Chile to offer free breast cancer treatment using innovative method

The Chilean Ministry of Health plans to include free innovative treatment for triple-negative breast cancer in the public healthcare system. This was reported by Cronica Digital, a partner of TV BRICS.

The drug, a monoclonal antibody, works by helping the patient's own immune system: it marks cancer cells, allowing the body to detect and destroy them on its own. This subtype of the disease spreads rapidly and accounts for up to 15 per cent of all breast cancer cases.

Health Minister Ximena Aguilera said the project is already in the final stages of approval.

"We are in the final stages of legal paperwork, all key agreements have already been reached. We are very pleased because we know how important this is," she said.

Thanks to this drug, patients will have a much better chance of beating cancer. Approximately 650 women will be able to receive treatment each year. The therapy will be provided entirely at the expense of the state under the "Zero Co-payment" programme, which has helped nearly 2 million people over the past three years. This is an important step towards providing equal medical care for patients in both private and public clinics.

The development of new cancer treatments in Chile is part of a global effort to combat cancer. For example, Iran has created a device for the early diagnosis of blood cancer using nanomaterials. They identify volatile organic compounds in the blood that are associated with leukaemia. This was reported by IRNA, a partner of TV BRICS.

A Chinese medical company has received approval to use a unique drug to treat lymphoma, a rare type of cancer, according to TV BRICS partner China Daily. The drug acts in a targeted manner and, according to the company, can help patients who previously had less chance of recovery.

An international centre for the diagnosis and treatment of tumours using nuclear medicine has opened in Egypt. According to a representative of the Egyptian health service, this project is being implemented jointly with Russia and is aimed at transferring experience, training local staff and introducing modern technologies, reports Sada El-Balad, a partner of TV BRICS. The goal is not only to improve the quality and accessibility of care for Egyptian citizens, but also to become a centre of excellence for the entire region by developing medical tourism.

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