Growth in the Brazilian Mortality Rate From Prostate Cancer Between the Years of 2011 and 2021

PURPOSE Compare the Brazilian mortality rate from prostate cancer with the global rate from 2011 to 2021. Propose a possible justification for the difference between Brazilian and global values. METHODS Cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiological study based on data collected from the Brazilian Mortality Atlas Online platform of the National Cancer Institute. The selected variable was the prostate cancer mortality rate in both the Brazilian population and the world population between 2011 and 2021. In addition, a secondary variable was used to verify the number of deaths by age group. RESULTS During the period from 2011 to 2021, Brazil recorded 162,918 deaths from prostate cancer, as well as a standard mortality rate of 14.76. In contrast, the global standard rate during this same period was 12.2, a relevant difference for a developing country. When analyzing mortality rates in detail, it is noted that, in 2011, the Brazilian value was 13.63, while the world value was 12.98. In 2016, the Brazilian rate had increased to 14.87, but the world rate decreased to 12.43. In 2021, the Brazilian value was 15.63, while the global value was 11.19. Furthermore, 43.75% of deaths refer to men aged 80 or over, while 34.20% of total deaths from prostate cancer refer to the age group of 70 to 79 years. CONCLUSION Therefore, the increase in deaths in Brazil due to the primary cause of prostate cancer per 100,000 men stands out, while, worldwide, there is a tendency towards a lower rate. A possible justification is the disparity of social and environmental factors in Brazilian territory, such as unequal access to treatment, indiscriminate use of substances that increase the incidence of cancer (tobacco, alcohol and obesity) and Brazilian conservatism in relation to body care on the part of men. Furthermore, it is important to highlight that, during the last decade, the existing prejudice surrounding the prevention of diseases in the male reproductive system has continued and, consequently, the majority of Brazilians refuse to have routine consultations with a urologist. Consequently, the difficulty of treating and curing prostate cancer increases when this diagnosis occurs at a more advanced stage of life, as the highest percentage of deaths occurs in old age.