Health vulnerability in urban contexts: tumor mortality trends in Campinas (Brazil), Cordoba (Argentina) and Medellin (Colombia), periods 1980-1982 and 2003-2005.

Enrique Peláez, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
Doris Cardona, Universidad de Antioquia. Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública
María Alvarez, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
Tirza Aidar, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

The appearance of tumors is linked to biological, environmental and lifestyle characteristics of people. Biological characteristics considered include sex, age, and race. Environment characteristics we discuss include occupational exposure, air pollution, bioavailability of pollutants, pesticides, proximity to agricultural areas, barriers in access to health systems, and lifestyle characteristics including occupation, education, and parenting patterns, among others. This complex causal network determines patterns of incidence in each geographic region. This paper analyzes the tumor mortality trends in three cities in Latin America, Cordoba, Campinas and Medellin, during two periods, 1980-1982 and 2003-2005, using secondary information from vital statistics data in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. It compares life expectancy, years of life expectancy lost and the contribution of neoplasm deaths to changes in life expectancy in the three cities studied for each period, by sex and age.