The only NGO in Brazil that funds breast cancer treatment for low-income women, the organization warns about the waiting time before treatment begins, which can exceed 200 days
São Paulo, September 1, 2026 – Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Brazilian women, with an estimated 78,600 new cases per year between 2026 and 2028 and an age-adjusted incidence rate of 41.89 cases per 100,000 women, according to data from Brazil’s National Cancer Institute (INCA). In this context, and considering that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 8 women worldwide will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, waiting becomes one of the greatest enemies of a cure.
The first project developed through this partnership is the launch of the campaign “The Wait.” The initiative seeks to connect the public with the anguish experienced by women waiting to begin treatment, exploring the concept of waiting and our relationship with time. Produced by Paranoid, the film is narrated by Ana Furtado, a board member and ambassador for Instituto Protea who has also faced breast cancer herself. The campaign places real patients at the center of the story, portraying the resilience of women who are currently facing, or have previously faced, long delays before beginning cancer treatment in Brazil. According to a study conducted by Abrale’s Research Department using data from Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) and published last year, this waiting period can exceed 200 days.
“For someone with cancer, waiting is distressing and can be decisive. Cancer does not wait. We need to ensure that every woman has access to early diagnosis and the treatment she needs, at the right time. Protea exists to help transform this harsh reality, and we want to raise awareness across society and mobilize new partners so that we can expand this impact throughout Brazil,” says Nira Cará, Executive Director of Instituto Protea.
The film’s creative concept reverses the usual logic of waiting. In everyday life, people constantly seek to reduce waiting times as much as possible. For women awaiting breast cancer treatment, however, time becomes their greatest enemy. The narrative conveys the urgency experienced by those who depend on immediate care and reinforces the campaign’s central message: breast cancer does not wait. So do not give cancer time.
“This campaign required an extremely sensitive approach, but also a strong sense of urgency. Showing time from the perspective of women who are waiting for treatment was essential to raising awareness and helping Instituto Protea increase the chances of recovery for thousands of women,” says Ana Novis, Creative Director at AlmapBBDO.
A National Reference in Expanding Access to and Accelerating Breast Cancer Treatment
Founded by economist Gabriella Antici, who faced and overcame the disease twice thanks to early diagnosis and immediate treatment, Protea was born out of a refusal to accept inequality, with the mission of ensuring that every woman has the same chance of recovery Gabriella had, regardless of her income.
Today, Instituto Protea operates under a model that is unique in Brazil. It combines early detection initiatives, including the implementation of coordinated care pathways and the training of healthcare professionals to accelerate referrals, with the funding of treatment, including surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The organization is also involved in an Artificial Intelligence research project for breast cancer screening: an algorithm developed by MIT that predicts an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer up to five years before changes become visible on a mammogram. The technology has been validated at Hospital de Amor in Barretos, is currently being implemented at Hospital Santa Marcelina, and Protea aims to expand its use throughout Brazil so that breast cancer can be diagnosed as early as possible.
Through this model, the Institute works in partnership with hospitals, public health departments and research institutions to reduce the time required across the entire patient journey, from investigation to the beginning of treatment. Its work contributes to compliance with both Brazil’s 60-Day Law, which establishes a maximum period of 60 days between diagnosis and the beginning of treatment, and the 30-Day Law, which requires diagnostic tests needed to confirm a suspected cancer diagnosis to be performed within 30 days. To date, the organization has provided full treatment for more than 2,542 women and funded more than 40,000 chemotherapy sessions and 70,000 radiotherapy sessions. Protea is now pursuing an ambitious goal: mobilizing 1 million Brazilians to make monthly donations of R$10, further strengthening its position as a leading organization in the fight against breast cancer.
With a strong presence in states including São Paulo, as previously mentioned, Rio de Janeiro, through Hospital Mário Kroeff and the Municipal Health Department, Goiás, through the State Health Department in partnership with Instituto Natura, and Bahia, at Hospital Aristides Maltez, the Institute funds surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, medical shifts, anesthesiologists and diagnostic procedures such as vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. It is the only breast cancer NGO in Brazil that directly funds treatment.
To accelerate the patient journey, Protea has implemented the One Stop Clinic model, allowing the entire diagnostic investigation, including mammography, ultrasound examinations and biopsies, to be carried out in a single day. In addition, the Institute supports the physical and mental rehabilitation of patients and their caregivers through the CORES support group, which has already provided psychological and social assistance to more than 400 people.
Credits – Protea “The Wait”
Agency: AlmapBBDO
Advertiser: Instituto Protea
Title(s): The Wait
Product: Institutional
Campaign: The Wait
President and CEO: Filipe Bartholomeu
CCO: Pernil
Creative Vice Presidents: Fernando Duarte and Henrique Del Lama
Creative Directors: Ana Novis, Paula Keller Perego and Sabrina Villar
Creative Team: Caique Llaguno and Claudia de Sa
COO: Rafaela Alves
Chief Impact Officer and VP of Client Services and Business: Camilla Massari
Client Services: Fabíola Loureiro, Bruna Gomes, Marina Comin, Bia Soares and Stephany Nicastro
CSO: João Gabriel Fernandes
Strategy: Rita Almeida, Anne Liz and Luana Sandrault
Media: Luana Gallizi, Victor Cavalcante, Jonathan de Sousa and Jhonata Jesus
Audiovisual Production: Diego Villas Bôas, Aline Silva and Ticiana Leal
Production Company: Paranoid
Directors: Bel&Ju
Director of Photography: Paulo Vainer
Executive Producers: Marcel Weckx and Luiz Armesto
Client Services: Fernanda Sousa and Karina Vallesi
Creative Research: Bruno Mota, Isabel Azevedo, Adriana Marto, Bruna Melo and Guilherme Rodrigues
Production Coordination: Fernanda Hernandez
Production Coordination Assistants: Camila Aureliano, Juliana Romano and Rosangela Tsolakidis
Assistant Director: Juliana Antich
Production Director: Davis Fabri
Wardrobe Production: Lis Bedini
Casting Production: Cintia Capellano
Location Production: Fabiano Ramos
Post-Production Coordination: Paula Oliveira Solano
Post-Production Coordination Assistant: Gabriela Rosas
Post-Production: Safari
Color: Bleach – Sergio Pasqualino
Post-Production Assistants: Kaio Shot and Felipe Franco
Editor: Gui Bechara
Assistant Editor: Kaio Shot
Finishing Artist: Ivan Lemos
Sound Production Company: PUNCH AUDIO
Producer: Mariano Alvarez
Creative: Tony Berchmans
Executive Producer: Lili D. Aragoni
Client Services: Kiki Eisenbraun and Ale Pais
Production Coordination: Karina Coviello, Fefo Miranda and Mariana Tardelli
Mixing and Finishing: Gustavo Guanaes, Henrique Oliveira, Ian Sierra and Rodrigo Tuchê
Voice-over: Ana Furtado
Protea Approvals: Anna Gabriella Chagas Antici, Thais Chede, Mara Yano and Elde Bueno
