[The burden of neoplasm in Brazil: mortality and hospital morbidity from 2002 to 2004].

OBJECTIVE

To describe mortality and the hospital morbidity by neoplasias in Brazil and regions according to gender.

METHODS

Data of deaths were obtained from the Mortality Information System and of hospital morbidity from the Hospital Information System. Deaths were categorized according to primary tumor sites, selected in accordance with the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases. The population data were drawn from the inter census estimates of the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). The period of analysis was the triennial 2002-2004, with the most recent mortality data in Brazil. The average of this period was calculated to ensure greater stability of the rates.

RESULTS

Between 2002 and 2004, 405,415 deaths from neoplasias occurred in Brazil. The highest rates of mortality were identified in the South and South-East regions. For men, cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lungs were the malignant neoplasias with the highest mortality rate while for women breast cancer was highest. Breast cancer and cancer of the uterine cervix are those requiring the largest number of in-hospital admissions. In internments, leukemia presented the highest average cost and total cost.

CONCLUSION

The burden of neoplasms is extremely high in Brazil and public policies focused on the population must be given priority for an effective control of mortality and morbidity.