Public-Private Partnership Boosts Breast Cancer Early Detection in Chile
Chile kicked off a breast cancer awareness month with a landmark public-private collaboration between the Fundación Arturo López Pérez and the Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades (ACHM). The joint initiative aims to strengthen prevention, timely detection, accurate diagnosis, and comprehensive care, while highlighting the crucial role of the Primary Health Care system (APS) in managing breast cancer at the community level. The event set the stage for a formal agreement designed to expand access to screening, streamline referrals, and empower local health networks to act early.
Intersectoral Voices Highlight Progress and Goals
During the panel, Sun Kim, head of the National Cancer Agency at the Ministry of Health (MINSAL), presented a cautious but hopeful picture. Mortality from breast cancer has fallen significantly in Chile, and current survival stands at about 80.8 percent. Yet the focus remains on closing the gap to 90 percent, a target associated with higher-income nations. Kim emphasized a practical, preventive approach: women should be aware of risk factors and stay current with screenings. Key messages include moderating alcohol use, maintaining physical activity, addressing obesity and overweight, and keeping routine checks up with a matron in primary care or with a gynecologist in private services. These steps, she noted, are essential in the early detection pathway.
José Miguel Bernucci, Director of Prevention and Early Detection at Fundación Arturo López Pérez, spoke on the network of mobile clinics that the foundation has operated since 2007. The fleet—six mobile units—travels across the country to serve women in vulnerable and remote communities. In the first half of this year, these clinics conducted more than 17,000 procedures in 10 of Chile’s 16 regions, demonstrating both reach and impact in expanding access to screening where it is most needed.
Why Early Detection Matters: Outcomes and Costs
Bernucci underscored a stark contrast: when breast cancer is detected early, about 95 percent of those patients can be cured, compared with dramatically lower survival in advanced stages. The difference is not only clinical but economic: early treatment can cost roughly one-third of care required for advanced cancer. These numbers reinforce the public health rationale for expanding screening access, reducing late-stage diagnoses, and reinforcing the capacity of primary care providers to identify, refer, and support patients through the diagnostic process.
Strengthening Primary Health Care and Access
The event underscored the pivotal role of APS in the cancer care continuum. By improving screening coverage, coordinating referrals, and supporting women with risk-based follow-up, primary care services become a frontline defense in reducing mortality and improving quality of life. The collaboration also points to practical steps such as integrating the mobile clinics’ data with local health networks, standardizing follow-up protocols, and enhancing community education around breast health, self-awareness, and risk management.
What This Means for Chilean Women
For women across Chile, the partnership offers clearer pathways to preventive care and earlier diagnosis. Public health officials, municipal leaders, and private partners are aligning to ensure that screening opportunities reach more people—especially in underserved areas. The combined emphasis on lifestyle risk factors, regular medical checks, and accessible screening services creates a comprehensive early-detection framework that can save lives and reduce the burden of breast cancer on families and health systems.
How to Stay Informed and Take Action
Women are encouraged to discuss breast health with their health care providers—whether through matron-led visits in primary care or gynecologist appointments in private clinics. Regular screening, awareness of risk factors, and timely follow-ups remain the core pillars of early detection. The public-private alliance promises ongoing updates, mobile screening opportunities, and strengthened links between communities and care facilities.
