Overview

• Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among Brazilian women, with more than 20,000 deaths recorded in 2023.
• Incidence is highest in the Southeast, Santa Catarina has the top state rate, and mortality rates are highest in Roraima, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul.
• Only about 30% of women in the target ages are screened in the public system, with coverage ranging from roughly 5.3% in parts of the North to 33% in Espírito Santo.
• INCA officials call for expanding organized, biennial screening, with stated targets between 70% and 90% to align with international guidance.
• Time from diagnosis to first treatment has improved over the past three years, led by the South, as the Health Ministry advances the Agora Tem Especialista program and adds new medicines to reduce waitlists.