Sociodemographic profile of elderly patients with cancer in a tertiary care service of SUS

• Author(s): Pacagnella,Ana Beatriz Bortolansa ; Santana,Emmily Daiane Buarque De ; Gome,Manoella de Macedo ; Fattori,André ; Guariento,Maria Elena
• Date: 2014
• Origin: Oasisbr
• Subject(s): Aged, neoplasms, therapeutics, clinical evolution, social class.
• Document Type: Journal article
• Language: English

Description

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the association between social status and access to the cancer treatment of elderly patients with cancer.
METHODS: This study evaluated some sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, HDI, the distance between hometown and Campinas) of elderly patients with cancer who were assisted in three units of Unicamp Hospital Complex (Campinas, SP), in order to profile this class of disease in the region, and to evaluate, indirectly, the quality of the assistance offered to them. The sociodemographic data were compared with the period between the first appointment at Unicamp and the beginning of the treatment. The elderly's registers were analyzed, both sexes, with a diagnosis of cancer, assisted at Gastrocentro, Hemocentro, or Unicamp Clinical Hospital, between January 2000 and July 2010. The data came from the Service of Statistics of the Cancer linked to the São Paulo Oncocentro Foundation.
RESULTS: Of all the 5,891 evaluated registers, 66.3% were men; 48.8% had between 60 and 69 years old; 67.1% came from cities situated lesser than 51 km from Campinas; 65.3% came from cities with HDI between 0.707 and 0.740. HDI (p = 0,003) and distance between hometown and Campinas (p = 0,019) had shown an association with the period between the first appointment and the beginning of the treatment.
CONCLUSION: This study showed the relevance of social factors in the access to the cancer treatment in elderly people.