Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Breast Cancer Early Diagnosis Program in Brazil

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several screening exams were postponed, including mammograms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reduction in mammographic screening in Brazil from 2020 to 2021 compared to 2015–2019. This was an ecologic observational study based on the retrospective data of Brazil's mammographic screening program. A Brazilian national screening database (DATASUS – SISCAN (Cancer System Information)) was used as the data source, and the data in this database are publicly available for download and analysis. We report the number of screenings rate from January 2020 to December 2021 and compare them to those from 2015-2019. From 2015 to 2021, 10,763,894 mammograms were performed and included in the analysis. Reductions of 39.6% and 13.3% were found in 2020 in 2021, respectively. During the pandemic's peak, the reduction was more pronounced, with maximum reductions of 82.4% in May 2020 and 34.8% in April 2021. There was an increase in the number of tests performed on high-risk patients from 11.2% in 2020 to 13.9% in 2021. This research demonstrated a decline in the breast cancer screening rate during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic; this reduction will increase the burden of advanced breast cancer, potentially impacting morbimortality related to this neoplasm.