ELDERLY PEOPLE´S HOSPITALIZATION DUE TO CANCER IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN PARAÍBA, BRAZIL

Abstract

Current analysis evaluates the frequency of hospitalizations of the elderly due to cancer, in the National Health Service in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, between 2008 and 2013, and verifies the disease´s loci and mortality in hospital. A descriptive and retrospective analysis was conducted on the hospitalization of elderly people with cancer as the main cause for their hospitalization between January 2008 and January 2013 by SUS. Registers were obtained from Datasus-Net of the Ministry of Health derived from the System of Hospital Information (SIH) and Information System on Mortality (SIM). The number of cases amounted to 10,739, or rather, 25.4% of hospitalization for cancer in all age brackets. Cancer diagnose frequency was 4.5% out of the total number of hospitalization of elderly people during the same period, for all CID-10 categories. Hospitalizations of elderly males for cancer reached 51.7%, with most cases occurring between 60 and 69 years old. Most frequent sites were prostate, breast and cervical colon. Results showed 1,448 deaths (13.5% of cancer cases), with highest mortality rate for prostate cancer. Results revealed a lower prevalence of hospital hospitalizations in the elderly people of Paraíbaby cancer when compared to that in other Brazilian states. However, they make up a significant percentage with regard to total number of hospitalizations for cancer in the state, with a higher frequency in prostate, breast and colon cancer, with high mortality rates.