PERFIL SOCIODEMOGRÁFICO E ESTADIAMENTO DE PACIENTES COM CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA EM HOSPITAL DE REFERÊNCIA NO NORDESTE DO BRASIL

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of new cancer cases among men worldwide, representing 14.2% of the total. Regional disparities reflect differences in access to health services, infrastructure and socioeconomic conditions, impacting early diagnosis and adequate treatment. This study aims to analyze the sociodemographic profile and staging of patients with prostate cancer treated at a reference hospital in Northeast Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study analyzing medical records of 933 patients with prostate cancer who underwent radiotherapy at the Ceará Cancer Institute between January 2018 and December 2022. Sociodemographic and clinical data, including age, marital status, education, place of residence, ethnicity /skin color, occupation, alcohol consumption, smoking and disease stage at diagnosis. The majority of patients (47.6%) had it. between 70 and 79 years old, married (75.8%) and had completed primary education (77.2%). The distribution of ethnicity/skin color revealed a predominance of brown patients (86.3%). Regarding consumption habits, 55.1% consumed alcohol and 46.5% were smokers. The study highlights the importance of considering sociodemographic factors when planning prostate cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies. Health policies should focus on reducing regional inequalities and ensuring equitable access to health services to improve health outcomes and reduce prostate cancer mortality.