Caracterização epidemiológica do câncer de pele em população idosa brasileira

INTRODUCTION: Skin cancer is the most common type, accounting for 30% of malignant tumors, and its primary cause is sun exposure. The Brazilian Society of Dermatology states that skin diseases are common, affecting up to half of the population, with the elderly being more prone. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological characterization of Skin Cancer in the elderly population over the past 5 years. METHODS: Systematic Review study without meta-analysis designed according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) from the most robust and reliable health sciences literature databases for these types of studies: PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), and Latin American and Caribbean Literature (LILACS) registered on the PROSPERO platform. RESULTS: There were 12,712 deaths from melanoma in the elderly in Brazil, with increased mortality especially among men. Poorer survival rates were associated with thicker tumors and male sex. The prevalence of not using sunscreen was 38.2%, related to factors such as male sex and lower income. In Cascavel, 681 cases of skin cancer were recorded among rural workers. An increase in early melanoma diagnoses was observed in Blumenau. CONCLUSION: Mortality from skin cancer has shown a significant increasing trend in the elderly population, especially among men. Sun exposure, particularly due to prevalent occupations in this age group, plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of this disease.