Child and youth cancer: profile of deaths
Keywords:
Neoplasms, Child, Adolescent, Mortality, Pediatric Nursing.Abstract
This study is aimed at characterizing the deaths caused by malignant neoplasias in children and adolescents living in the state of Paraná, Brazil between 2001 and 2010. It is a quantitative, descriptive, transversal study, based on secondary data, obtained through the data processing department of the Sistema Único de Saúde from July to December, 2012. The following variables were analyzed: gender, age, race and city of residence. As a measure of association, odds ratio was used, confirmed by the χ2. The leukemia, central nervous system neoplasias and lymphomas, female gender and white race were highlight topics. Teens had about three times greater chance of dying of cancer compared to children. The child and youth neoplasia deserves special attention on the condition of vulnerability of this group, and further studies are needed to assess the association with possible risk factors.