Private league to conduct 1,500 mammograms between July and August

Yeccenia Ugalde Garth has not had it for ten years Mammography. The last study was completed in 2014. So when she learned that the mobile unit would arrive in Limón, where she lived, she immediately set out with two goals: first, to end a long period of not checking her breasts; second, to dispel doubts and check if she was healthy.

Ugalde was selected to receive a mammogram last week as part of a private coalition, “It’s Time,” which aims to provide screening to 1,500 women in nine communities across the country between July 9 and August 23.

By the end of August, the mobile unit’s journey is scheduled to end in Alajuela, after which it will visit communities such as Siquires, the Puntarenas Islands, Cartago and Liberia.

The private consortium is made up of the company Grupo Montecristo, of which Medismart and Hospital Metropolitano are members; the pharmaceutical laboratories Roche, Avon, Cenrad and BAC. It is joined by the National Solidarity Foundation against Breast Cancer (Fundeso), which has 40 years of experience working with women suffering from breast cancer.

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Rebeca Villalobos, corporate relations manager for Grupo Montecristo, said this is the first year the alliance is promoting the mobile mammography unit.

The goal, he explained, is not just to screen, but to engage women who are injured and waiting for a mammogram.

Villalobos explained that the radiological study has a nominal cost of £4,000. However, if the person cannot pay due to their socioeconomic situation, the test will always be carried out.

Those women who need additional studies to clarify their diagnosis will be offered free ultrasounds, breast biopsies and compression cones, as well as an initial consultation with a Metropolitan Hospital oncologist.

How do I request a mammogram during “It’s Time”?

Rebeca Villalobos said calls have been made through the media, the social networks of allied companies and places such as cities and community development associations that have reached them with mobile devices carrying mammograms.

However, women who wish to do so can apply by filling out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScq8SQR20anWOeKrB1afDQiHLfeFSPZfmW3ccmtscz01gCcaw/viewform

The selection is based on several criteria: priority is given to people over 50 years old, those with a family history of breast cancer, women with suspected breast cancer lesions, and those who have difficulty in receiving this examination and really need it.

Villalobos said they have already selected a portion of 1,500 people for mammograms but still need to complete participation in Guanacaste and Puntarenas.

Consider the schedule for mobile mammography. As you will see, this is already happening in some communities:

• helpless: July 9th to 13th.
• Siquires: July 18th to 20th.
• lemon: July 16-17.
• Heredia: July 22-26, BAC San Francisco de Heredia branch.
• Puntarenas Oak: July 29 to August 2.
• Puntarenas Islands: August 2nd.
• Liberia, Guanacaste: August 5th to 9th, BAC Liberia Central Branch.
• Carthage: August 12-17, BAC branch in downtown Cartago.
• Alajuela: August 19-23, BAC branch in downtown Alajuela.

Villalobos said the league is committed to personally delivering every result within 48 hours of a mammogram.

Metropolitan Hospital staff conducted the studies and prepared the reports. “They are 100% digital studies, and we contact each woman personally to communicate the results. Our commitment is to follow up with everyone who needs it,” Villalobos said.

Fundeso President Marta Kinderson explained that the Foundation will accompany and guide patients, especially those who need longer follow-up after receiving the results of their mammogram.

“We have been working for more than 40 years. We have always followed up with patients, so this is not new for us because we do it every day. When someone raises a suspicion, we try to help them, but as an NGO we do not interfere with the CCSS (Costa Rica Social Security Fund),” clarifies Kinderson.

For cases where cancer is highly suspected, Fundeso intervenes as before, providing psychological and physical therapy, shelters for those in need, and other support services for cancer patients. Guidance is also provided on how to quickly access public services, which themselves prioritize cancer cases, Kindson said.

Such initiatives are conducive to early detection, as timely diagnosis can improve survival rates and minimally invasive tumor treatments, he said.

NGO: We must go beyond mammograms

In Costa Rica, there are at least two mobile units with mammography dedicated to breast cancer detection.

One is a unit managed by a public-private alliance called Isarusoperates through a partnership agreement between the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) and several private companies, which has lasted for 13 years.

The second is a coalition formed in 2023 to make “It’s Time” a reality.

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nation Attempts were made to find out through the Costa Rican Ministry of Health (which brings together hospitals and other private health services) whether there are more similar initiatives, but at the time of writing this note, this information was not available.

We also contacted CIMA Hospital via email but did not receive a response. For its part, the Catholic Hospital confirmed nation There are no mobile mammography units to provide these services.

Patient organizations consulted in this way welcome projects with these characteristics. Alexandra Nunez, A spokesperson for Unidos Contra el Cancer said the moves bring diagnostic research closer to populations that have trouble accessing care on their own.

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“The most important issue is the referral of patients with suspected or positive diagnosis of breast cancer and how to guarantee access and timely treatment of the disease. This is a relevant point of view,” warned Nuñez.

He agreed with her views. Marcela CamposPresident of the Pink Women’s Foundation. Campos stressed the importance of going beyond mammography, as there will always be patients who need to have their diagnosis confirmed or clarified through other parallel studies, which, in the case of the CCSS, require enrollment in a waiting list.