Objective: To demonstrate the proportion of anemia and its association with demographic and clinical characteristics in a representative sample of elderly people from São José dos Campos, São Paulo. Methods: Demographic data and blood samples were collected from 398 over 65-year-old male and female individuals. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin concentration <12 g/dL in women and <13 g/dL in men. Anemic and non-anemic groups were compared using the chi-squared test and a multiple logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of anemia was 18.6% (20.8% in men and 17.6% in women). The per- centages of anemia rose significantly across the age groups >75-80, >85-90 and >90-95 years (p-value = 0.0251). There were no significant differences in gender, ethnic background, place of residence, years of schooling, income, comorbidities and use of medications. Accord- ing to gender, the mean hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular volume were 11.5 g/dL (range: 8.4-11.9 g/dL) and 90.7 fL (range: 63.0-111.7 fL) for women and 11.9 g/dL (range: 8.6-12.8 g/dL) and 92.1 fL (range: 59.8-100.1 fL) for men. The great majority of ane- mia cases were mild with less than 6% having hemoglobin concentrations below 10.9 g/dL. Mean corpuscular volume was lower than 80 fL in six cases (8%), between 80 and 100 fL in 65 cases (88%) and higher than 100 fL in three cases (4%). Conclusion: A total of 18.6% of elderly people from São José dos Campos had mild anemia with the majority being normocytic. The percentages of anemia rose as the age increased demonstrating an association between age and anemia.

Objective: To evaluate trends in mortality among adults with myeloid leukemia in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo. Methods: Data from the Brazilian National Health Service database DATASUS provided the number of deaths caused by myeloid leukemia and the number of inhabitants per year in the Regional Health Division XVII from 1994 to 2011. Registries were categorized according to gender into four age ranges (over 20 years, 20-49, 50-69 and over 70 years) for an estimation of the annual percent change for age-adjusted mortality rates. The percent changes were calculated using the Joinpoint regression analysis model. Results: Overall, a significant decline per year was demonstrated for the entire sample (over 20 years) across the 18-year period studied (annual percent change: −5.59%; 95% CI: −8.5 to −2.5% for males; p-value < 0.05 and −7.02%; 95% CI −11.2 to −2.8% for females; p-value < 0.05) with no significant difference between genders. In an analysis using two Joinpoints, significant drops were observed from 1994 to 2001 (annual percent change: −21.22%; 95% confidence interval: −27.9 to −13.9%; p-value < 0.05) and from 1994 to 2003 (annual percent change: −12.86%; 95% confidence interval −22.2 to −2.5%; p-value < 0.05) for men and women, respectively. The declining trends were greatest for patients aged over 70 years with the age-adjusted mortality rates in younger groups declining non-significantly except for males aged 50-69 years old. Conclusion: Our data suggest a significant decline per year in age-adjusted mortality rates of adult patients diagnosed with myeloid leukemia from 1994 to 2011 in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo.

BACKGROUND: Based on the necessity of detailed information that supports effective strategies to improve cancer outcomes in the different regions of Brazil, the aims of this study were to report demographic aspects and to calculate the prevalence and incidence rates of oncohematological diseases in the region of Vale do Paraíba. METHODS: This is a multicentric prospective study carried out from October 2009 to March 2010. A total of 500 over 19-year-old patients were enrolled. Data such as type of healthcare insurance, gender, age, ethnic classification, place of residence, schooling, income, body mass index, new cases and the period between the first symptoms and a definite diagnosis were collected. The prevalence and incidence rates were calculated according to an estimated number of 1,319,800 inhabitants. RESULTS: The prevalence and incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants in the period of six months were, respectively: acute myeloid leukemia 1.5 and 0.7; acute lymphoblastic leukemia 0.5 and 0.1; chronic lymphocytic leukemia 2.4 and 0.4; chronic myeloid leukemia 6.2 and 0.8; Hodgkin's lymphoma 2.9 and 0.9; non-Hodgkin lymphoma 9.8 and 4.3; multiple myeloma 5.7 and 0.7; myelodysplastic syndromes 2.1 and 0.2 and myeloproliferative syndromes 5.1 and 0.3. CONCLUSION: Giving the paucity of data in this field of investigation, our data may be useful for comparisons with those of other regions of Brazil and will assist in the implementation of treatment programs of oncohematological diseases in this region.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Variações geográficas têm sido demonstradas na leucemia mielóide aguda (LMA). No Brasil poucos estudos têm sido publicados nesta área. O objetivo foi demonstrar a alta prevalência do subtipo FAB M1 em adultos com LMA de novo em São José dos Campos, São Paulo. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Análise retrospectiva, no Hospital Pio XII de São José dos Campos, instituição pública e não ligada a universidade. MÉTODOS: Registros de 39 pacientes consecutivos com LMA de novo foram analisados de janeiro de 2002 até setembro de 2004. Lâminas de sangue periférico e da medula óssea sem identificação prévia foram analisadas por cinco hematologistas e classificadas de acordo com os critérios FAB. Taxas de remissão, de recaída, de mortalidade, de mortalidade de acordo com o período de tratamento, de sobrevivência e de sobrevivência livre de leucemia foram calculadas. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de cada categoria determinada por consenso entre os observadores foi M0: 0, M1: 43,6%, M2: 30,7%, M3: 12,8%, M4: -5,1%, M5: 2,6%, M6: 2,6% and M7: 2,6%. As taxas de remissão e de recaída foram de 82% e 41% respectivamente. A taxa de mortalidade foi de 69% (indução da remissão 7/39, 17.9%, pós-indução 10/32, 31,2% e de recaída 10/16, 62,5%). A taxa de sobrevivência foi de 30% e a taxa de sobrevivência livre de leucemia foi de 33%. CONCLUSÕES: O estudo demonstrou alta prevalência do subtipo FAB M1 em adultos com LMA de novo em São José dos Campos. Nossos resultados sugerem a ocorrência de diferentes prevalências de subtipos FAB nas regiões do Brasil.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Geographical variations have been described in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In Brazil, few studies have been published on this. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the high prevalence of French-American-British (FAB) M1 subtype in adults with de novo AML in São José dos Campos, State of São Paulo, Brazil. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective analysis, at Hospital Pio XII in São José dos Campos, a public non-teaching institution. METHODS: Records from 39 consecutive adult patients with de novo AML referred to Hospital Pio XII between January 2002 and September 2004 were reviewed. Peripheral blood and blood marrow smears were reviewed blindly by five hematologists and classified according to FAB criteria. The rates of remission, relapse, mortality according treatment phase, survival and leukemia-free survival were calculated. RESULTS: The prevalence of each category as determined via a consensus among five observers was M0: 0%; M1: 43.6%; M2: 30.7%; M3: 12.8%; M4: 5.1%; M5: 2.6%: M6: 2.6%; and M7: 2.6%. The remission and the relapse rates were 82% and 41% respectively. The mortality rate was 69% (induction of remission: 7/39, 17.9%; post induction: 10/32, 31.2%; and relapse: 10/16, 62.5%). The survival rate was 30% and leukemia-free survival was 33%. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated a high prevalence of FAB M1 subtype in adults with de novo AML in São José dos Campos. Our data suggest the occurrence of different regional prevalences of FAB AML categories in Brazil.