by TCRN Staff
Seven out of ten women with breast cancer in Costa Rica succeed in realizing the goal of surviving five years after diagnosis of a tumor, a figure which places Costa Rica in a privileged position within the developing countries.
Research published this week in the journal Lancet Oncology states that the success is due to the universal health care, clinical monitoring of patients and the wide coverage of mammography and ultrasound as a method of early detection.
The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and was designed to determine the survival of cancer patients in countries without the facilities of the first world in terms of health services and treatments.
Costa Rica participated in the survey for breast and cervical cancer, malignant tumors that have a high incidence in the country. The researchers took into account cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2005.
