990) and 54.7 (2017) for ≥70 years. In women, the age-standardized mortality rate was 5.9 in 1990 and 4.2/100,000 in 2017. There was a reduction in mortality rates in all age groups and both sexes with great variation among the states. CONCLUSION: Despite the high mortality rates for esophageal cancer in Brazil, the trend was decreasing, but with regional differences. Mortality was around four times higher in men.