Factors Associated with Oral Cancer Mortality Rates in the State of Alagoas: Decade-Long Analysis

Interval Between Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cavity Cancer in Health Services in the State of Bahia, 2000-2022

Introduction: Oral cavity cancer shows high mortality rates in Bahia, largely attributed to late diagnosis. Objective: To investigate factors associated with the diagnostic and treatment intervals for oral cavity cancer in health services across the state of Bahia between 2000 and 2022. Method: A cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted with 1,305 cases retrieved from Hospital Based Cancer Registries. Descriptive statistical analyses included absolute and relative frequencies for categorical variables, and medians with interquartile ranges for age and time intervals of interest (dates) were performed. A significance level of 5% (α=0.05) was adopted, and Poisson regression with a negative binomial distribution was applied. Results: Most of the 1,305 individuals with oral cancer were diagnosed at advanced-stage (69.2%), were referred through the Brazilian National Health System (98.2%), and had to leave their city of origin to receive oncologic care (69.9%). The median of days since entry into oncology services to treatment initiation was 91 days, ranging between 61 and 144 days. Time was associated with the necessity of transportation as protective factor (IRR 0.57) and with sex, age and staging. Conclusion: Time range to begin treatment at health services in Bahia exceeds 90 days, potentially compromising treatment outcomes, prognosis, and quality of life. Referral pathways and the need to travel for care emerged as key factors influencing the diagnostic and treatment timelines.

Temporal and Geographical Overview of Cancer Mortality in Alagoas (2001-2022): The Urgency of Care Decentralization

Trend and Epidemiological Mapping of Oral Cancer in The State of Ceará from 2017 to 2023: Ecological Time-Series Study

The study revealed both advances and persistent gaps in oral cancer care in Ceará, underscoring the need for a specific observatory to improve monitoring and ensure comprehensive oncological care.

Melanoma mortality in Brazil, 1996-2023: A 28-year population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND Cutaneous melanoma is the most lethal skin cancer and its mortality reflects both biological aggressiveness and inequalities in prevention, early diagnosis, and access to specialized care. In Brazil, long-term population-based analyses are needed to characterize temporal, regional, and sociodemographic patterns of melanoma mortality. OBJECTIVE To analyze temporal and regional trends in melanoma mortality in Brazil from 1996 to 2023. METHODS Deaths from melanoma (ICD-10: C43) recorded between 1996 and 2023 were obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Crude and age-standardized mortality rates were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. Temporal trends were evaluated using Prais-Winsten regression, with estimation of annual percent change (APC). Complementary Joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort analyses were performed. Mortality odds were estimated using odds ratios. A 5% significance level was adopted for all analyses. RESULTS A total of 39,608 melanoma-related deaths were recorded. The mean age-standardized mortality rate was 0.68 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a stable overall trend. Deaths predominated among men (57.30%). Joinpoint analysis showed an initial increase in overall mortality from 1996 to 2005, followed by a decrease from 2005 to 2023, although the average annual percent change for the full period was not significant. Mortality increased among individuals aged 80 years or older, Indigenous populations, and individuals with lower educational attainment. The North, Northeast, and Central-West regions showed increasing trends, whereas the Southeast showed a decreasing trend. Age-period-cohort analysis suggested declining mortality in younger and intermediate age groups and possible attenuation of cohort effects in more recent generations. CONCLUSION Melanoma mortality in Brazil remained stable overall, but with marked age, social, and regional inequalities. These findings support regionally tailored prevention, early diagnosis, improved health information quality, and equitable access to specialized oncologic care.

Trends in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Mongolia, 2014–2024: a population-based analysis of pandemic-related disruptions

Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in Mongolia, where screening coverage is estimated at approximately 38%, well below recommended levels, and access to timely diagnosis varies. This study examined temporal trends in incidence and mortality and assessed the impact of COVID-19–related disruptions on cancer detection. A nationwide population-based study was conducted using data from Mongolia’s national health information system (H-Info). All cervical cancer cases (ICD-10: C53.0-C53.9) and related deaths from 2014 to 2024 were included. Age-standardized incidence (ASIR) and mortality rates (ASMR) were calculated using the WHO world standard population as reference. Temporal trends were analyzed using log-linear and segmented regression models. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) was used as an ecological indicator of population-level cancer outcomes. A total of 3,990 cases and 1,370 deaths were identified. Incidence increased between 2014 and 2016, declined thereafter, and dropped sharply during 2020–2022 (APC −29.4%), before rebounding in 2023–2024. In contrast, mortality declined gradually over the study period. MIR increased during the pandemic and declined following service recovery. Cervical cancer incidence in Mongolia is highly sensitive to disruptions in screening and diagnostic services. Divergent trends between incidence and mortality likely reflect reduced detection during the pandemic rather than true changes in disease burden. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining continuity of cancer screening and diagnostic services during health-system disruptions.

Oral cancer burden and mortality in India: a GLOBOCAN 2022 analysis with regional comparison

Background: India bears a disproportionate burden of oral cancer globally. We aimed to provide an updated epidemiological assessment of oral cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence in India using GLOBOCAN 2022 data, contextualised within the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEARO). Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional analysis was done using GLOBOCAN 2022 data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. India was compared with other SEARO countries and temporal trends (1992–2017) were analysed using cancer in five continents data and Indian National Cancer Registry Programme data. Age-standardised rates (ASRs) were calculated per 100,000 population using the World Standard Population and 5-year prevalence and cumulative lifetime risk before age 75 were estimated. Results: In 2022, India reported 143,759 new oral cancer cases (10.2% of all cancers) with an ASR of 10.1 per 100,000 population. Males accounted for 75% of cases (ASR: 15.6 versus 5.0 per 100,000 in females). India recorded 79,979 deaths (8.7% of all cancer deaths) with mortality ASR of 6.4 per 100,000. The cumulative lifetime risk was 1.1%. India accounted for 81% of SEARO’s oral cancer burden despite representing 68% of the population. India’s incidence rates were 33% higher than the regional average (10.1 versus 7.5 per 100,000). Long-term trends (1992–2017) showed stabilising ASRs but increasing absolute numbers due to population growth. Tobacco and areca nut use account for approximately 70%–80% of cases. Conclusion: India has the highest oral cancer incidence globally, with persistent age and gender disparities. The disproportionate burden relative to population size reflects entrenched behavioural risk factors and systemic gaps in prevention, screening and treat-ment. Urgent priorities include enhanced tobacco control legislation, targeted risk-based screening expansion and leveraging digital health innovations to reduce oral cancer morbidity and mortality.