Epidemiological profile of central nervous system neoplasms in the last decade

Background: The epidemiological profile is one of the fundamental pillars of public health as it offers a detailed view of the health condition of a population. It is observed that central nervous system neoplasms have gained prominence as an area of significant epidemiological studies in the field of neuro-oncology. These neoplasms include a wide range of tumors, from benign to highly malignant, and their differentiation is crucial for choosing the therapeutic approach and prognosis, considering that they can cause irreversible or even fatal neurological damage. The causes of these tumors are diverse, with age, sex, race, epidemiological factors, and lifestyle habits being the main modulators for the development of neoplasms. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with central nervous system neoplasms. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective, observational, and quantitative study was conducted through the statistical analysis of data on malignant and benign neoplasms of the brain and other parts of the central nervous system obtained from DATASUS - Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System, with the variables "sex," "age group," and "race," from January 2014 to January 2024. Results: Patients in the age group of 30 to 59 years resulted in 70,736 hospitalizations for malignant neoplasms and 14,126 for benign neoplasms. In the age group of 1 to 29 years, there were 49,386 hospitalizations for malignant neoplasms and 5,500 for benign neoplasms. Additionally, in the age group over 60 years, malignant neoplasms accounted for 55,527 hospitalizations, while benign neoplasms totaled 7,528 hospitalizations. Analyzing the variable: sex, it was observed that malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system are more prevalent in men 92,045 (52.05%) than in women 84,794 (47.95%). Conversely, benign neoplasms were more prevalent in women 14,939 (54.55%) than in men 12,445 (45.45%). Regarding race, the results showed a predominance in whites 77,103 (51.94%), followed by browns 63,640 (42.87%) in malignant neoplasms, while in benign neoplasms, the values obtained were, respectively, 12,963 (58.43%) and 8,300 (37.41%) in the brown and white races. Conclusion: The epidemiological profile is not merely an expression of data but a facilitator for understanding, planning, and implementing effective public health policies. The present study showed that the age group of 30 to 59 years is the most affected by central nervous system neoplasms, while malignant neoplasms affect males more and benign neoplasms affect females more. Similarly, an inversion was observed concerning race, with whites having a predominance of malignant neoplasms, while in benign neoplasms, the predominance occurs in browns. In light of this scenario, attention should be paid to these variables for both early diagnosis and effective therapeutic implementation.