Epidemiologia do câncer de pele no estado de São Paulo: uma análise socioeconômica

Abstract

Skin cancer occupies the first place among oncological diseases in Brazil, with the most common type being non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). The rarest, but most aggressive and lethal, is melanoma. Although underdiagnosed for multiple reasons – including lack of knowledge, diagnostic inaccuracy, and lack of effective public policies – it is estimated that skin cancer accounts for almost one-third of all malignancies. Among the determinants for the development of skin cancers, exposure to ultraviolet radiation stands out as an important risk factor, sensitive to public health strategies that prioritize prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. The present work aims to study the relationship between the data on the incidence of skin cancer related to the character of the representativeness for the increase in the number of cases of this type of neoplasm in the state of São Paulo with a focus on the epidemiology of skin cancers, we analyze the interconnection with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 – Health and well-being, as well as examining socioeconomic indicators, such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and the Human Development Index (HDI) and literacy rate. After analyzing dataSUS data on the spatial distribution of cases of cutaneous malignant neoplasms in the state of São Paulo between 2013 and 2022, the data were replicated in the form of maps and related to the areas with the highest HDI, GDP per capita, and literacy rate. The methodology of the study was based on IBGE data on the geographical limitation of the state of São Paulo and subdivision into 15 mesoregions, as well as socioeconomic data with the objective of generating an epidemiological, descriptive sectional study, using geospatial methods together with epidemiological factors as tools. The results obtained do not prove the relationship between the incidence of these pathologies and the socioeconomic factors analyzed. Thus, measures are still being sought to provide subsidies for the development of public policies of local interest, including, above all, protective measures against skin cancer.