Building Evidence During Crisis: Breast Cancer Care Pathways in a Resource-Constrained Setting
Published in Cancer, General & Internal Medicine, and Public Health
Conducting this study required a true multidisciplinary task force involving attending physicians, breast surgery residents, and collaborators from different medical specialties, both during and after the pandemic period. Data collection itself became a major challenge, as clinical workflows were constantly changing and healthcare professionals were simultaneously balancing patient care, surgical backlogs, academic responsibilities, and the emotional burden imposed by the pandemic.
One of the strongest motivations behind this project was the belief that experiences from resource-constrained public healthcare systems also deserve scientific visibility and international discussion. Despite the limitations inherent to retrospective analyses performed in middle-income settings, we believed that documenting the experience of a large public oncology center during the pandemic could provide valuable external perspectives on how cancer care pathways behave under healthcare system stress.
In many ways, this study was also an exercise in resilience — not only in maintaining cancer care during a global crisis, but also in sustaining academic collaboration, clinical research, and scientific production in a setting with limited resources and continuously shifting priorities.
“This experience reinforced our conviction that meaningful clinical research can emerge even under adverse conditions when collaborative academic networks remain active.”
Master of Science from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP).
Breast Surgeon (Mastologist) trained at the University of São Paulo (USP - SP) and General Surgeon by the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC - SP).
Holds a Medical Degree from Centro Universitário Lusíada / Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Santos (FCMS).
His master’s research focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer in a public reference center, evaluating how the health crisis affected oncological navigation and clinical outcomes.
Author of publications in the fields of breast surgery, obstetrics, and general surgery.
Instructor of the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
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BMC Cancer
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