[Deaths from head and neck cancer according to schooling in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2010-2018]

This study aimed to evaluate the differences in mortality rates from head and neck cancer according to schooling in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2010 to 2018. This ecological study used head and neck cancer data from the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Mortality rates from head and neck cancer in individuals over 40 years of age were compared after inputting the schooling variable. A total of 20 databases were generated for each of which a negative binomial regression model was adjusted for age, sex, education, tumor topography, immediate geographic regions, and year of death. Combining the coefficients of the 20 adjusted models estimated the rates and mortality rate ratios for head and neck cancer. Death rates from head and neck cancer were highest in men aged over 50 years with less than eight years of schooling, exceeding 40 deaths per 100,000. Significant differences occurred in oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer, with a mortality four times in those with less schooling and five times in men than in women. Northern Rio de Janeiro showed a mortality from head and neck cancer at least eight times higher in those with less schooling. A higher risk of mortality from head and neck cancer occurred in individuals with low schooling, especially in men over 50 years of age and those living in the inner state. These results underscore the importance of considering health inequalities and implementing prevention strategies to reduce the impact of head and neck cancer on more socially vulnerable groups.