The Perception of Women From Sergipe About Events Which Facilitate the Mammary Cancer Detection, Investigation and Treatment

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to identify the events which the women from Sergipe identified during their trajectory in the mammary cancer care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study, accomplished in a public reference Center in oncology, placed in Aracaju. The data was collected among 58 women with mammary cancer diagnosis, who were over 18 years old, registered in the service and who took adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in the period from October, 2011 to March, 2012. In order to collect the data, a structured interview guide was used. The information was typed in a database built in an EPI INFO program, version 3. 2. 1. The appointments, exams, treatments, reasons and people in charge were evaluated through a frequency which was observed in the women’s discourse. The data was analyzed based on the national and international literature review, concerning the given thematic. RESULTS: Among the interviewed women, 55(94, 8%) stated that at least one facilitator event was identified during their search for health attention, concerning the mammary cancer. Among them, 33 reported these facilitator events in more than one period, and 25(45, 4%) stated the investigation and treatment periods. It is important to highlight that 14(25, 4%) and eight (14, 5%) women attested that had found these facilitator events just in the investigation and treatment periods, respectively. The period of investigation may be understood as the moment related to the trajectory of the mammary cancer care most referred by women, concerning the facilitator events. The 47(85, 5%) women which related facilitator events in the investigation period stated the mammography (f=30), mammary ultrasonography (f=29) and fine needle aspiration (f=21) as the diagnosis phases with better access. However, this facility in accessing was due to the fact that these exams were paid by the woman and their relatives. DISCUSSION: The predominance of the costing and/or funding by the women and their relatives was observed, since they were afraid of the delay observed in obtaining the diagnosis and the treatment access by the Sistema Unico de Saude and the possibility of the disease progression. The apparent facility may be considered as a difficulty factor in the familiar context the Brazilian criteria of Socioeconomic classification. During the investigation period, the mammography was stated as the procedure that women mostly paid for, and it was not used as a tracking method. CONCLUSION: Through the results, it was observed a health attention deficiency concerning the mammary cancer, highlighting the basic attention and medium complexity services, since some opportunity losses of early diagnosis were observed. The appointment, exam and treatment payment, by women and their relatives, may be considered as an alternative measure in order to optimize the diagnosis and treatment accesses.