Palliative care in home care for cancer patients in Brazil

ABSTRACT The organization of health services must consider the integral care of the individual with cancer, ensuring, when necessary, palliative care. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of oncology users in palliative care in home care. A descriptive study was carried about the cancer cases registered in home care during the period 2013-2015 in the Country. Only the states of Roraima, Sergipe and Espírito Santo did not register cases. Among the ten most recurrent types of neoplasias were the most incidental, among men, of prostate, and among women, of breast. However, in stratification by age group, differences between the most prevalent types of tumors were observed. In men <40 years, encephalon was the most recurrent type, and among the >60 years, it was prostate. In women, with the exception of <40 years, breast cancer was the most recurrent. The description of the profile of users with malignant neoplasias assisted in the home care allows a better understanding of the flow of these users in the network, allowing the monitoring of the care line.