EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SCREENING AND DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAPHY REQUESTS IN THE STATE OF ALAGOAS: TRENDS AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE FROM 2014 TO 2024

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm among Brazilian women, representing a major public health challenge due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Early detection through mammography is the most effective strategy to reduce the risk of late diagnosis, enabling timely therapeutic interventions and increasing survival rates. In the state of Alagoas, the analysis of mammography requests allows for the understanding of temporal trends and the sociodemographic profile of the women served, as well as the identification of inequalities in access to screening and diagnostic services. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the epidemiology of screening and diagnostic mammography requests in Alagoas between 2014 and 2024, identifying trends and sociodemographic characteristics of the population served. This is a descriptive, retrospective, and quantitative investigation based on secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN/DATASUS). The results showed a marked predominance of females in all categories of examinations, a progressive increase in requests until 2019, a decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and gradual recovery in subsequent years. Regarding the race/color variable, a higher number of exams was observed among yellow and brown women, indicating inequalities in access to screening. The BI-RADS® report categories showed a predominance of benign and negative findings, with a slight increase in suspicious findings from 2022 onwards, reflecting improvement in early detection. The findings reinforce the importance of early breast cancer detection, continuous