Average Hospitalization Costs for Cervical Cancer in the Brazilian Unified Health System: Temporal Trends and Regional Inequalities
Arthur Simas Heisser, Giovana Rech, Eduarda Paiva Borsa, Carolina Silva Fernandes, Amanda Bendo PereiraPURPOSE
Cervical cancer remains a major public health issue in Brazil, associated with high morbidity and significant economic burden on the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). This study aimed to analyze temporal trends and regional inequalities in average hospitalization costs for cervical cancer in Brazil between 2016 and 2025.
METHODS
This retrospective, descriptive, epidemiological study used data from the Hospital Information System of the SUS (SIH/SUS). Hospitalizations for cervical cancer between 2016 and 2025 were analyzed according to Brazilian geographic regions. Evaluated variables included number of hospitalizations and average hospitalization cost. Monetary values originally reported in Brazilian reais (BRL) were converted into US dollars (USD) using the average 2026 PTAX exchange rate provided by the Central Bank of Brazil ($1 USD = R$5.05).
RESULTS
Between 2016 and 2025, 246,819 hospitalizations for cervical cancer were recorded. Annual hospitalizations increased from 20,177 in 2016 to 28,662 in 2025, representing a 42.1% increase. The national average hospitalization cost was $422.59 USD. The Northeast region presented the highest cumulative average cost ($557.31 USD), followed by the South ($419.75 USD), Midwest ($376.85 USD), Southeast ($365.08 USD), and North ($361.88 USD) regions. Between 2016 and 2025, the national average hospitalization cost increased by 33.2%, from $375.13 USD to $499.77 USD. The Southeast region showed the greatest proportional increase (47.3%), followed by the South (36.0%), Northeast (31.9%), Midwest (21.7%), and North (4.9%). In 2025, the Northeast region presented the highest average hospitalization cost ($638.49 USD), 56.3% higher than the North region ($408.54 USD), which showed the lowest value.
CONCLUSION
An increasing trend in the average cost of hospitalizations for cervical cancer in the SUS was observed between 2016 and 2025, along with the persistence of significant regional inequalities. The Northeast Region presented the highest average hospitalization costs throughout the historical series, while the Southeast Region showed the greatest proportional increase in costs. In contrast, the North Region maintained the lowest average values and the smallest percentage variation over the study period. These findings highlight important regional differences in the profile of cervical cancer hospitalizations in Brazil and reinforce the need to strengthen prevention, screening, and access to oncological treatment within the SUS.