Abstract

BUSTAMANTE A, Luz M; MARIN O, Sara J  and  CARDONA A, Doris. Cancer: second cause of death among the elderly in Medellín, 2002-2006. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.1, pp.17-25. ISSN 0120-386X.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the behavior of lung, stomach, and prostate cancer mortality among the elderly in the city of Medellin from 2002 to 2006. METHODOLOGY: a descriptive study with a secondary information source. The study was conducted based on the analysis of 2809 records of deaths from lung, stomach, and prostate cancer in people over 65 years. The analysis was univariate and bivariate. Additionally, it was accompanied by statistical tests and had a reliability of 95 %. The average and specific mortality rates were calculated per ten thousand elderly individuals. RESULTS: the risk of dying from lung cancer was at its highest value in 2003, with a rate of 20.27; for stomach cancer, the greatest risk was observed in 2002, with 11.88; finally, 2006 was the year with the highest risk for prostate cancer, with 9.35 per ten thousand inhabitants. For the three types of cancer, the average mortality rate over time was 37.1. Thus, cancer is the second leading cause of death after acute myocardial infarction. DISCUSSION: lung, stomach, and prostate cancer pose a risk to the elderly. Moreover, the risk increases as the individuals age. This study contributes to the state of the art of the research on causes of death among the elderly.

Keywords : elderly; lung neoplasms; stomach neoplasms; prostatic neoplasms; mortality.

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