Public-Private Collaboration to Accelerate Early Detection
Chile kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a landmark public-private collaboration aimed at strengthening prevention, timely detection, accurate diagnosis, and comprehensive care. The partnership between the Arturo López Pérez Foundation and the Association of Chilean Municipalities (ACHM) signals a strategic push to elevate the role of Primary Health Care (APS) in breast cancer management. The event set the stage for an agreement designed to expand access to screening, improve referral pathways, and ensure that women receive coordinated care across public and private providers.
Leadership Voices and Ambitious Goals
The gathering featured Sun Kim, head of the National Cancer Agency at the Ministry of Health (Minsal), who highlighted promising progress in Chile. Mortality from breast cancer has declined and current survival stands at about 80.8%. Kim emphasized that while this is encouraging, the country is actively striving to reach 90% survival, a benchmark more commonly seen in higher-income nations. He urged women to stay vigilant about risk factors and to maintain regular screening and checkups, whether through primary care services, matronas in APS, or gynecologists in private settings.
Risk Factors and Practical Screening Guidance
Kim underscored lifestyle factors that influence risk, including alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body weight. Physical activity is a protective factor, while obesity and overweight raise risk. Regular screenings and timely follow-up remain essential, with screening opportunities available through the APS network or private providers. The message to women is clear: stay informed, schedule routine checks, and seek guidance from trusted health professionals as part of routine reproductive and general care.
Mobile Clinics: Bringing Screening to Underserved Areas
José Miguel Bernucci, director of prevention and early detection at the Arturo López Pérez Foundation, outlined a robust mobile clinic program that has operated since 2007. Six mobile units traverse the country, offering mammography to women in vulnerable and remote communities. The program has performed more than 418,000 mammograms to date. In the first half of this year alone, it carried out over 17,000 examinations across 10 of Chile’s 16 regions, illustrating the scale and reach of mobile screening as a key access point for early detection.
Why Early Detection Is a Economic and Human Imperative
The program’s rationale rests on compelling clinical and economic evidence. Early-stage breast cancer has a cure rate of about 95%, whereas late-stage disease is associated with roughly 30% survival, and in some cases, near-zero survival at the 10-year mark. Beyond savings in human suffering, early detection reduces treatment costs substantially: an early intervention typically costs about a third of what is required for advanced cancer care. This combination of improved outcomes and cost efficiency reinforces the value of expanding screening via mobile units and strengthened primary care coordination.
Primary Health Care: The Frontline of Prevention and Care
The partnership places a renewed emphasis on Primary Health Care as the backbone of prevention, screening, diagnosis, and follow-up. By integrating risk assessment, referral to imaging and specialists, and continuous care within APS, the initiative aims to minimize delays and ensure equity in access. The collaboration envisions a seamless flow from risk identification in community settings to diagnostic confirmation and treatment planning, backed by data-sharing and stable financing that supports long-term program sustainability.
Looking Ahead: Building a Model for Other Nations
As Chile pursues greater equity in cancer outcomes, this public-private alliance offers a blueprint for scaling up screening, expanding APS capacity, and educating the population about modifiable risk factors. If sustained, the initiative could drive Chile closer to the 90% survival benchmark and provide a replicable framework for middle-income countries seeking to elevate early detection, reduce disparities, and deliver high-quality, person-centered breast cancer care.
