Background
The Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA) estimates that in 2011 the country will have approximately 18,500 new cases of cervical cancer and 49,200 cases of breast cancer. In Brazil, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women, killing 11,813 women in 2008.

Investing in prevention, diagnosis and treatment
On 22nd March 2011, President Dilma Rousseff and the Minister of Health Alexandre Padilha announced that 2.8 billion USD would be invested over the next four years in the fight against breast and cervical cancer, including: strengthening primary healthcare, running public awareness-raising campaigns, and supporting the outpatient and hospital network of the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS). 
 
“Cancer is curable if we prevent and detect it in its early stage. I benefited from prevention: I had cancer, it was detected early and was cured. I want every woman to have access to the same things I did,” said President Dilma Rouseff, who underwent treatment for cancer in 2009.

Breast Cancer
The key goals for breast cancer are to:
•    Replace mammogram equipment in 48 hospitals and establish advanced treatment services in 32 hospitals qualified for oncology care.
•    Set up two special taskforces with representatives from the federal government, states and municipalities, as well as the Health Surveillance National Agency, INCA, and the Brazilian College of Radiology to monitor the performance of mammogram equipment.
•    Establish 50 new mastology or gynecology centres to speed up the start of treatment once diagnosis has been confirmed. The location of these centres will be decided by local authorities, prioritizing regions where communities have limited access to these services.
 
Cervical Cancer
The key goals for cervical cancer are to:
•    Support states and municipalities to ensure access to preventative examinations, focusing on women aged 25 to 59.
•    Ensure that all Brazilian women undergo preventive examinations every three years (after having had two consecutive yearly examinations with negative results for cancer) as recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
•    Control the quality of preventative examinations.
•    Speed up  diagnosis and reduce waiting time to start treatment, by broadening the specialized oncology network and incorporating more hospitals into the SUS. 
•    Build the capacity of health professionals in this field through the Distance Education Public University of the National Health System (UnaSus) and the creation, by 2012, of 20 gynecologist training centers.