Costa Rica positions itself among the countries with higher survival rate for breast cancer according to the study “Cancer Facts & Figures 2018” of the American Cancer Society.
The revision of the international results, considering the deaths due to breast cancer after five years of receiving diagnosis, reveal that the nations with higher survival rate are between 85% and 90%.
Costa Rica registers 87% survival being the country with the best record in the Central and South American region. The United States has the highest survival rate in the world with 90%, followed by Israel and Canada with 88%.
Dr. Roberto Cervantes, general manager of the Social Security Service in Costa Rica (C.C.S.S.) mentioned that this data motivates the institution to continue with its comprehensive approach and should motivate patients to use mammograms as an early detection measure since the health system will respond with a level of attention comparable to the best in the world.
The international report matches data registered in national reports which indicate similar survival rates and an increase in the breast cancer detection rates.
The decrease in the rates of premature mortality (deaths on people younger than 69 years of age) also indicate that detection is being achieved at an earlier stage, there is more access to different methods of diagnosis and better processes to attack the cancer which currently involve a comprehensive approach. Education of the population is also very important for the early detection of breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most frequent among women and even with the positive survival rates, it remains the most lethal. Currently, per every 100 women with cancer, 29 have breast cancer, 13 thyroid cancer and 10 colon and rectum cancer. Out of every 100 women that die as a result of cancer, 14 die due to breast cancer, 12 from colon and rectum cancer and 11 from stomach cancer.
The group of highest impact are women between the ages of 45 and 60. (https://news.co.cr/rate-of-breast-cancer-survivors-in-costa-rica-among-the-best-in-the-world/80445/)
