Scans show a decline in mammograms, which are the main method of diagnosing breast cancer.
When analyzing breast cancer detection and treatment procedures in Brazil, the numbers are alarming. Mammography coverage, for example, showed increasingly lower rates.
According to the Panorama of Breast Cancer Care in the Unified Health System (SUS), Brazil has the lowest detection rate: only 17% of women between 50 and 69 years old had a mammogram in 2021. In 2019 , that percentage was 23%.
Mammogram Reduction
A study designed by the Avon Institute and the Oncology Observatory analyzed mammography data, evaluating the rate that measures the SUS’s ability to serve the female population. Indications for diagnosis and access to treatment in Brazil from Datasus, the SUS information system, were also considered.
According to the survey, more than 437,000 women underwent chemotherapy procedures in the country between 2015 and 2021. In the period analyzed, the Federal District (DF) had the worst breast imaging coverage rate (4%), followed by Tocantins , Acre and Roraima. by 6%.
The data also indicated a lack of public policies for breast health during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the study, a decrease in the coverage and production of mammograms, the primary screening and diagnostic test for breast cancer, is delaying the evaluation of women’s access to treatment. This contributes to the fact that more women arrive at SUS with an advanced diagnosis and, therefore, with fewer chances of being cured.
