The Experience of a Breast Center in Mexico City
Antonio Maffuz-Aziz, Fernando Guisa-Hohenstein, Sergio Rodríguez-Cuevas

Abstract

Breast cancer has an incidence and mortality varying between countries. Although the incidence is higher in developed countries, the strategies for early detection, development of breast units and the availability of financial resources for care of breast cancer patients, have shown an effective way to reduce mortality. In this article we want to demonstrate how through an organization not dependent on government for operating guidelines, but with governmental financial support specifically for the care of breast cancer, it is possible to replicate the results in early detection and mortality reduction by a breast opportunistic screening program and medical attention in a specialized complete breast unit. The data analysis done by comparison of disease-free survival and overall survival of patients with breast cancer dividing how were diagnosed either by screening mammography (n = 537) or with diagnostic mammography (n = 1523). The results shown a benefit of 15.7 months in the disease-free and overall survival of 15.9 % higher in the group of patients diagnosed by screening mammography in comparison to diagnostic mammography. Additionally, treatment of the first group involved lower morbidity and lower cost.