Brasília – FEMAMA founder Maira Caleffi states that while cancer is a global challenge, effective responses in Brazil must be grounded in local realities. According to her, sustainable progress requires engagement with health-service managers and the use of integrated data to guide policy decisions. She points to Prisma Mama, a data-integration platform that unifies three public cancer registries, as an example of how transparency and information sharing can improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes nationwide.

Caleffi, who also leads the Instituto de Governança e Controle do Câncer (IGCC), argues that Brazil must develop region-specific approaches to prevention, early detection and genetic screening—particularly for women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Drawing on results from Hospital Moinhos de Vento in Porto Alegre, where patients begin treatment just 11 days after diagnosis and reach a 93 % five-year survival rate, she defends the creation of localized models to reduce disparities and strengthen the national cancer-care system.

After nearly two decades leading FEMAMA, Caleffi confirmed that she will step down from the organization’s presidency in the coming months to dedicate herself fully to IGCC initiatives. The transition marks a new phase for the network, which she founded to unite patient groups and push for earlier diagnosis, broader access to treatment, and stronger coordination within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).

Source: Folha de S.Paulo