Time From Diagnosis to Treatment Initiation in Cervical Cancer Patients Within Brazil's Public Health System: A Regional Analysis From 2016 to 2025
Gonçalo Zardin Chechi, Arthur Simas Heisser, Juliana Rosset, Luísa Schafre, Vitório SerafimPURPOSE
Cervical cancer remains a major public health burden in Brazil, which ranks among the countries with the highest incidence in Latin America. Despite advances in HPV vaccination and screening programs, late diagnosis and barriers to timely treatment access remain critical challenges. Brazilian Federal Law No. 12.732/2012 mandates that patients with confirmed cancer diagnoses begin treatment within 60 days. This study aims to analyze the time from diagnosis to treatment initiation for cervical cancer patients in the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) between 2016 and 2025.
METHODS
Retrospective epidemiological study using data from the DATASUS Oncology Dashboard, from 2016 to 2025. Cases were stratified by geographic region and categorized into three intervals: up to 30 days, 31-60 days, and more than 60 days. Cases without treatment information were excluded. A chi-square test assessed the association between region and time to treatment initiation (α = 5%).
RESULTS
A total of 130,149 cases were analyzed. Overall, 30,6% (n = 39,772) initiated treatment within 30 days, 18,0% (n = 23,466) between 31 and 60 days, and 51,4% (n = 66,911) after 60 days. Regional analysis revealed statistically significant disparities (
CONCLUSION
The majority of cervical cancer patients in the SUS do not receive treatment within the 60-day period mandated by law, with statistically significant regional disparities. The South region, with 41.4% of patients treated within 30 days, demonstrates that better indicators of timely access are achievable within the SUS itself. The North region, however, presents the most critical indicators, reflecting deep structural inequalities in the Brazilian healthcare system. These findings underscore the urgent need for region-specific policies and targeted investments to expand diagnostic and therapeutic capacity in the most vulnerable regions, advancing Brazil toward its cervical cancer elimination goals by 2030—as established by the World Health Organization.