The Social Security System, or Caja, on Tuesday announced an investment of ₡148 million ($29,000) in diagnostic and treatment equipment for patients with cervical cancer, one of the top three causes of death in Costa Rica.
Caja Executive President Ileana Balmaceda said “with this equipment the institution increases care for women and improves early diagnosis of lesions in the cervix, to reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer.”
The equipment was distributed to the Caja’s 12 hospitals.
Cervical cancer is the third most-common type among women in Costa Rica. Of every 100 women diagnosed with cancer, 21 suffer from skin cancer, 19 from breast cancer and 13 from cervical cancer. It is also third in terms of mortality rate (7 percent), behind breast cancer (15 percent) and stomach cancer (13 percent).
