Data from the Painel Oncologia Brasil, analyzed by the Colégio Brasileiro de Radiologia e Diagnóstico por Imagem (CBR), indicate that more than 108,000 women under 50 years old were diagnosed with breast cancer in Brazil between 2018 and 2023 – an average of one in three women diagnosed with the disease.
For the entity, the numbers reinforce the importance of expanding breast cancer screening through mammography in women under 50 years old and over 70 years old, age groups not included in the standard recommendation for preventive exams within the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS).
Breakdown
The survey shows that, between January 2018 and December 2023, Brazil recorded more than 319,000 breast cancer diagnoses, with 157,400 in women aged 50 to 69 years, the age group currently recommended for screening.
Among women aged 40 to 49 years, 71,204 cases of breast cancer were recorded, while 19,576 women aged 35 to 39 years also received the diagnosis. Together, both instances represent 33% of the total cases diagnosed in the period.
Among women over 70 years old, 53,240 cases of breast cancer were identified.
More cases
The CBR also warns of the growth in the total number of breast cancer cases in the country – 40,953 diagnoses in 2018, compared to 65,283 in 2023, a 59% increase in six years.
São Paulo leads in absolute diagnoses, with 22,014 cases in the observed period, followed by Minas Gerais (11,941 cases), Paraná (8,381 cases), Rio Grande do Sul (8,334 cases), and Bahia (7,309 cases).
In the age group of 50 to 69 years, currently covered by priority screening, São Paulo also has the highest number of cases (36,452), followed by Minas Gerais (18,489 cases), Rio de Janeiro (13,658 cases), Rio Grande do Sul (13,451 cases), and Paraná (10,766 cases).
Deaths
The data also reveal a total of 173,690 deaths from breast cancer in the country between 2018 and 2023. The number of deaths rose from 14,622 in 2014 to 20,165 in 2023 – a 38% increase in that period.
“Although there was a reduction in deaths between 2020 and 2021, especially in some age groups, the numbers rose again in 2022 and 2023, possibly due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, which hindered access to diagnosis and adequate treatment,” the CBR highlighted.
“The interruption of screening during that period generated a cumulative effect, contributing to the increase in mortality,” the entity added.
The numbers also show that 38,793 women under 50 years old died from breast cancer, corresponding to 22% of the total deaths in the period. Among women over 70 years old, 56,193 deaths were recorded (32% of the total).
Early screening, according to the CBR and based on expert reports, can reduce breast cancer mortality by up to 30%. “This means that half of the lives lost to the disease could be saved with a timely diagnosis,” the college reinforced.
Source: Agência Brasil