Mammography makes a strong impact on success rates against breast cancer mortality.

Since 2009, Américas Amigas has been developing several actions to reverse the mortality rate caused by breast cancer in Brazil, among them the donation of modern mammography devices to hospitals or philanthropic institutions that serve (SUS). The aim of the organization is to provide women from the less favored classes with access to preventive exams and, as a consequence, ensure early diagnosis of breast cancer, a phase in which the chance of cure is around 95%.

The strategy was corroborated at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands where a study on the correlation between investment in health, early detection and falling mortality indicated that the higher the health budget, the greater the chance of cure.

The study focused on breast cancer and showed that screening has a strong impact on success rates in the fight against the disease - that is, investment in modern mammography for diagnosis provides greater chances of cure. The results also described disparities between the amounts allocated to health across countries, and showed a strong correlation between these amounts and the chances of surviving cancer.

In Brazil, the investment in health is US$ 107.00 per person, while the world average is US$ 549.00.

"Mammography is today the most efficient method to prevent breast cancer, therefore, it is very important to expand the access to this kind of exam in the country giving a "chance to life", explains Francisca de Paula Harley, president of Américas Amigas.

In a little more than four years, the entity has already donated 22 mammographies to several Beneficiaries in the country - Amazonas, Bahia, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Sergipe. In partnership with institutions such as Hospital de Câncer de Barretos (HCB), Instituto Avon, GE Healthcare, National Expert and Training Centre for Breast Cancer (LRBC), Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and the Ministry of Health, the Hospital has promoted qualification and training for professionals in the mammography sector who work with the donated equipment. Thus, it contributes not only for the access to mammography, by means of equipment donation, but also for the quality of the reports and examinations performed.