Health regionalization and assistance to users with breast cancer

Abstract

Cancer (or malignancy), despite being a well known disease for centuries, has occupied a prominent position in the studies regarding health throughout the world, because it has become a public health problem, due to its epidemic character. This work aims to discuss the health regionalization in Minas Gerais relating this to the assistance to breast cancer patients of the municipalities that compose the Extended Region of Northern Health (RAS North). The methodological procedures consisted of literature review, document search and iconographic records. RAS North comprises 86 municipalities, divided into nine health regions, and Montes Claros is the main city to offer outpatient and hospital services of high complexity for cancer treatment, and receives all the demand for oncology patients in the region. The people of RAS North diagnosed with breast cancer face many problems, such as accessibility to health services, like traveling great distances with poor road conditions to receive medical treatment. It can be observed that health regionalization in Minas Gerais is a process under construction that should be constantly revised to achieve efficient management of health services.