Self-reported cancer in Brazil: data from the National Health Survey, 2013 and 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/s15188787.2026060007291Keywords:
Cancer, Prevalence, Health SurveysAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of self-reported cancer history in Brazil, describe the sociodemographic profile, identify the most common cancer types, and assess whether the condition limits individuals’ usual activities. METHODS: Descriptive study based on data from the Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS), conducted in 2013 and 2019. Data were obtained from the individual questionnaire, answered by a selected resident aged 18 or older. Self-reported cancer was defined by an affirmative response to the question: “Has a doctor ever given you a cancer diagnosis?” and the type of cancer was identified by the question: “At the time of your first cancer diagnosis, what type of cancer do/did you have?” Prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Analyses were performed using the R survey package (version 4.5.0), including the calibration process. RESULTS: In Brazil, 1.8% of individuals aged 18 or older (2.7 million adults) in 2013 and 2.4% (4.0 million adults) in 2019 reported having received a cancer diagnosis. The prevalence of self-reported cancer was higher among women in both years. Among men, prostate cancer was the most frequently reported, while among women, breast cancer was the most common in both periods. The average age at first cancer diagnosis was 51.8 years in 2013 and 50.5 years in 2019. Lung cancer was cited as the type that most limited individuals’ usual activities in both survey years. CONCLUSIONS: The PNS findings reveal a significant increase in the self-reported prevalence of cancer in Brazil. This growth may reflect advances in detection, greater public awareness, or changes in disease incidence. Despite the limitations inherent to the use of self-reported data, the representativeness of the sample allows for important generalizations to the Brazilian adult population.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Beatriz Machado de Almeida, Matheus Souza Ferreira, Gizelton Pereira Alencar, Tatiana Natasha Toporcov, Zilda Pereira da Silva
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