In Brazil, the Survival Rate of Women With Breast Cancer Increases

By Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – What was once a harsh sentence in the doctor’s office is taking on the form of a disease that can be faced with more and more hope each day.

The research of the hospital of São Paulo, A.C. Camargo, followed more than five thousand women in different stages of breast cancer.

In the most serious cases, when the disease spreads from the breast to other organs, the possibility of a successful treatment increased from 20 percent to 40 percent. For a tumor fought at an early stage, the chances of success reached almost 100 percent.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type among women worldwide. In Brazil it is no different: there are about 60 thousand new cases discovered every year.

If the research brings good news for the treatment of the disease, it also reinforces the importance of early diagnosis. According to doctors, every woman should have a mammography exam from the age of 40 at least once a year.