Time trend and regional variability of mortality rate due to ovarian cancer in Brazil: a 15-year analysis.

Introduction: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological tumor. In Brazil, there are important regional differences regarding mortality rates for the same cancer type. Objectives: To analyze the progression of OC mortality rates in Brazil and its regions, in age groups over 50 years, between 2000 and 2015. Methods: Ecological longitudinal study carried out using secondary data from DATASUS (Brazil's public health system database) regarding deaths due to OC in women living in Brazil between 2000 and 2015. We calculated gross and adjusted mortality, estimated the impact of death of OC and proportional mortality rate of all cancer types in women between the age of 50 and 79 years. Results: There were 34.335 deaths due to OC in women in the referred age interval, with a 9% increase in mortality adjusted for age, a 0.05% (P = 0.012) trend and a 24.67% increase in the proportional mortality due to all causes with a 0.02% (P < 0.001) trend. There were statistically significant increases in mortality rates due to OC in the age groups of 50-54 (28,4%, P < 0,05) and 75-79 years (25,1%, P < 0,05). Conclusion: Although there are oscillations in mortality rates of OC in Brazil and its regions over the period studied, this parameter has remained relatively stable.

Medical Student Oncology Congress: Designed and Implemented by Brazilian Medical Students.

Oncology is an essential field of medicine; however, its teaching is occasionally underemphasized and uncoordinated during medical school. An alternative method of providing additional oncological information to medical students is through extracurricular activities, such as congresses and medical student associations. The aim of this paper is to describe a Medical Student Oncology Congress entirely designed and organized by medical students. Three medical students from oncology study and research groups identified the gap in oncology training at universities and decided to organize a congress for students. They selected representatives from 26 universities in Brazil for onsite registration and created a website for online registration and promotion of the congress. To determine the topics of the lectures, they searched the medical literature for the most commonly occurring cancers in adults and children. Extrapolating the academic content of oncology, they organized lectures by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), talks on career guidance and research in this field as well as a role-playing workshop to train future doctors on how to deliver news to patients. There were a total of 609 attendees, with 590 students from 26 different universities in Brazil. Approximately 82% were medical students, and among the participants there were also 15 medical educators. A total of 80.75% of the participants were extremely satisfied with the congress, and 99.17% would recommend it to a colleague. Most of the overall cost of the congress, 96%, was covered by registration fees. There was a 6% positive net balance, which was donated to the NGOs participating in the congress. This successful experience proves that it is possible to have a congress fully designed, organized and managed by students. It demonstrates how students can be active participants in their own education, as opposed to a classic approach through which only professors are responsible for instruction.