Brasília – A study conducted by 14 cancer-treatment centers across Brazil reveals that women diagnosed with early-stage estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer wait on average 93 days in the Unified Health System (SUS) to begin treatment, compared with 41 days in the private network. The delay is especially concerning given that timely treatment initiation is key to improving survival and reducing recurrence risk in this subtype of breast cancer.

Although Brazilian law (Law No. 12.732/2012) guarantees patients with cancer the right to start therapy within 60 days after diagnosis, the study indicates that the legal timeframe is rarely met in the public system. According to lead researcher Romualdo Barroso de Sousa, delays are caused by structural inefficiencies, including multiple referral stages, limited diagnostic capacity, and fragmentation in care coordination across the SUS oncology network.

Researchers also found that longer waiting periods affect even patients with subtypes that have well-established treatment pathways, such as ER+ breast cancer, which responds effectively to endocrine-adjuvant therapy. Experts warn that postponing therapy not only worsens individual outcomes but also increases system costs due to disease progression and higher treatment complexity.

Source: CNN Brasil

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