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Doroteia Aparecida Höfelmann, Associate Editor of the journal Epidemiology and Health Services: journal of the Brazilian Unified Health System, Professor at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
The article “Frequency and factors associated with delays in breast cancer treatment in Brazil, according to data from PAINEL-Oncologia, 2019-2020 ,” published in volume 32, number 1, of 2023, of the journal Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde , investigated 78,527 cases of breast cancer in women residing in the 118 Brazilian health macro-regions, of which 42,102 were diagnosed in 2019 and 36,425 in 2020. These cases were registered in PAINEL-Oncologia, a tool for monitoring the time between diagnosis and the first treatment based on data from consolidated information systems in the Unified Health System (SUS).
The study was conducted by researchers from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, the State University of Rio de Janeiro, and the José Alencar Gomes da Silva National Cancer Institute. Among the cases monitored, 54.5% in 2019 and 48.7% in 2020 started treatment late, which corresponds to more than 40,000 people in total over the period. The delay was greater for women over 40 years of age and those who lived more than 200 km from the treatment location.
Delays in starting cancer treatment compromise the lifespan of women diagnosed with breast cancer; therefore, actions that organize the flow of these women are essential, aiming to guarantee the start of treatment as soon as possible. Furthermore, the authors recommend “regular monitoring of the interval between diagnosis and the start of cancer treatment, to identify bottlenecks in the network and implement solutions to the problem.”
Image: Angiola Harry .
BRAZIL. Breast cancer treatment [online. National Cancer Institute – INCA. GOV.BR. 2022 [viewed 2 June 2023]. Available from: https://www.gov.br/inca/pt-br/assuntos/gestor-e-profissional-de-saude/controle-do-cancer-de-mama/acoes/tratamento
NOGUEIRA, MC, et al . Frequency and factors associated with delays in breast cancer treatment in Brazil, according to data from PAINEL-Oncologia, 2019-2020. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2023, vol. 32, no. 1, e2022563 [viewed 2 June 2023]. http://doi.org/10.1590/s2237-96222023000300004 . Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/ress/a/8QDq7jBgZj8RgTZfx7tXpMx/
Epidemiology and Health Services – RESS: https://www.scielo.br/ress
Epidemiology and Health Services – Website: http://ress.iec.gov.br/
Federal University of Juiz de Fora – Website: https://www2.ufjf.br/ufjf/