Trends in Mortality of Anal Cancer in Brazil, 2012-2021

 

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Abstract

Introduction

Anal cancer accounts for 2% of malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, and squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histology. Its incidence and mortality have risen over the past four decades in different countries, concomitant with the increase in human papillomavirus (HPV) infection rates. Our objective was to analyze the trends in anal cancer mortality rates in Brazil from 2012 to 2021, with a focus on gender and age.

Methods

This descriptive study of anal cancer deaths (ICD-10 code C21) in Brazil utilized data from the Mortality Information System of the Unified Health System (DATASUS)

Results

From 2012 to 2021, the number of deaths from anal cancer was higher among women, and the number of anal cancer mortality rates increased in both sexes. Additionally, the average annual percent change (AAPC) in anal cancer mortality rates was higher in males than females across all age groups except for ages 30-39. In individuals aged 40 and over, the AAPC of anal cancer mortality rates increased progressively with age in males, while in females it remained stable across different age groups. As a result, the ratio between the female and male mortality rate decreased from 1.88 (2012-2016) to 1.41 (2017-2021), reaching its lowest value of 1.14 in 2021.

Conclusion

Despite its rarity, anal cancer warrants recognition due to its rising mortality rates. Initially, women experienced significantly higher mortality rates from anal cancer, but recent trends show a rapid increase among men, resulting in comparable mortality rates between genders by 2021.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization: Camila Rafaela Lazaretti and Gilmara Coelho Meine

Methodology: Camila Rafaela Lazaretti and Gilmara Coelho Meine

Investigation: Camila Rafaela Lazaretti and Gilmara Coelho Meine

Writing – original draft: Camila Rafaela Lazaretti and Gilmara Coelho Meine

Writing – review & editing: Gilmara Coelho Meine

Supervision: Gilmara Coelho Meine

Ethics Committee Approval

An ethics committee approval was not needed as our study uses anonymized, publicly available secondary data from the Mortality Information System of the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), ensuring no risk to individual privacy or confidentiality.

Publication History

Received: 11 August 2024

Accepted: 21 March 2025

Article published online:
26 June 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua Rego Freitas, 175, loja 1, República, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01220-010, Brazil

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