Brazil expands public cancer treatment with nine new medications
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The Brazilian Ministry of Health began distributing nine high-tech medications to the public health system, known as SUS, to treat various types of cancer.
This initiative aims to increase access to oncological therapies across the country. The new drugs cover 13 clinical indications, including treatments for breast, prostate, and lung cancers, as well as lymphomas. The government expects the expansion to benefit more than 116,000 patients across 20 health units in 17 states.
The ministry plans to complete the distribution to the entire public network by the end of the year. Among the new treatments are abemaciclibe for breast cancer and pazopanibe for advanced renal cell cancer. Other medications include abiraterone for prostate cancer and gefitinibe for specific lung cancer cases that involve genetic alterations. Oncologist Maria Ignez Braghiroli explained that some of these drugs require specific medical monitoring.
For example, pazopanibe can affect blood pressure and liver function, while abemaciclibe may cause side effects like diarrhea. The ministry also launched a program to distribute 400,000 fecal immunochemical tests to help detect intestinal cancer early in people aged 50 to 75. While the government provides these resources, officials note that ensuring patients can navigate the full treatment process remains a primary challenge.
