Abstract:
Breast cancer is a major public health issue since it is the most common cause of death from malignant neoplasms in women over 25 around the world, especially in low-income countries where death rates are higher. In Mexico, preventative efforts are made harder by the fact that screening programs are not working together, the healthcare system is falling apart, and there are no good ways to refer people. The situation gets worse because there are differences in society that make health outcomes worse. In breast cancer, disparities manifest in prevention and early diagnosis, linked to low educational attainment, inadequate income, substandard housing circumstances, and limited access to healthcare services. Our research team conducted a study employing a survey of 10,000 Mexican women aged 40 and older, which validated these constraints. Seventy-six percent said it had been more than two years since their last mammogram, and just 24% said they had the test done when they should have. This shows that people aren't following the rules for being screened on time. The socioeconomic study that used information from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean found that majority of the women who are late for their mammograms are very poor. There are only a few ladies who are not poor. Most of the women who got their mammograms on time weren't poor or at risk. Our research shows that social and economic factors play a large role in how easy it is for people to acquire an early diagnosis of breast cancer. Our experience also demonstrates that just offering free services isn't enough to get consumers to follow screening standards. Because of this, hospitals need to improve their infrastructure. But it's much more important to improve breast cancer management systems so they can handle social obstacles and the effects of extreme poverty on accessing medical care. As a result, it is suggested that a national public policy framework create an oncological clinical pathway for breast cancer, starting at the primary care level by providing clear information about warning signs, symptoms, and care pathways, in line with the Mexican Official Standard NOM-041-SSA2-2011 and the current Clinical Practice Guidelines. In cases with significant clinical or imaging suspicion, this pathway should promptly escalate to the tertiary level of care. The best way to deal with social health inequalities at this level of care is to put the right resources into a priority oncology pathway that includes quick access to specialized diagnostic studies, histopathological confirmation, multidisciplinary discussion, and the start of definitive treatment. No matter how much money they have, all patients can get quick, complete, and timely care at this level. This is because the infrastructure, specialized staff, and management processes are all in place. A national public strategy to make cancer care fairer includes the proposed clinical plan as a crucial part. This is because breast cancer deaths will keep going up in Mexico until changes are made to the structure of the health care system to fix the current health inequalities.
