Argentina’s National Program for Control of Breast Cancer: Time 1, Patient Navigation, and Patient Cancer Education Experience

Abstract

Argentina has the second highest mortality rate for breast cancer (BC) in South America. The age-standardized incidence of BC in Argentina is 73 per 100,000. Despite the availability of early detection services, 30% of BCs are diagnosed at advanced disease stages. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of Argentina and the National Program for Control of Breast Cancer (NPCBC) focus on two main objectives: guaranteeing adequate and timely BC treatment and reducing BC mortality in Argentina. These objectives are addressed by maintaining three core concepts: quality control, disease monitoring, and wide coverage of available early detection and treatment services. The NPCBC is currently implementing the “Time 1 Survey Study.” Time 1 is defined as the time from the first appearance of BC signs or symptoms to the first consult within the public healthcare system. This timeframe is important in Argentina because it is outside of the health timeframes and data parameters monitored by the national cancer data registry system. The Time 1 Survey study has the potential to serve as an informational tool for BC patient navigation efforts in Argentina because it can be used to identify and characterize the barriers and delays that women face during Time 1. Lessons and experiences included in this study could be translated to other Latin American and middle-income countries for developing cancer control programs that can lead to improving treatment and reducing mortality through patient navigation and cancer education efforts for the public, health professionals, and patients.

Developing a real-world database for oncology: a descriptive analysis of breast cancer in Argentina

“…Comparing data on health coverage and access to these medications found no significant differences between patients covered by the Social Security system, those with health insurance and uninsured hospital patients. But there was little insurance data in this sample [ 24 ].…”

“…This analysis also confirmed a relationship between a higher level of education and lower staging (I and II) at breast cancer diagnosis, independent of the health coverage for the patient. This finding suggests that the data received through prevention campaigns is more effective for patients with higher educational attainment and is instrumental in early diagnosis in a country with universal access to medical care [ 24 ]. Functional predictive algorithm engines that process Big Data require a volume of data that does not yet exist.…”