Access to breast cancer care in Brazil

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide.

Breast cancer accounts for around 15% of deaths among women worldwide per year. There is also a clear breast cancer mortality gap between countries with differing levels of development and income.

Unlike hospitals in developed countries, which provide most, if not all of the care a patient needs under one roof, in Brazil, these kinds of facilities are rare. This makes access to treatment more difficult for women in Brazil. Whilst São Paulo city has some of the world leading facilities to treat breast cancer, diagnosis for women in Brazil is still often late, leaving more women vulnerable to advanced stage cancer which is more difficult to treat.

“The problem in São Paulo is not the number of doctors, it is [patient] education. The patient does not know how to move through the public system. She does not know what kind of doctor she is looking for”.

DR MARQUES, SPECIALIST DOCTOR IN BREAST DISEASE, HOSPITAL SANTA CASA DE SÃO PAULO

Late stage diagnosis is not only devastating for patients and their families, it is also expensive. The EIU estimates the overall bill for breast cancer treatment in São Paulo alone to be 880 million Real.
In this report, we assess the indirect and direct costs of breast cancer care in São Paulo city. We also provide insights on current challenges facing patients, medical professionals, providers and policy makers. By comparing treatment options and availability in São Paulo with local and international benchmarks of best-practice breast cancer care; we highlight key areas of improvement for breast cancer care in São Paulo city.

Download the report here.