Five years after the start of the pandemic Covid-19 Brazil has not advanced in the rates of preventive cancer tests, according to a survey of UMANE, the organization of civil society, based on data available at the Public Health Observatory (OSP).
According to the survey, after a widespread drop in preventive examinations during the pandemic against the colorectal, breast and uterus cancers, only the first recorded recovery since 2020. The others have been down.
During the pandemic, due to social isolation measures, care for routine exams were dammed, resulting in the postponement of tracking tests and sorting of chronic diseases. However, survey data suggest that prevention and health care have not yet been reestablished even with the end of international public health emergency.
“Preventive care against cancer in the country have not yet generally recorded, nor a decrease in risk factors for their development – such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating – or expansion of screening and tracking coverage, such as Pap smear, mammography and colonoscopy after the end of the pandemic, which demands an effort, which demands an effort, which demands an effort, which demands an effort Awareness of the population and also guaranteeing equitable care for everyone to have access to the proper time examination, ”says Evelyn Santos, UMANE’s social investment manager.
Mammography and Pap smear records have not yet reached the pre-pound level
According to data from Vigitel, available at UMANE’s OSP, the number of 18 or more years old women who took mammography in the Brazilian capitals fell before the pandemic and has not yet recovered.
In 2007, 51.2% of adult women had already done mammography; In 2017, the number rose to 66.7% and starts falling, reaching 59.8% in 2023. In Vigitel’s historical series, in the official report of temporal analysis from 2007 to 2023, the percentage of women from 50 to 69 years old who had mammography in the last two years rose from 71.1% to 73.1%, but remained below 78.5%, reaching in 2017.
“Advance more equity in mammography coverage, in all territories of the country, as well as in metropolitan regions and rural areas, it should be a priority in the pursuit of universality of access and health equity,” says Santos.
Bilateral breast ultrasound exams have been recovered after pandemic, according to Datasus-SAI data, raised by UMANE. In 2019, the country recorded a record of the decade, with 1.4 million exams performed in all Brazilian municipalities.
Between 2019 and 2020, the drop in the number of these exams was 28.4%, reaching 984 thousand. However, the following year the exams resumed and, between 2020 and 2024, increased by 92.7%, reaching 1.9 million in the year.
Finally, preventive cervical cancer tests – Pap smear and colposcopy – have not yet resumed after the pandemic.
Pap smears have been dropped in Brazilian capitals even before the pandemic, according to Vigitel data. In 2017, 84% of women resident in Brazilian capitals performed Pap smear at least once in their lives. This number has decreased over the years, with 78.9% in 2023.
By comparing these data with the 2013-2019 National Health Survey, UMANE points out that, once again, there is greater prevention coverage in the capitals evaluated by Vigitel, demonstrating the need for an approach focused on reducing access inequalities to these tests.
Number of colonoscopies performed by SUS grew between 2019 and 2024
The percentage of colonoscopies-examination for colorectal cancer tracking-performed by the Unified Health System (SUS) in all Brazilian municipalities grew 65.5% between 2019 and 2024, totaling 574.6 thousand tests, being 373,600 made by women and 201 thousand, according to the survey by UMANE, based on Datasus-SIA data, available on OSP.
In 2019, 347.1 thousand colonoscopies were made. In 2020, as expected, the amount fell. The total was 242.4 thousand, with 149.7 thousand women and 92.7 thousand of men. However, in 2021, the number of exams grew to 304,700, with 191,200 women and 113,500 men. It is noteworthy that this was also the year when vaccines to Covid-19 began to be distributed in Brazil.
Medical entities ask for a higher age group for screening mammography
This content was originally published in 5 years after pandemic, cancer test rates are low on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil

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