Early detection of breast cancer in Brazil: data from the National Health Survey, 2013

• Published in: Revista de saúde pública 2017-01, Vol.51 (suppl 1), p.14s-14s
• Main Authors: Silva, Gulnar Azevedo E, Souza-Júnior, Paulo Roberto Borges de, Damacena, Giseli Nogueira, Szwarcwald, Célia Landmann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Brazil; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Detecção Precoce de Câncer; Early Diagnosis; Female; Health Equity; Health Policy & Services; Health Surveys; Humans; Inquéritos Epidemiológicos; Mammography - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; National Health Programs; Neoplasias da Mama, diagnóstico. Mamografia, utilização; Original; Programas de Rastreamento; Socioeconomic Factors
• ISSN: 0034-8910; 1518-8787; 1518-8787; 0034-8910
• DOI: 10.1590/S1518-8787.2017051000191

To analyze whether the actions of early detection of breast cancer, initiated with the medical request for mammography, differ between users of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and those who have private health insurance. From the data collected in the National Health Survey, we estimated the proportions of women who had medical request for mammography according to presence or absence of private health insurance. For assessing the factors related to having mammography medical request, we estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios and respective 95%CI by logistic regression. We also analyzed the main reasons reported for not having performed mammography after medical request, as well as the time between examination and result. Of the women interviewed, 66.7% had a medical request for mammography (59.4% among SUS users and 83.9% among those with private health insurance). Having private health insurance, higher education level, and being white were positively associated with having the medical request. Only 5.4% (95%CI 4.8-6.0) of women who received medical request failed to perform mammography - 7.6% were SUS users and 1.7% had health insurance. The most reported reasons for not being able to perform the examination were: not thinking it was necessary; having the test scheduled, but not yet performed; and not being able to schedule it. More than 70% of women received the result with less than one month from its execution. The barriers to access a medical request for mammographic screening for breast cancer are higher among women who depend exclusively on SUS.