Background: Breast cancer is currently a public health problem for developing countries, so setting priorities for control should be based on timely, accurate and comparable epidemiological information.
Aim: To determine the trend in the incidence and mortality of breast cancer in Venezuela for the period 1990-2010 and estimate the incidence and mortality in 2014.
Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study on the behavior of incidence and mortality from breast cancer. The data come from the National Register of Cancer and Mortality Yearbook Ministry of Health. A generalized linear model with Poisson regression was adjusted to determine the trend and to estimate the number of cases and deaths for the years 2011-2014.
Results: Breast cancer incidence increased from 1560 cases in 1990 to 4073 cases in 2010, an annual increase of almost two points (99% Confidence Interval). Breast Cancer killed 1697 women in 2010 of who almost half were below 50 years. In general, one in six cancer deaths in Venezuelan women correspond to breast cancer. We projected 4854 cases and 2068 deaths in 2014.
Conclusions: The incidence and mortality of breast cancer in Venezuela is increasing. More policy attention is required to strengthen established health-system responses to reduce breast cancer. However, further analytical epidemiological research is needed to identify the potential risk factors involved in the increase in the prevalence of breast cancer among Venezuelan women. These data will allow the correct design and implementation of a breast cancer control program in our country.