Breast cancer in women 40-50 and over 70 years of age: the need for screening in Brazil.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in Brazil and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the female population of the country. Despite advances in treatment and the implementation of mammography screening programs, mortality rates have continued to rise. This increase is particularly evident among women under 50 years of age and those 70 years of age or older, groups that account for a substantial proportion of diagnosed cases and registered deaths in the country. Until recently, these age groups were not included in the screening guide-lines established by the Brazilian National Ministry of Health, although consistent scientific evidence demonstrates significant benefits of early detection in these populations, including reduced mortality, a higher proportion of early-stage diagnoses, and less aggressive therapeutic interventions. This article analyzes epidemiological data, the socio-economic impacts of breast cancer, and the scientific evidence regarding mammography screening, discussing the outcomes and limitations of national programs in Brazil. On the basis of that analysis, we advocate for the revision and expansion of public breast cancer screening policies to include women 40-49 and ≤ 70 years of age, as an essential strategy to reduce mortality, improve clinical outcomes, and promote greater equity in access to diagnosis and treat-ment of breast cancer in Brazil.

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Publication Details

Journal
PubMed
Published
2026-05-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-3984.2025.0110
Primary Topic
Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Breast cancer in women 40-50 and over 70 years of age: the need for screening in Brazil.

Ana Lúcia Kefalás Oliveira, Henrique Lima Couto, Selma di Pace Bauab, Almir Galvão Vieira Bitencourt et al.
PubMed
Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
article

Breast cancer in women 40-50 and over 70 years of age: the need for screening in Brazil.

Ana Lúcia Kefalás Oliveira, Henrique Lima Couto, Selma di Pace Bauab, Almir Galvão Vieira Bitencourt, Ellyete de Oliveira Canella, Paula de Camargo Moraes, João Emílio Peixoto, Thaís Paiva Moraes, Rosangela Requi Jakubiak, Gustavo Machado Badan, Aline Dias Silva Guerrero Guimarães, Beatriz Medicis Maranhão Miranda, Linei Augusta Brolini Delle Urban, Luciano Fernandes Chala, Tatiane Mendes Gonçalves de Oliveira, Ana Claudia Mendes Rodrigues Mussauer, José Luis Esteves Francisco, Ivie Braga de Paula, Marcela Bisighelli Schaefer
article en

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in Brazil and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the female population of the country. Despite advances in treatment and the implementation of mammography screening programs, mortality rates have continued to rise. This increase is particularly evident among women under 50 years of age and those 70 years of age or older, groups that account for a substantial proportion of diagnosed cases and registered deaths in the country. Until recently, these age groups were not included in the screening guide-lines established by the Brazilian National Ministry of Health, although consistent scientific evidence demonstrates significant benefits of early detection in these populations, including reduced mortality, a higher proportion of early-stage diagnoses, and less aggressive therapeutic interventions. This article analyzes epidemiological data, the socio-economic impacts of breast cancer, and the scientific evidence regarding mammography screening, discussing the outcomes and limitations of national programs in Brazil. On the basis of that analysis, we advocate for the revision and expansion of public breast cancer screening policies to include women 40-49 and ≤ 70 years of age, as an essential strategy to reduce mortality, improve clinical outcomes, and promote greater equity in access to diagnosis and treat-ment of breast cancer in Brazil.

PubMedVol. 59
PepsiCo (United Kingdom) (GB), Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (BR), AC Camargo Hospital (BR), Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa (BR), Centrus Diagnósticos por Imagem (BR), Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria (BR), Hospital Santa Paula (BR), Sabin Medicina Diagnostica (Brazil) (BR), D’Or Institute for Research and Education (BR), Hospital São Vicente de Paulo (BR), Grupo Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte (BR), Tokushima Red Cross Hospital (JP), Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR), Fleury S.A. (Brazil) (BR), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (BR), Clinics Hospital of Ribeirão Preto (BR), Hospital São Paulo (BR), Mater Dei Hospital (BR)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
DOISourceOpenAlex
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