Occupational Cancer Notifications and Their Impact During the COVID-19 Pandemic
摘要
Cancer notifications are tools used by health professionals to enable early detection of the disease, based on the premise of greater chances of cure, survival, quality of life, and more effective treatment. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, work-related cancer notifications experienced a signifi- cant impact that altered the health-disease process of individuals. The objective of this study is to evaluate the historical series of work-related cancer notifications between the years 2015 and 2020 and to relate the data found to determine if there was an impact on notifications in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data investigated from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, Database regarding Work-Related Cancer Notifications filled between the years 2015 and 2020. Agricultural, forestry, and fishing workers, as well as service workers, salespeople in stores, and market vendors, were the most reported. There was a high incidence of skin cancer and a significant drop of more than 30% in notifications during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, a high rate of underreporting was evident. The underreporting demonstrates the professionals’ fragility in knowledge about the topic and the importance of notification. Cancer impacts the lives of workers, highlighting the need for discussions on Public Policies that improve working conditions and support individuals in prevention, promotion, and rehabilitation.