In October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Brazilian College of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging (CBR) launches the campaign Solidarity Radiology – Pink October CBR, which will offer free exams to low-income women in several cities in Brazil. The action has the participation of more than 50 imaging clinics and health institutions affiliated with the CBR, and the services will continue until December.
The clinics have signed up to one of the three modalities available in the campaign: Gold, Silver and Bronze, with variations in the type and volume of tests to be made available to the population. The coordination of the tests will be carried out by non-governmental institutions (NGOs), non-profit foundations and public health institutions, which will direct the services to low-income women within the recommended age range for screening.
“This social action is an example of how joining forces can make a difference in people’s lives. With the technical equipment and availability of partner clinics, combined with the social responsibility of CBR and partner institutions, we know that our work will reach the right people,” explains CBR president Cibele Carvalho.
ADHESION – So far, the campaign Solidarity Radiology has the participation of 51 clinics, 21 in the Gold category (with more than 50 mammograms and/or tomosyntheses and more than 20 ultrasounds and/or breast biopsies), 7 in Silver (donation of 20 to 50 mammograms and/or 10 to 20 ultrasounds) and 22 in Bronze (donation of up to 20 mammograms and/or tomosyntheses and/or 10 ultrasounds).
Covering all regions of the country, most of the partner clinics are in the Southeast, which has 28 participating institutions, followed by the South with 7 clinics; the Central-West and Northeast regions, both with six clinics; and the North with three. In terms of participation by state, in addition to Minas Gerais (with 14 institutions) and São Paulo (nine), Goiás and Pernambuco stand out, with four clinics each.
The campaign also records a balanced division between clinics located in the capitals (20) and in the interior (24). For the president of CBR, the distribution “ensures that the campaign reaches both large urban centers and more remote areas, allowing women from different regions, including those in less assisted communities, to benefit”.
“During this month dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer, the CBR is going beyond simply disseminating information about the importance of early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. We are committed to promoting concrete actions that make a difference in the lives of Brazilian women,” says Dr. Linei Urban, coordinator of the CBR’s Culture and Social Action Committee. The action also includes the participation of the companies Hologic and Bard, which will donate biopsy kits to be performed on this population.
FAKE NEWS – The campaign will also launch the actions of another CBR project. Amid the dissemination of the calls fake news, especially in the field of breast health, the CBR will develop actions to raise awareness in society about the importance of early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, valuing the promotion of reliable information based on scientific evidence.
In a Technical Note against the dissemination of fake news, the National Mammography Commission reinforced the importance of mammography as an essential method for identifying breast cancer in its early stages and highlighted its effectiveness in reducing mortality. The document also debunks false information about the risks of mammography, such as the myths that the exam causes cancer or that it could be replaced by other imaging methods.
Check out the full text Technical Note Fake News.
To strengthen the dissemination of this information, a page will be created on the CBR website that will bring together educational materials such as booklets, cards and digital banners. “Our mission is to encourage debate about the importance of prevention. At a time when so much information is available, reliable and quality information becomes even more valuable,” explained Luciano Chala, Coordinator of the CBR Mammography Committee.
INCIDENCE – The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing worldwide. Each year, more than 2 million women are diagnosed with this disease. In Brazil alone, it is estimated that almost 74 thousand new cases will occur in 2024, with a higher prevalence among young women (<50 years old), compared to developed countries.
Despite all efforts, breast cancer is still the tumor that kills the most women in Brazil and worldwide. However, when detected early, it is a treatable disease, with a high chance of cure (reaching 95% if the diagnosis occurs before the tumor reaches 10 mm).
The National Mammography Commission reinforces the recommendation of annual mammographic screening for women aged 40 and over and rejects all forms of fake news and dissemination of false information, which may lead some women to not have a mammogram, resulting in late diagnoses and advanced tumors.