Ángeles Cruz Martínez
La Jornada newspaper
Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. 8
Raúl is 48 years old and diagnosis of anus cancer. Last May, the specialist of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) ordered radiotherapy sessions and, at the same time, a chemotherapy medication. After three months, the treatment has not begun because there are no quotes in the private radiotherapy service hired to meet the demand.
“The agenda is full. Talk by phone or come every week,” is the response that the patient receives at the IMSS hospital where they take care of managing attention at the subrogated clinic.
Thus, health services for Social Security beneficiaries that require confirmation of the diagnosis of some disease, mainly cancer. It happens with men and women and is a phenomenon that is repeated at the Institute of Social Security and Services of State Workers (ISSSTE), lamented Luis Adrián Quiroz, leader of the DVVIMSS organization.
Another case is that of Jorge, with prostate cancer, and whose appointment for a tomography is December 11, but his appointment with the oncologist that will indicate the start of the treatment is September 10. With that lag, what will happen is that it will take longer the confirmation of the diagnosis and the beginning of the therapy. Thus, in the best case, due to the progress of the tumor, you will need more complex and high -cost treatments, said the activist.
Quiroz also warned about the changes announced by the Ministry of Health that, a few days ago, announced that from a list of 227 oncological medicines, there will be 117 essential and 110 “non -essential”, that is, they can be replaced.
The head of the federal agency, David Kershenobich, presented the information, but “did not explain what were the criteria for deciding the category of the oncological. Someone should explain to the patients that these substitutions will not affect them,” he said.
The activist also criticized what happens in IMSS-shienestar with high specialty medical care. In malignant tumors, there is a list of six priorities in which comprehensive care is guaranteed.
Some of the priority neoplasms are leukemia, breast and cervical cancer, but, warned, there are not prostate cancers, lung, or myeloma.
