Cancer mortality trends in Brazilian adults aged 80 and over from 2000 to 2017

INTRODUCTION: Adults aged 80 and over represent the fastest growing segment of the population in emerging countries. Studies of cancer mortality trends in the oldest old population are scarce in Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in cancer mortality in the Brazilian oldest old, by gender and cancer type, from 2000 to 2017. METHODS: This was a descriptive study with a time trend design, based on data from the Mortality Information System (of the Informatics Department of the Unified Health System). The variables analyzed were year of death, sex and cancer site. The five most common types of cancer were identified, and mortality rates and trends were calculated for each one. Trends were determined using joinpoint regression. In all cases where one or more joinpoints were statistically significant the average annual percent change (AAPC) was calculated based on the arithmetic mean of the annual percent change (APC), weighted by the length of each segment. The statistical significance of the APC and AAPC was estimated by calculating 95% confidence intervals (CI) with an alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Mortality rates increased over time (AAPC = 1.50; 95%CI, 1.20 - 1.70) in both males (AAPC = 1.90; 95%CI, 1.70 - 2.10) and females (AAPC = 1.30; 95%CI, 1.00 - 1.50). Men had higher mortality rates than women. The most common causes of cancer-related death were prostate cancer (AAPC = 1.70; 95%CI, 1.10 - 2.30) in men, and breast cancer (AAPC = 1.90; 95%CI, 1.50 - 2.20) in women, followed by cancers of the lung and bronchus, stomach and colon. All rates increased over time, except in the case of stomach cancer. CONCLUSION: The study revealed increasing mortality rates for screenable and/or preventable cancers, alerting to the need for preventive measures.