Incidence and mortality from breast and cervical cancer in a Brazilian town

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the magnitude of changes in the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer (CC) and breast cancer (BC) in Campinas, São Paulo State, between the five-year periods of 1991–1995 and 2010–2014. METHODS: data on cancer were obtained from the Campinas Population-Based Cancer Registry and data on deaths from the Mortality Information System of the Computing Department of the Unified Health System. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated by the direct method, with the respective 95% confidence intervals. The magnitude of the changes was measured by the rate ratio (rate ratio; 95%CI). RESULTS: among the periods studied, there was a threefold increase in the detection rate of in situ CC (3.03; 95%CI: 2.64–3.47) and fivefold increase for in situ BC (5.23; 95%CI: 4.98–5.50). The proportion of cases of in situ BC in relation to the total number of cases of BC increased from 3.31% to 11.05%. The incidence rate of invasive CC decreased by 57% (0.43; 95%CI: 0.40–0.47), and the incidence rate of invasive BC increased by 40% (1.40; 95%CI: 1.33–1.47). The mortality rate of the CC decreased by 58% (0.42; 95%CI: 0.32–0.56), and that of BC by 15% (0.85; 95%CI: 0.82–0.89). CONCLUSION: the incidence of in situ carcinomas of CC and BC increased in almost two decades. The rate of invasive carcinoma of CC decreased, and that of BC increased. Mortality from both cancers decreased. Observing these changes is useful for assessing the impact of the actions carried out in the period and for planning future actions.