GO project reduces serious breast cancer diagnoses by half

The active participation of health workers in disease prevention can increase early breast cancer diagnosis rates. This is according to astudy conducted by the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) , which showed that training community workers increased the number of mammograms and reduced the detection of advanced tumors in Itaberaí, a municipality in Goiás where the pilot project took place in 2022.

The strategy consisted of training primary care professionals to provide breast cancer prevention advice to women over 40 during home visits. Community health workers were also trained to actively screen half of the women they visited and, with the volunteers' consent, to examine their breasts for lesions that were sensitive to touch.

The group of women who participated in the more active intervention ended up discovering tumors in early stages (one or two) in 70% of cases. In the control group, which received visits from the agents but was not examined by them, only 30% of diagnoses occurred in these stages of the disease.

Since the study began, more than 3,000 women have been treated. Of these, 15 were diagnosed with breast cancer, 10 in the direct intervention group and five in the control group. "We expected to reduce diagnoses of advanced cases by 20% by the end of our study, but we quickly achieved a 50% reduction," highlights breast specialist Ruffo de Freitas Júnior, who led the study. The initial results were presented at the 2025 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world's largest cancer event, held in the United States in June.

For oncologist Diogo Sales, a specialist in female tumors at Einstein Hospital Israelita in Goiânia, the initiative tested in Itaberaí is important for strengthening early diagnosis, although a longer follow-up period is necessary. "It's still a very early study; too few women have been diagnosed so far to be able to consider changes in how we screen the population. But it's undoubtedly important to consider the positive results found from conducting screenings with more extensively trained professionals. It was a victory," he states.

Greater chance of cure

When it comes to breast cancer, the ideal is to strengthen prevention strategies so the disease can be identified before symptoms appear. "The most recommended prevention is mammograms, precisely to find lesions before they become sensitive to the touch. The earlier we know, the better we can treat them, and the lower the risk of death for the patient," emphasizes the Einstein oncologist.

Cases detected in the early stages have a 95% chance of cure. "The earlier the diagnosis, the greater the success and fewer the treatment complications," says Sales. Therefore, women should be aware of the most common symptoms of breast cancer, which appear in the intermediate and severe stages of the disease. These include palpable lumps in the breast, changes in the skin or volume that cause asymmetry, nipple retraction, and the appearance of discharge.

During the monitoring conducted by agents in Itaberaí, this type of information was a vital ally. "Patients didn't feel invaded, but supported. There was a spontaneous increase in screening mammograms, which rose from 4% to 30% in the municipality," reports Freitas Júnior.

The Ministry of Health recommends that mammograms be performed every two years starting at age 50 or if recommended by a doctor. However, some medical societies recommend that screening begin at age 40—an age endorsed in July by the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS), which adopted this standard for the exam.

Research will be continued

The study in Goiás will continue in the coming years and should present more data not only on detection, but also on the impacts that early diagnosis has on reducing mortality and treatment effectiveness.

"Our ultimate goal is to show over the next three years that the protocol can reduce the time to diagnosis and increase the number of patients who, after discovering the disease, begin treatment within the legal 60-day deadline, which is still widely ignored in our country," reports the research leader.

However, it won't be necessary to wait for the study's completion to reap the positive benefits of the initiative. The Goiás experience has sparked interest in other cities: there are plans to implement the model on a trial basis in Paragominas (PA), Araguaína (TO), Macapá, and Petrópolis (RJ).

The change is already noticeable even among the teams that received the training. One of the participants was health worker Valdirene Mendonça Gonçalves Pereira, 54, who considers the training a milestone in her career. "Today, I respond confidently to patients and convey this to them. Often, fear is what prevents them from getting tested. This sense of security has helped increase adherence to preventive screenings in our city," says the community worker.

Even though she was part of the control group (which didn't perform tests directly on patients), she observed positive changes in the women she visited. "I noticed they became more open to dialogue. They started seeking out the health unit on their own after talking to us," Pereira reports. "Now, we see the impact of our work in reducing serious cases. Knowing that I contributed to saving lives is a source of pride. It shows that prevention really works and that frontline action makes a difference."

Source: Einstein Agency

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