Patient rights

Going through cancer is a tough battle. And in these complicated moments we need to stay calm and look for the best ways.

What rights do I have as a cancer patient?

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Besides the concerns with the disease itself, there are often financial problems due to treatment, difficulty in travelling to consultations with specialists and for exams, the use of expensive medication and often time off work.

The good news is that there are entities that help us overcome these obstacles!

One of them is ABRALE. The Brazilian Association of Lymphoma and Leukaemia (ABRALE) has developed a complete booklet with all the rights of cancer patients, which are foreseen in Brazilian legislation, to help us in the search for our rights as cancer patients.

One of these rights that many patients do not know about is the right to free medication

If your doctor requests the use of a drug that is not on the SUS list, the doctor can make a special request for it to be provided. This request takes up to 30 days to be answered and you will receive a reply by e-mail or telegram. Medicines are normally requested directly by health professionals and taken at specific locations indicated by SUS in the e-mail or telegram you will receive. If in doubt, please contact the hospital or outpatient clinic where you are being treated or the Municipal Health Secretariat in the area where you live.

In cases where there is a lack of medication, you should contact the SUS Ombudsman or the Social Workers at the place where you are being treated.

We stress the importance of following the guidelines provided by the medical team treating you.