Epidemiological analysis of malignant neoplasms of the bones and articular cartilage of the limbs in Brazil

Keywords

bone and cartilage neoplasms - epidemiology - cancer

Introduction: Malignant neoplasms of the bones and articular cartilage of the limbs are rare neoplasms, mainly restricted to the long bones, such as the femur, tibia and humerus, as well as the cartilage that forms the joints. These tumors can be divided into primary and secondary, originating from primary metastases in the bones or secondary metastases in other parts of the body. It is worth noting that joint metastases can affect the patient's ability to move, requiring a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach.

Objective: To analyze the rates of malignant neoplasms of the bones and articular cartilage of the limbs by age group in the five regions of the country over half a decade.

Methods: Cross-sectional, retrospective and descriptive study, with data collected from the Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS) of the Department of Information Technology of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Brazilian cases from the International Classification of Diseases 10 - C40: Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs from 2019 to 2023 were analyzed. The study variables were year of medical care, region, age group and gender.

Results: In the period studied, the cancer panel for C40 presented 11,809 cases in the country, with a presence in the five major regions. Among them, two stand out with the highest prevalence, the Southeast (4,083) and the Northeast (3,607), making up 65.12% of the total cases in this period. It is also worth highlighting the focus of neoplasia in the 0-19 age group, with a total of 2,679 cases. In the other age groups, considering a standard interval of five years for analysis, there was little variation in prevalence, with an average of approximately 702 cases; except between 55 and 59 years, where there were more than 1,000 cases of C40. It is worth noting that 2019 was the year with the highest number of cases recorded in the country with 3,031 (25.6%). As for gender, there is a higher prevalence in females with 6,065 cases (51.3%), while males have 5,744 cases (48.7%).

Conclusion: There is a predominance of C40 in the Southeast region, which can be explained by the high geographical density and greater diagnostic power. In addition, the most prevalent age group is 0-19, with a slight predominance of females. Therefore, early diagnosis is extremely important to increase the chances of cure and patient survival, as well as minimizing functional complications.

Corresponding author: Laíssa costa Pessanha (e-mail: [e-mail]).