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Ethnic disparities in breast cancer patterns in Brazil: examining findings from population-based registries

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality rates among specific racial groups in Brazil.

Methods

BC incidence was evaluated from 2010 to 2015, using Brazilian Population-Based Cancer Registries, incorporating crude ratios and annual average percentage change (AAPC). Clinical and sociodemographic data from 2000 to 2019 were obtained from Hospital-Based Cancer Registries. Mortality data from 2000 to 2020 were sourced from the National Mortality Information System, comparing White women and Black women.

Results

Across 13 Brazilian registries, 70,896 new BC cases were reported from 2010 to 2015. The median BC incidence rate was notably higher for White women (101.3 per 100,000) compared to Black women (59.7 per 100,000). In the general population, non-significant decrease in annual BC incidence was observed (AAPC = − 1.2; p = 0.474). Black women were more likely to live in underdeveloped areas, have lower education levels, live without a partner, and have higher alcohol consumption as compared to White women. A higher proportion of Black women received advanced-stage diagnoses (60.1% versus 50.6%, p < 0.001). BC-related mortality analysis showed 271,002 recorded deaths, with significant increase in BC-specific mortality rates in both racial groups. Black women displayed an AAPC of 2.3% (p < 0.001), while White women demonstrated a moderately elevated AAPC of 0.6% (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study underscores the need for targeted policies to address disparities in access to early detection and proper treatment, particularly for Black women in underprivileged regions, aiming to improve the survival rates of Brazilian women grappling with BC.

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Data availability

The datasets used in this study are openly accessible and can be found at the subsequent sources. For data concerning the incidence, please visit https://www.inca.gov.br/BasePopIncidencias/Home.action. For data regarding clinical and sociodemographic, please refer to https://irhc.inca.gov.br/RHCNet/. Lastly, data related to mortality is available at http://tabnet.datasus.gov.br/cgi/deftohtm.exe?sim/cnv/obt10uf.def.

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Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to the public data source in Brazil for their invaluable contribution in supplying the comprehensive dataset utilized in this research endeavor. It is important to emphasize that the authors bear full responsibility for the content presented in this publication, and any viewpoints or opinions expressed herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed as official stances endorsed by governmental authorities.

Funding

The authors declare that this study has received no financial support for this paper.

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Author notes

  1. Jessé Lopes da Silva and Lucas Zanetti de Albuquerque have contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Clinical Research and Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), 37 Andre Cavalcanti Street, 5 Floor, Annex Building, Rio de Janeiro, 20231050, Brazil

    Jessé Lopes da Silva, Lucas Zanetti de Albuquerque, Mariana Espírito Santo Rodrigues, Luiz Claudio Santos Thuler & Andréia Cristina de Melo

Authors
  1. Jessé Lopes da Silva
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  2. Lucas Zanetti de Albuquerque
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  3. Mariana Espírito Santo Rodrigues
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  4. Luiz Claudio Santos Thuler
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  5. Andréia Cristina de Melo
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Jessé Lopes da Silva, Lucas Zanetti de Albuquerque, Mariana Espírito Santo rodrigues, Luiz Claudio Santos Thuler and Andréia Cristina de Melo. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Jessé Lopes da Silva and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessé Lopes da Silva.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest related to this paper.

Ethical approval

This is a retrospective observational study performed with openly accessible datasets and so no ethical approval is required.

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da Silva, J.L., de Albuquerque, L.Z., Rodrigues, M.E.S. et al. Ethnic disparities in breast cancer patterns in Brazil: examining findings from population-based registries. Breast Cancer Res Treat (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-024-07314-w

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