Spatial analysis of the incidence of breast cancer in women in Brazil in the 2018-2019 biennium and related indicators

The scope of this paper was to analyze the spatial distribution of breast cancer incidence in Brazil and its correlation with behavioral, sociodemographic/coverage, and breast cancer control indicators in 2018/2019. This ecological study with a territorial basis utilized data on women across Brazilian states and the Federal District. The dependent variable was standardized breast cancer incidence. Spatial dependence was based on the global and local Moran indices. The standardized breast cancer incidence was 51.3 per 100,000 women/year. Local Moran indices revealed a positive spatial correlation (values>0) between incidence and the aging index (I = 0.63; p = 0.004), human development index (I = 0.53; p = 0.006), health plan coverage (I = 0.57; p = 0.004), and screening rates (I = 0.58; p = 0.002). Negative correlations (values < 0) were found for the proportion of sedentary women (I = -0.45; p = 0.015) and mammogram deficits per year (I = -0.56; p = 0.002). Generally, clusters were predominantly identified in states from the Southeast and North regions. The conclusion drawn is that breast cancer is correlated with sociodemographic/coverage indicators, suggesting that its incidence remains higher in Brazilian states with better diagnostic access, such as those in the Southeast.

Key words:
Breast neoplasms; Women’s health; Incidence; Spatial analysis; Ecological studies