Disparities in colorectal cancer mortality across Brazilian States

To analyze the trend of colorectal cancer mortality adjusted for selected indicators, according to sex, by Brazilian federative units and regions, and countrywide from 1996 to 2012.

This is a temporal time series on colorectal cancer mortality rates, using linear regression analysis, in which the independent variable was the centered year. Models were adjusted for selected indicators.

There was an increase in standardized colorectal cancer mortality rates for males in all states and for females in 21 states. In the model adjusted for mortality rate from ill-defined causes, for gross domestic product, and for Gini coefficient, the upward trend remained statistically significant (p < 0.05) countrywide only for men, with 0.17 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants per year (py). In the States of Piauí (0.09 and 0.20 py), Ceará (0.17 and 0.19 py) and Rio Grande do Sul (0.61 and 0.42 py), there was an increase for both men and women, respectively; only among men in the States of Paraíba (0.16 py), Espírito Santo (0.28 py), São Paulo (0.24 py) and Goiás (0.31 py); and among women in Roraima (0.41 py), Amapá (0.97 P/Y), Maranhão (0.10 py), Sergipe (0.46 P/Y), Mato Grosso do Sul (0.47 py), and the Federal District (0.69 py).

The increase in colorectal cancer mortality remained significant when assessing Brazil as a whole only among men; in seven States among men, and in nine States among women, regardless of the studied indicators. These differences could be related to the possible increase in incidence and to late access to diagnosis and treatment.