Epidemiological trends of malignant brain neoplasm in Paraíba: an analysis of the evolution of hospitalizations and mortality from 2014 to 2024 (DATASUS)

Introduction: Brain neoplasia includes tumors that originate in the brain or metastasize there from cancers in other parts of the body. Despite its low incidence, mortality rates are high, with only one-third of patients surviving more than 5 years. No significant risk factors have been identified, making further studies necessary to improve prevention and diagnosis.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the epidemiological trends of brain neoplasia in Paraíba compared to the rest of Brazil.

Method: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted, evaluating hospitalizations for malignant brain neoplasia in Paraíba and Brazil from 2014 to June 2024. Variables considered included race/ethnicity, sex, age group, type of care, care regime, and year. Data were obtained from the Hospital Information System (SIH) of DATASUS.

Results: From 2014 to 2024, there were 5,655,757 hospitalizations for malignant brain neoplasia in Paraíba. The majority of patients were mixed race (77.40%), followed by white (11.22%) and black (0.77%), with 6.22% having no information on race. Female patients accounted for 51.38% of hospitalizations, and male patients accounted for 48.52%. Prevalence increased significantly after the age of 50 (58.04% of cases), with 13.10% in those up to 19 years old and 28.85% in those aged 20 to 49 years. Most hospitalizations were elective (53.42%), and despite 96.28% of care regimes being unspecified, the majority of declared regimes were private (2%), followed by public (1.7%). There was a constant increase in cases, with 1.30% occurring in 2014 and a peak of 21.11% in 2023.

Conclusion: The study revealed important epidemiological data on hospitalizations for malignant brain neoplasms in Paraíba, highlighting the predominance of elective admissions, mixed-race patients, and female patients. There was a higher incidence in people over 50 years old and a significant increase in cases from 2014 to 2023. These findings underscore the need for further studies to better understand the factors associated with brain neoplasia and improve prevention and diagnosis strategies.

Corresponding author: Letícia Bezerra de Almeida (e-mail: leticiabezerradealmeida@hotmail.com).