Latin America and the Caribbean face inequalities in access to services, lack of registries and insufficient resources to care for breast cancer, the main cause of death from cancer in women in the region, which in 2020 registered more than 210,000 new cases and almost 68,000 deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Furthermore, the organization warns that, although early detection and appropriate treatments could significantly reduce deaths, the gaps between countries and different social groups are decisive.
The oncologist at the Breast Cancer Foundation (FUCAM), Salvador González Santiesteban, observes this from his own environment where “access to mammography in the general population continues to be one of the main barriers to the timely detection of breast cancer in Mexico.”
“This limitation is intensified in rural areas, where screening is less accessible and of lower quality compared to cities,” he explained.
In addition, he noted that access to more advanced diagnostic techniques, such as immunohistochemistry and biomarkers, is limited and expensive, delaying therapeutic decision-making.
González also warned that treatment start times vary significantly, since in regions with greater difficulties “it can extend up to six or eight months”, when the WHO recommends that no more than 60 days pass from the histological diagnosis.
Inequity is not limited to health infrastructure, since, for the oncologist, “in indigenous communities, where Spanish is not the main language, the delivery of essential information and the active participation of patients in their care are limited.”
You may be interested in: They reveal how cancer cells use healthy cells to strengthen themselves within the body
Governance to face the challenge
According to PAHO, population-based cancer registries are the basis for designing, costing and evaluating national plans, but in Latin America coverage has been historically low, making it difficult to measure results and plan services.
“In Mexico there is still no general cancer law, which has motivated various civil associations and foundations to promote the creation of a National Plan for Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control.
“What this plan seeks is to establish both a National Cancer Registry and a national oncological network that allow better organization of patient care and follow-up,” said the oncologist, underlining the urgency of an articulated strategy between authorities, the private sector and medical societies.
For her part, activist Alejandra de Cima, a breast cancer survivor and founder of the CIMA Foundation, insisted that the basis of any effective policy is having reliable information, “that allows us to know exhaustive data on incidence and mortality, which allows us to design prevention and timely diagnosis programs.”
The activist also stressed that the problem is not limited to the lack of records, but also to the insufficient resources allocated to the health system, where the WHO advises allocating 6% of GDP, Mexico allocated only 3.03% in 2024.
“A sufficient allocation of resources is necessary, but also a medical and human resources infrastructure at the level of international standards,” he pointed out.
Find out: More than 18 million people will die from cancer in 2050
Towards a common agenda
PAHO and WHO have reiterated that breast cancer disproportionately affects women of productive age, with an economic and social impact that hits families and communities.
“The most evident inequalities in care in Mexico are found in access to innovative therapies and in the infrastructure necessary for a comprehensive approach to the disease. Therefore, it is essential to promote the decentralization of oncological services and strengthen the care network in different regions of the country,” concluded de Cima.
Thus, the challenge for Latin America is to ensure that successful local experiences are translated into sustainable and measurable national policies, capable of reducing inequalities and meeting the WHO’s global goal towards 2040.
This analysis was part of the virtual forum ‘Advancing the patient’s journey: innovative therapeutic approaches for breast cancer’, held on October 9 and organized by EFE with the support of Jeffrey Group.
With information from EFE.
Follow information about the world in our international section
