OVERVIEW OF CUTANEOUS MALIGNANT MELANOMA IN THE BRAZILIAN STATES OF BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO: A FOUR-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Malignant melanoma of the skin is an aggressive neoplasm with a high mortality rate. This study aims to present an overview of diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma of the skin in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco between 2020 and 2024. For this purpose, data were extracted from the DataSUS Oncology Panel. The results indicated a significant reduction in melanoma cases in both states, with a decrease of 70% in Pernambuco and 71.5% in Bahia. In addition, it was observed that Bahia presented on average twice as many cases annually as Pernambuco. It was also found that in Pernambuco, women were more frequently diagnosed, while in Bahia, cases were more frequent in men. These differences may indicate inequalities in access and health care. It is therefore concluded that, although underreporting and the Covid-19 pandemic may have caused distortions in the results, in the context of malignant melanoma of the skin, early diagnosis, health education and the implementation of preventive campaigns may have positively impacted the populations of the states surveyed. However, it is necessary to strengthen public policies to prevent melanoma, reduce deaths and improve monitoring of the disease.