Mortality from skin cancer in older adults according to latitude, concentration of particulate matter and solar irradiation during 2010-2018, Chile

Introduction. Skin cancer mortality in Chile has increased by 22% in recent years, a significant fact considering that it's a preventable and treatable condition. Among the main known environmental risk factors are environmental toxins due to their oxidizing capacity and the production of reactive oxygen species, and ultraviolet rays with their ability to promote inflammatory, degenerative, and carcinogenic phenomena. Materials and Methods. An observational, descriptive, ecological, and longitudinal design was used. The crude mortality from skin cancers during the period 2010-2018 in people over 65 years old in Chile was obtained and compared with geographical latitude, particulate matter concentration, and solar radiation index. Results. A total of 2.847 deaths were recorded. The highest mortality was observed in the central-northern regions of the country. A significant increase in particulate matter concentrations was observed in the southern part of the country, and it tends to have an inverse relationship with mortality. Discussion. The study and detection of risk factors are fundamental pillars in the development of prevention strategies, especially for diseases with high mortality but high cure rates and low economic costs when diagnosed at early stages.