Abstract

DOMINGUEZ ALONSO, Emma; SEUC JO, Armando H.; GALAN ALVAREZ, Yaima  and  TUERO IGLESIAS, Ángela. Burden of gynecological cancer in Cuba. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2009, vol.35, n.3. ISSN 0864-3466.

Objectives To describe the comprehensive burden associated to gynecological cancer locations such as breast, uterine neck, endometrium and ovary for Cuba, its provinces and special municipality Isla de la Juventud during 1990,1995,2000 and 2002. Methods The disability-adjusted life year indicator, taken as the sum of potential years of life lost from mortality and the potential years of life lost from morbidity. The former was calculated on the basis of life expectancy estimates and the latter on the basis of severity, incidence and average duration of disease. Results The breast cancer consistently exhibited the highest burden caused by mortality and morbidity in the four studied years for the whole country. The potential years of life lost (PYLL) from premature death by location were on the rise in the four years for the four gynecological locations. Uterine cancer was responsible for deaths at younger ages. Except for endometrium, the rest of locations increased morbidity burden from 1990 to 2002. The comprehensive burden increased from 3.58 to 4.54; 1.62 to 2.42; 1.72 to 2.03 and 0.86 to 0.88 per 1 000 for breast, uterine neck, endometrium and ovary respectively. There were some differences among the provinces; it is worth to underline the highest comprehensive burden found in Ciudad de la Habana due to breast cancer (6.72 per 1000) and in Camagüey province and the rest of Eastern provinces due to uterine neck cancer. Conclusions Mortality and morbidity were both involved in the unfavorable development of the gynecological cancer burden in the studied years in Cuba.

Keywords : Premature mortality; morbidity; disability-adjusted life years,cancer; Cuba.

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