The impacts of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on cancer hospitalizations in Brazil

Abstract

Background: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to cancer incidence and mortality. However, it was unknown whether there was an association with cancer hospitalizations. Methods: Data on cancer hospitalizations and annual PM2.5 concentrations were collected from 1,814 Brazilian cities during 2002–2015. A difference-in-difference approach with quasi-Poisson regression was applied to examine State-specific associations. The State-specific associations were pooled at a national level using random-effect meta-analyses. PM2.5 attributable burden were estimated for cancer hospitalization admissions, inpatient days and costs. Results: We included 5,102,358 cancer hospitalizations (53.8% fem..