Chile clears 99.5% of its overdue breast cancer care cases
Chile's Ministry of Health has resolved or closed 3,620 of 3,665 overdue breast cancer care guarantees. In 89% of cases, women received a diagnosis, treatment or effective follow-up.
In Chile, the Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) system sets maximum waiting times to diagnose and treat diseases such as breast cancer. When those deadlines are missed, the case becomes “overdue”. The Ministry of Health launched a Cancer Alert Plan to catch up, and the results are very good.
The numbers
- Of the 3,665 overdue breast cancer guarantees, 3,620 have now been resolved or closed: 99.5%.
- In 89% of those cases, women received effective care: a confirmed diagnosis, cancer treatment or follow-up.
- So far this year, 30,805 breast cancer guarantees have been closed, 9.6% more than in 2025.
The figures were given by Alejandro Berkovits, head of the ministry’s Cancer Department, during a visit to a mammography centre in La Florida, Santiago.
A note of caution
The ministry also reported 4,400 new breast cancer cases diagnosed up to July, 7.6% more than the previous year. Officials say this partly reflects more women getting tested, which is why they keep stressing early detection.
Why it matters
With breast cancer, every week counts. Almost every woman who was waiting has now been seen, which means diagnoses and treatments arriving in time.
