A vida antes do câncer: o estilo de vida pregresso de pacientes atendidos no serviço de alta complexidade em oncologia no Alto Uruguai

Abstract

Cancer is one of the four leading causes of early death in the world, being considered the main public health problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This disease is known to be multifactorial, in other words, depends on a combination of intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic (food, environmental, occupational, social) factors to develop. However, a third of the cases could be avoided if the population had access to information about the risk factors associated with the disease. Lifestyle, a factor related to culture and identity, is not something simple, further to knowledge, the individual needs to understand this change as an important factor inherent to their culture. Besides, the biopolitical interest of the State, which is now moved to the market, induces people to incessantly search for unrealistic health standards, which in general do not positively affect health, but only generate fear and a constant state of alert against illness. An analysis of the lifestyle habits prevalent among cancer patients in their previous lives (diet, sedentary lifestyle, addictions, occupation) and their association with the disease was carried out, linking these data with the information obtained about the disease and access to health teams. The study was carried out in two stages at the UNACON of Fundação Hospitalar Santa Terezinha de Erechim, firstly collecting quantitative data from medical records and then, through semi-structured interviews, collecting qualitative data. Of the 377 patients evaluated and the 16 interviewees, there was a prevalence of elderly, white, married patients; who live or work in rural areas; are overweight, maintain a diet based on natural foods, but already in transition with the daily presence of ultra-processed foods; practice physical activity in their work, but few are in the habit of physical exercise; do not have routine medical follow-up and access information mainly through the media and the internet. Despite getting care in the SUS, they have difficulty accessing and receive little information that impacts their choices. We realize that perform in health promotion has a positive impact on reducing the incidence of cancer when considering that 70% of cases are related to lifestyle, however these actions can only have a positive impact when they go beyond the strict interest of the State. Rather, they intersect through scientific knowledge together with the knowledge and culture of the people to whom they are trying to reach. Therefore, working on these issues in an interdisciplinary way, with a decolonized look with respect and ethics to everyone's knowledge, tends to improve the reach of information and perhaps change the prevalence of this disease.