Costs remain a drag in the fight against breast cancer

In 2020 in Mexico, 29,000 cases of breast cancer and 7,900 deaths as a result of the disease (21 per day), of which 58 were male, which reveals the incidence by gender. If this trend continues, by 2040 they could increase to 36 deaths a day, according to projections by the World Health Organization (OMS), an organization that has declared October 19 as the International Day to Fight Breast Cancer.

According to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the cost of treating this disease in a public institution can range between 100,000 and 200,000 pesos per year, on average. Just to reach a diagnosis, a breast ultrasound costs approximately 3,500 pesos, a biopsy from 3,500 to 15,000 pesos, and a mammography around 2,000 pesos.

Data from the consulting firm PwC indicate that the package of 20 chemotherapies can cost up to 350,000 pesos per year and that of 20 radiotherapies up to 35,000 pesos. The insurer AXA reveals that the average cost for the entire treatment among its insured is approximately 611,000 pesos and that during the first year, breast cancer is 148% more expensive than the average of the subsequent years.

The stages in which the cancer are also key. For example, stage IV breast cancer is up to 418% more expensive than stage I, 221% more than stage II, and 98% more expensive than stage III. Treatment for women in phase II costs 61% more than those diagnosed in phase I.

Age is also a determining factor. The treatment by breast cancer It can be up to 40% more expensive in women between 21 and 30 years old, with respect to the general average cost, this range is the one with the highest average cost among all. On the other hand, women 20 years of age or younger are the ones with the lowest average cost (86,000 pesos), followed by those over 81 years of age (398,000). The largest number of cases is in the range between 41 and 50 years, followed by 51 to 60 years; the average cost in these groups is 592,000 and 603,000 pesos, respectively.

We all participate for timely detection

Given this scenario, knowledge is the main weapon against the disease, says Leticia Rocha Zavaleta, a doctor in Cancer Immunology research from the Biomedical Research Institute (IIBO) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Today the statistics reveal that when women go to the oncologist they have an advanced tumor and the response to treatment is less. In addition, they show that we are far from covering the target population to carry out screening tests, such as mammograms.

The first suggestion of the cancer expert is that the campaigns to carry out diagnostic tests are not limited to the month of the fight against this type of disease (October). “It is the responsibility of the health and education systems to insist, throughout the year, that these tests be done.”

Rocha Zavaleta details that there are few types of cancer whose cause can be attributed to a single factor, but this is not the case with breast cancer, since this is a multifactorial neoplasm. The most frequent risk factor is being over 50 years old, followed by genetics, that is, having had cases of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in the family. The third risk factor is exposure to female hormones called estrogens; finally, external factors related to lifestyle, such as being overweight.

We should all be clear that women over 40 years of age should have a mammogram every year. In the case of women over 50, this study is complemented with a breast ultrasound in order to detect small growths, even in areas where the mammograph cannot detect them, due to the density of the gland.

Before the age of 40, he specifies, it is not advisable to carry out these tests since they use radiation to which younger women should not be exposed. However, it highlights that manual inspection is indicated for all ages. They must do it manually to detect warning signs such as: the presence of lumps, any hardened abnormal growth, hardening or sinking of the nipple, reddening of the skin, itching, even changes in its color.

“The goal is to find this cancer as early as possible, so you have a better chance of responding appropriately to treatments and being cured.”

The specialist concludes that “all women are at risk. Not developing the disease, finding it at the right time or curing it, depends on us. Knowledge is definitely our main tool, our best weapon to be able to free ourselves from the scourge of this disease”.

#Detection+Action campaign

For the first time, social organizations from the Mexican Coalition for Breast Health (COMESAMA), the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) and the Alliance of Private Health Service Providers (APPSS) announced the #DetectionMoreAction campaign, which seeks to promote access to clinical studies for the timely detection of breast cancer in women in the highest risk age group (40 years or older), and support the follow-up of suspected cases and diagnostic confirmation to reference hospitals, seeking to reduce the mortality rate due to this cause.

This comprehensive care campaign includes both detection and accompanying patients in their treatment, in addition to psychological support. will be offered mastograms digital at a price of 390 pesos, which could include, if necessary, an ultrasound or a biopsy. The scope of this campaign is projected for the 32 entities of the Mexican Republic and will last from October to December 2022.

Currently, an average of 7 to 14 months elapse between diagnosis and the start of treatment, so this campaign seeks to shorten the waiting time to a maximum of two months. To this end, it has the support of public sector organizations, such as the National Cancer Institute, the General Hospital of Mexico, the Hospital Juárez de México, in Mexico City, and different institutions within the Mexican Republic. For its part, the private sector is participating in more than 50 diagnostic centers, including CMH hospitals; laboratories of the Aries Diagnostic Group; Dalinde Group, ABC Medical Center, among others that are being added.

To learn more about the campaign and obtain an appointment for digital mammography, you can visit the page http://saludmujeres.mx

nelly.toche@eleconomista.mx

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