Head and neck cancer mortality trends in Espírito Santo, Brazil

In Brazil, regional disparities in mortality rates are evident. This study analyzes the mortality trends of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) from 1998 to 2017 in Espírito Santo.

Data on deaths were obtained from the Unified Health System's Department of Informatics (DATASUS), and population statistics were sourced from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Annual percentage change (APC) calculations with a 95 % confidence interval were used for standardization from 1998 to 2017. The analysis considered age, geographical healthcare regions, and specific anatomical sites (C00-06; C09-10; C12-13; C32; C14). Mortality rates adjusted for age and sex were computed for spatial distribution, focusing on Espírito Santo municipalities in two periods (1998-2007 and 2008-2017).

From 1998-2017, males aged 40-59 showed a rise in age-standardized mortality rate from 48.96 to 58.24/100,000. Espírito Santo experienced an increasing mortality trend in males across the health regions, whilst in females the increase was observed only in the Central region. Oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx subsites showed a mortality increase in males with APC of 1.1 %, 4.7 % and 2.6 %, respectively, while females had a rise only in oral cavity cancer deaths. Spatial analysis revealed higher mortality rates in both sexes during 2008-2017 compared to 1998-2007.

Our data highlighted an escalating mortality trend from 1998 to 2017 among men aged 40-80 in oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx, whereas the female population experienced a rise limited to oral cavity cancer mortality. As the only study covering this period in Espírito Santo, it serves as a valuable tool for developing strategies for HNSCC management, considering the socio-economic advancements achieved in recent years.