The Rise in Mortality from Breast Cancer in Young Women: Trend Analysis in Brazil

Introduction Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women. Objective The objective of this study was to analyze time trends in overall mortality from breast cancer in Brazil, Brazilian regions and States. Methods This is an exploratory study, of the time series of deaths from breast cancer contained in the Mortality Information System (SIM), of women living in Brazil, Brazilian regions and States, from 1996 to 2013. For the trend analysis, the polynomial regression model was used, and a significant trend was considered when the estimated model obtained a p value <0.05. Results There was a tendency of increased mortality from breast cancer in Brazilian women (average increase of 0.18 per year; p <0.001), with regional differences, particularly in the age group 20-49 years (0.07 per year; p <0.001). The age group 50-69 years remained constant but had high average rates (37.14). Conclusion More effective planning is needed to focus on the different scenarios of the Brazilian regions. Screening strategies for the incidence and mortality from breast cancer must also be rethought according to age group in the country.