Perfil epidemiológico de casos de câncer colorretal no Rio Grande do Sul: análise de incidência e mortalidade entre 2017 e 2023

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most incident and lethal neoplasms in Brazil, with Rio Grande do Sul presenting the highest mortality rate in the country. The study analyzed the epidemiological profile of incidence and mortality in the state between 2017 and 2023. METHODOLOGY: Ecological study with a sample composed of CRC cases and deaths in Rio Grande do Sul, reported in the Oncology Panel and SIM/DATASUS between 2017 and 2023. The variables analyzed were sex and age group, including individuals of both sexes and with a minimum age of 40 years. Mortality and incidence coefficients were calculated based on the annual population, expressed per 100,000 inhabitants. Descriptive statistics were used, including absolute and relative frequencies. RESULTS: A total of 24,794 cases and 13,454 deaths were recorded. Incidence increased by 206,6% (14.95 to 45.84/100 thousand inhabitants). Women represented 50,9% of diagnoses, but death-to-case ratio was higher among men (56,14% vs. 52,45%), who had an increase in deaths almost twice that of females. The 60–69 years age group concentrated the majority of diagnoses (33.2%), while mortality was highest in individuals ≥80 years (169.3/100 thousand inhabitants). CONCLUSION: The incidence of CRC increased, while mortality remained stable. The female population accounted for slightly more diagnoses, but men had more fatal outcomes, suggesting sociocultural barriers to access to healthcare. The age group with the highest number of diagnoses was 60–69 years, whereas the age group with the highest mortality rate was ≥80 years.