Equity of access to Pap smears: population-based study in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

Incidence and mortality from breast and cervical cancer in a Brazilian town

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the magnitude of changes in the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer (CC) and breast cancer (BC) in Campinas, São Paulo State, between the five-year periods of 1991-1995 and 2010-2014.

METHODS

data on cancer were obtained from the Campinas Population-Based Cancer Registry and data on deaths from the Mortality Information System of the Computing Department of the Unified Health System. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated by the direct method, with the respective 95% confidence intervals. The magnitude of the changes was measured by the rate ratio (rate ratio; 95%CI).

RESULTS

among the periods studied, there was a threefold increase in the detection rate of in situ CC (3.03; 95%CI: 2.64-3.47) and fivefold increase for in situ BC (5.23; 95%CI: 4.98-5.50). The proportion of cases of in situ BC in relation to the total number of cases of BC increased from 3.31% to 11.05%. The incidence rate of invasive CC decreased by 57% (0.43; 95%CI: 0.40-0.47), and the incidence rate of invasive BC increased by 40% (1.40; 95%CI: 1.33-1.47). The mortality rate of the CC decreased by 58% (0.42; 95%CI: 0.32-0.56), and that of BC by 15% (0.85; 95%CI: 0.82-0.89).

CONCLUSION

the incidence of in situ carcinomas of CC and BC increased in almost two decades. The rate of invasive carcinoma of CC decreased, and that of BC increased. Mortality from both cancers decreased. Observing these changes is useful for assessing the impact of the actions carried out in the period and for planning future actions.

Tracking of cellular atypes of the cut of uterus of women in Primary Care

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the screening for cervical cell atypias in women assisted in Primary Care.

METHODS

quantitative, retrospective and cross-sectional study, with analysis of 190 medical records of women who had atypical results from the cervical cytopathological exam collection from 2012 to 2014.

RESULTS

the most frequent atypias found were possibly Non-neoplastic squamous (ASC-US, 57.4%) and Low-grade intraepithelial lesion (LSIL, 23.2%). The time elapsed between the exam and the result was 24 days. The professional's conduct after the result of the last cervical cytopathology was adequate for 51.1% of women.

CONCLUSIONS

there is a need to improve the cervical cancer screening program and correctly target the atypia identified, aiming at the access of the target population for the diagnostic investigation and treatment of precursor lesions of cervical cancer.

Utilization of the Brazilian public health system by privately insured individuals: a literature review

More than one in four Brazilians have private health insurance (PHI), even thought it covers mostly the same procedures as the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). This literature review included articles and monographs published since 1990 about the utilization of SUS by privately insured individuals. Considering outpatient care and hospitalization, privately insured people in Brazil use SUS in approximately 13% of the times they receive health care, and approximately 7% of people receiving care paid by SUS are privately insured; these findings vary depending on the type of service studied and on study methods. Utilization of SUS is more frequent in less developed regions, by people with more restricted PHI plans and by people with worse health status. Privately insured people report the limitations of PHI plans as their reasons for resorting to SUS. Sometimes, beneficiaries of PHI plans owned by nonprofit hospitals (which also provide health care financed by SUS) have easier access to care than uninsured people financed by SUS. Anecdotally, privately insured people are satisfied with SUS, but not to the point of adopting SUS as their preferred source of care. In short, for privately insured people, SUS only plays a secondary role in their health care. Despite PHI taking over part of the SUS's health care demand, PHI represents a restriction of the universal, equitable character of the SUS.

Differential Impact of Education Level, Occupation and Marital Status on Performance of the Papanicolaou Test among Women from Various Regions in Brazil

Background: In Brazil, little is known regarding the underlying causes of differences among populations regarding socio-economic variables that affect women’s cervical cancer screening behavior. The present study focused on socio-economic variables that affect women’s performance of the Papanicolaou test, comparing two distinct Brazilian populations. Methods: We collected data regarding performance of the Papanicolaou test and socio-economic variables from 559 women in Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), in the Central East region, and 338 women in Paraíba (PB), in the Northeast region of Brazil. Nominal logistic regression modeling was performed to identify independent variables for both groups of data. Results: Of the women interviewed from MS and PB, 116 out of 599 (19.37%) and 94 out of 338 (27.81%), respectively, had not performed the Papanicolaou test within the last three years (p = 0.025). Low educational level characterized 570 (95.16%) and 203 (60.06%) of women from MS and PB, respectively (p = 0.000). Women in PB who had a low educational level and were unemployed had a 2.96-fold (OR = 0.338; 95% CI: 0.121 - 0.939) and 2.40-fold (OR = 0.416; 95% CI: 0.199 - 0.869) lower chance, respectively, to have performed the Papanicolaou test ≥ three times, or once within the last three years (p = 0.029; p = 0.014). The chance of women in MS who did not live in a stable relationship to have performed the test ≥ three times was 1.79-fold (OR = 0.560; 95% CI: 0.348 – 0.901) lower compared to women who reported a stable relationship (p = 0.039). Conclusions: High educational level, employment, and having a stable interpersonal relationship positively associated with performance of the Papanicolaou test among women in PB and MS. Despite having predominantly a low educational level, women in MS performed the Papanicolaou test more frequently than those in PB.