Breast cancer is the uncontrolled growth of breast cells. A cell begins to uncontrollably divide itself due to a series of mutations, therefore forming a tumor in the breast. Such tumor is then able to invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
Breast Cancer Detection in Mexico
Statistics on Breast Cancer Detection in Mexico:
- In Mexico, early detection is practically non-existent, since between 60 and 80% of the Mexican woman are diagnosed at advanced stages: stage 3 (when big tumors are found in the breast or there is a large disease in the armpit) or stage 4 (when the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other organs of the body).
- Only 10% of the patients in Mexico are diagnosed at Stage 1 (small tumors without disease in armpit) in contrast with 60% in the United States.
- Depending on the stage at which the disease is diagnosed, the survival rate of a breast cancer patient at a 5 year range, is the following:
- Stage 1: 95%
- Stage 2: 85%
- Stage 3: 55%
- Stage 4: 16%
- 90% of the patients in Mexico are diagnosed as a result of the patient’s auto-detection of a breast lump, which implies having cancer at an advanced stage. Less than 10% were diagnosed due to mammogram screenings.
- Studies performed in Mexico show that a patient takes around 8 months, after noticing a symptom (breast lump), to seek treatment.
- In Mexico, approximately 20% of women undergo mammogram screenings in orderto detect early stage breast cancer, which accounts for a very small number of women. Coverage for mammograms in the Unites States is quite higher; around 80% of women perform mammogram screenings therefore confirming the high rate of early stage diagnosis.
How can breast cancer be detected?
According to the Official Mexican Standards, the following recommendations shall be considered for early detection:
- All woman 20 years or older shall auto-explore themselves each month. If they stumble upon any abnormality, they shall consult their physician as soon as possible.
- Women over the age of 25 shall schedule yearly breast exams with their physician.
- At 40 years of age, women shall undergo regularly scheduled mammograms every one or two years. In Nuevo Leon, due to the high amount of incidences, mammograms are recommended at least once a year.
Is support for financing breast cancer treatments offered by the government, hospitals or associations?
Since 2007, the Seguro Popular plan covers the costs of diagnosis and treatment for patients with breast cancer who lack regular medical insurance or other type of social security.
There is an initiative to set up a Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer, this is a one of a kind program in Latin-American designed to cover specific needs for young patients dealing with these diseases. The program includesfertility and genetics aspects, in addition to management of psychosocial, sexual and appearance alterations.
Dr. Cynthia Villarreal leads such program and it shall be available at hospitals affiliated with the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Hospital Zambrano Hellion and Hospital San Jose, and at the National Oncology Institute of Mexico City.
Based on the foregoing, even though there are several measures available to reduce cancer risks, the most important one is to perform exams to detect cancer at very early stages. Luckily, if it is found at early stages, the chances of survival are extremely high.
If you wish to find out more about existing cancer detection and treatment options in Monterrey, please access our section on Cancer Treatment in Monterrey.
Author: Dr. Cynthia Villarreal
