Analysis of a decade of skin cancer prevention using a mobile unit in Brazil

For the past 10 years, skin cancer has remained the most frequent malignant neoplasm in Brazil and worldwide. Each year, there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. There will be an estimated 188,000 new cases of skin cancer in Brazil in 2016. The prevention department of Barretos Cancer Hospital (BCH) runs some prevention programs for câncer such as breast, prostate, cervical, oral, colon and skin cancers. The skin cancer prevention program comprises educational activities and medical assistance conducted at the hospital and at a mobile unit (MU). The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of the MU as part of a skin cancer prevention program, 10 years after the implementation of this prevention program, using a mobile unit in remote areas of Brazil. The database of the Barretos Cancer Hospital was used. These data refer to data collected by the BCH Prevention MU. A total of 45,872 patients with suspected skin cancer were evaluated at the MU from 2004 to 2013. From this total, 8,954 surgical procedures (excisions and/or biopsy) were performed. This study demonstrated a significant number of skin câncer cases diagnosed and treated by the MU, showing that the MU positively contributes to the early diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer among populations residing in remote areas of Brazil.