Colorectal cancer: analysis of morbidity and mortality in Brazil and Goiás over a five-year period

Abstract

Objective: To analyze colorectal cancer (CRC) morbidity and mortality in Brazil and Goiás between 2020 and 2024. Methods: Observational, descriptive, and retrospective epidemiological study with a quantitative approach, using data from the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System. Cases and deaths, sex, age group, time to treatment initiation, and clinical staging were analyzed using absolute and relative frequencies. Results: During the period, 205,768 cases and 88,610 deaths from CRC were recorded in Brazil, and 5,099 cases and 2,757 deaths in Goiás, with a peak in 2023. Cases predominated in women, and in Goiás, deaths were more frequent in men. Diagnoses prevailed in individuals over 50 years of age, although increasing morbidity in young adults was observed. More than one-quarter of patients began treatment more than 60 days after diagnosis, and most were identified at advanced stages (III and IV). Conclusion: CRC remains an important public health issue, requiring expanded surveillance, early detection, and timely treatment, in line with the new guideline from the Ministry of Health, which proposes updating the national protocol and structuring a screening plan capable of reducing morbidity and mortality and improving care.