Epidemiological and sociodemographic profile of non-melanoma skin cancer in a state of the Brazilian Amazon

Objective: to analyze the epidemiological and sociodemographic profile of non-melanoma skin cancer in the state of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon. Materials and Methods: the methodological design followed the characteristics of a cross-sectional and descriptive study, based on the raw data produced and sectorized, according to the methodological model recommended by Paraguassú-Chaves et al [15]. We used a semi-structured instrument developed by Paraguassú-Chaves et al [16], composed of 2 blocks of factors and their equivalent variables. Block I - Variables: sex; age group; ethnicity / color; Education Level; work activity; Marital status; family history of cancer; alcoholism and smoking; place of birth and origin of the municipality; exposure to solar radiation. Block II - Variables: type of tumor; entry clinic; diagnosis time and 1st treatment; type of 1st treatment; patient's situation after the first treatment; cancer death. The research project is in line with Resolution No. 196/96 of the National Health Council of Brazil. Results: The patients diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in this study have the following sociodemographic characteristics: the male gender with 52.9% “versus” 355 new 47.1% in women represents the highest proportion of new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer; incidence rates increased rapidly after age 30, for both women and men; non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed in brown women 64.3% and brown men 65.9%, are the most frequent; the level of education is very low; men and women working in agriculture represent 67.7% of the cases diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer, followed by those occupying professions in commerce, transport and other occupations with 30.5%; prevails in married patients, with an average of 69.9%; 27.9% of women with cancer have a family history of cancer and 24.6% of men link cancer to a family history of cancer; alcoholism is not a determining factor for non-melanoma skin cancer and the relative frequency of smokers is less than 10%; 5 (five) States are responsible for 67.6% of all new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 58.8% of new cases are concentrated in only 5 (five) municipalities in Rondônia. The municipality of Porto Velho alone accounts for 34.3% of new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer; 83% of men and 83% of women are exposed to UVR daily. The epidemiological profile has the following characteristics: basal cell carcinoma (BCC) predominates with 84.2% relative frequency. Squamous cell carcinoma corresponds to 15.8% of the relative frequency. The oncology clinic was responsible for 90.8% of patients with non-melanoma skin cancer. Another entry clinic was the dermatology clinic, where 9.2% of patients entered for diagnosis and treatment. The shortest waiting time between diagnosis and the first treatment was 3 days, the longest waiting time was 10 years and the average elapsed time was 14 months or 1 years and two months. Surgery with 72.5% of cases was the first treatment and therapeutic procedure received by women with non-melanoma skin cancer. In men, other isolated therapeutic procedures prevailed in 38.5% of cases, surgery comes in second place with 22.9%. After the 1st treatment, patients with stable disease account for 67.2%, followed by partial remission with 24.3% and progressing disease with 5.7%. Only 1.4% had complete remission of the disease. 1.8% of women and 4.6% of men diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer died of the disease. Conclusions: The findings of this research reaffirm the public health problem represented by non-melanoma skin cancer in the State of Rondônia, pointing to the urgent need for prevention, diagnosis and early treatment of the disease.