28567 – THE STAGING OF BREAST CANCER IN PATIENTS AGED 40 TO 50 YEARS ATTENDED BETWEEN 2015 AND 2019 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VALE DO ITAJAÍ AND A PRIVATE CLINIC IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF THE COUNTRY.

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among Brazilian women. Screening, in turn,
involves performing mammograms aimed at reducing mortality and improving the quality of life for diagnosed women.
However, contrary to the guidelines of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Brazilian Society of Mastology recommends
that the exam be performed starting at age 40 and annually. In this context, in accordance with the medical society, the
Itajaí Health Department expanded the age group for screening in 2022. Methodology: For this purpose, the proposed
methodology is a retrospective, descriptive, observational study with a quantitative approach, conducted through analysis of medical records stored in a database. The study includes female patients who had/have breast cancer and were/are
monitored at the Family and Community Health Unit of the University of Vale do Itajaí – UNIVALI (USFC UNIVALI) and
in a private clinic, in the municipality of Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil. This study was approved by the UNIVALI Research
Ethics Committee, approval number: 5.625.664, Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Review – CAAE: 61508522.0.0000.0120.
A total of 187 patients diagnosed with breast cancer were selected, following predefined criteria, between January 2015
and December 2019. From this selection, the following variables were collected and analyzed: year of diagnosis, age group,
finding of breast alteration (clinical or screening), and staging, which includes the following elements: tumor size, axillary
involvement, and distant metastasis. Conclusion: The study concluded that women who had access to early screening
presented smaller lesions, a lower incidence of axillary involvement, few cases of distant disease, and less advanced stages. Therefore, given the equity provided by the municipality of Itajaí in offering annual screening to all women aged 40 or
older starting in 2022, it is expected, based on studies and examples from developed countries, a reduction in breast cancer mortality rates, increased survival, and the adoption of less invasive treatments. These findings emphasize the importance of broad access to early screening for all women within the Brazilian context, thus contributing to women’s survival.