CERVICAL CANCER MORTALITY IN BRAZIL: TRENDS IN DEATHS AND DISTRIBUTION BY AGE GROUP, EDUCATION AND RACE/COLOR, 2016-2025

Abstract

Objective: to analyze temporal change and the sociodemographic distribution of cervical cancer deaths in Brazil from 2016 to 2025. Methods: an ecological, descriptive, retrospective study based on tables from the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM), covering ICD-10 category C53 and organized by year, age group, education, and race/color. Absolute frequencies, proportions, and percentage changes were calculated. Results: 67,649 deaths were recorded. The annual number rose by 26.2%, from 5,847 in 2016 to 7,377 in 2025, peaking at 7,493 in 2024. Women aged 40-69 accounted for 60.7% of deaths, with the largest share at ages 50-59 (21.0%). Among records with known education, 64.4% concerned women with up to seven years of schooling. Brown and Black categories represented 56.3% of all deaths and 57.6% of records with known race/color. Conclusion: the rise in absolute numbers and the concentration among middle-aged, older, and socially vulnerable groups reinforce the need for HPV vaccination, organized screening, timely follow-up, and equitable access to diagnosis and treatment. The absence of population denominators prevents inferences about risk.