Time trends in colorectal cancer incidence in four regions of Latin America: 1983-2012

This study aimed to assess time trends in colorectal cancer incidence from 1983 to 2012 in Latin America. This was an ecological time-series study whose population consisted of individuals aged 20 years or older diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Data from population-based cancer registries in Cali (Colombia), Costa Rica, Goiânia (Brazil), and Quito (Ecuador), were used for rates estimation, while time trends estimations were proceeded by the Joinpoint Regression Program. The study showed an increase in colorectal cancer incidence in men and women in Cali (2.8% and 3.2%, respectively), Costa Rica (3.1% and 2.1%, respectively), and Quito (2.6% and 1.2%, respectively), whereas in Goiânia, only women showed an increase in colorectal cancer rates (3.3%). For colon cancer, we observed an increasing trend in incidence rates in men and women in Cali (3.1% and 2.9%, respectively), Costa Rica (3.9% and 2.8%, respectively), and Quito (2.9% and 1.8%). For rectal cancer, we observed an increasing trend in incidence in men and women in Cali (2.5% and 2.6%, respectively), Costa Rica (2.2% and 1%, respectively), and Goiânia (5.5% and 4.6%, respectively), while in Quito only men showed an upward trend (2.8%). The study found increases in colorectal cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer in four Latin America regions. This findings reflect lifestyle, such as dietary changes, following the economic opening, and the prevalence variations of colorectal cancer risk factors by sex and between the four studied regions. Finally, the different strategies adopted by regions for colorectal cancer diagnosis and screening seem to influence the observed variation between anatomical sites.