Clusters of high-risk, low-risk, and temporal trends of breast and cervical cancer-related mortality in São Paulo, Brazil, during 2000-2016

Abstract

Purpose: Studying breast and cervical cancers in space and time and verifying divergences of different territorially established socioeconomic profiles.

Methods: Ecological study using spatial scanning (with socioeconomic characterization), space-time, and spatial variation of temporal trends, in order to identify significant clusters of high- and low-risk or temporal trends, of deaths from breast cancer and cervical cancer, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, during 2000-2016.

Results: High-risk spatial clusters were identified in the central areas, and low-risk clusters were identified in the peripheral areas, which were associated with better and worse socioeconomic conditions, respectively. As for cervical cancer, the pattern was the opposite. High-risk space-time clusters occurred in the early years of the study, whereas low-risk clusters occurred in the most recent years. For breast cancer, the central areas showed a temporal trend of decreasing mortality and the peripheral areas showed an increasing trend. While for cervical cancer, in general, the temporal trend was for the identified clusters to fall.

Conclusions: It is expected that this study will provide insights for the formulation of public policies to implement prevention and control measures, in order to reduce mortality and inequalities related to breast and cervical cancers.

Keywords: Breast neoplasms; Cluster analysis; Social conditions; Uterine cervical neoplasms.