How Have Changes in Cancer Mortality Impacted Life Expectancy and Lifespan Disparity? An Analysis by Age, Sex, and Cancer Sites in Brazil (2000–2016)

Marilia Nepomuceno , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Julia Calazans, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Brazil. In the 20thcentury, both the incidence and mortality rates by cancer substantially increased. However, since the turn of the century, improvements in cancer mortality have started, resulting in gains in life expectancy. Although the decline of cancer death rates has already translated in gains in life expectancy, it has been uneven across regions. In less developed regions, cancer mortality is higher and gains in life expectancy have been lower. Regional inequalities in health are well-known in Brazil, but disparities have often monitored through the gap in life expectancies. To date, no study explored regional inequalities in cancer age-at-death. We bring a dimension of inequality in length of life by cancer, through a measure of lifespan variability. Our results show that the uncertainty in the timing of cancer death varies substantially across regions and by sites of cancer in Brazil.

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 Presented in Session 96. Triple Burden of Diseases in the Global South