60% of cases are diagnosed lately

In the data analyzed, the percentage of patients who needed chemotherapy increases according to the stage where cancer is identified, as well as the frequency of hospitalizations and outpatient visits per month. The study reinforces the size of the problem for the country, where advanced diagnosis occurs in 60% of cases, according to the researchers.

Another point raised is that of social and economic disparities related to the disease. Up to 80% of deaths occur in low and medium -income countries, such as Brazil.

Inca (National Cancer Institute) estimates that Brazil records about 17,000 new cases per year. According to the study by MSD Brasil, most diagnoses of this type of cancer covers non -white women, with low education, who depend on the public health system.

“Since only a minority of cervical cancer cases has early diagnosis in Brazil, this study highlights the high economic burden to the public health sector, especially considering the delays in diagnosis. Therefore, it reinforces the urgent need to direct more efforts to prevent and trace as we move towards the elimination of cervical cancer,” says one of the stretches of the study.

Worsening in the pandemic

The survey highlights the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the treatment of cervical cancer on SUS. The proportion of patients who performed only surgery was 25.8% in 2020, while this percentage was 39.2% between 2014 and 2019.