Patient journey and survey of costs of monitoring initial and metastatic breast cancer in the Unified Health System (SUS)

Abstract

Objective: To describe the journey of access to the care network, to compile the procedures available in the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) for patient care with early and metastatic breast cancer, as well as to provide an estimate of the costs incurred from the SUS perspective in three years of treatment for each stage of the disease. Methods: The guidelines from the Ministery of Health were reviewed for describing the journey of access. The information was extracted from the SIGTAP table for the cost survey. Including the reimbursement values of procedures for screening, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment for a three years period from the beginning of the treatment. Results: The approach to breast cancer in the SUS permeates all levels of care and depends on the articulation between them for the best result of control actions. The results demonstrate a substantial increase in costs as the stage of the disease progresses. In relation to stage I, where the cost at the end of three years of treatment was R$ 73,718.24, for stages II and III, the cost of treatment for the same period was 96% and 129% higher, respectively. For metastatic cancer, the final cost was R$ 380,817.01 which represents an increase of 416% when compared to stage I. Conclusion: The treatment in the initial phase improves quality and life expectancy in addition to making the health system less burdensome.