ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS FOR PENILE CANCER IN THE MALE POPULATION IN MARANHÃO

Introduction: Penile cancer represents only 2% of all types of cancer that affect men in Brazil, but the reality is different in the state of Maranhão. The state has one of the highest numbers of cases in the country and in the world: 6.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This makes penile cancer a public health issue. Objective: To highlight the main risk factors for penile cancer according to the literature in the male population of Maranhão. Method: This is an ecological time series study with data collection from the National Cancer Institute, SUS Department of Informatics and TABNET/DATASUS. According to the 2010 census, Maranhão has a population of 1,014,837 inhabitants and was chosen for its high number of cases and mortality. The search was carried out in August 2022, covering the time interval from 2013 to 2019. The criteria selected for the search were: “penis cancer”, “Maranhão”, “mortality”, “2013 to 2019”. Result: In 2014, a study was developed that determined the low educational index, that is, schooling up to elementary school, as a risk factor since it was reported that individuals with this level of education said they had never heard about penile cancer before, and another study showed that, in the same year, 40% of penile cancer deaths occurred in individuals with no schooling. In addition, according to a study carried out in 2013, poor intimate hygiene, which is closely associated with socioeconomic factors, is responsible for 35% of penile cancer cases. Finally, a study carried out in 2013 linked HPV as the causal agent of almost 100% of cancer cases and, in Maranhão, among 289,191 girls aged 9 to 12 years in 2015, only 200 (0.07 %) had been received all doses of the vaccine. These risk factors lead to proof of the mortality rate, which varies between 26.7% and 41% for a cancer that, if diagnosed in stages 1 and 2, has a 5-year survival in 85% of cases. Conclusion: Maranhão is pioneer among the Brazilian states in penis amputation caused by cancer, a reality that can be changed through public policies to reduce social and economic disparities, as well as educational actions aimed at interfering with risk factors and consequently, reduce the number of penile cancer cases and mortality in the state of Maranhão.