The Minister of Health and Consumption of the Junta de Andalucía, Catherine Garciasaid this Thursday that, “thanks to the promotion and dissemination campaigns and the responsibility of the Andalusians”, in the last year, the Cancer Strategy in Andalusia has managed to double the acceptance rate for colon cancer screening invitations. Currently, the colon cancer screening program has already been extended to nearly 95% of the target population of Andalusia, that is, people between 50 and 69 years of age.
García, who starred in the Europa Press Socio-Health Breakfasts in Madrid, explained that in 2021, Andalusians accepted 411,281 invitations for colon cancer screening, of which 12,697 colonoscopies were performed; last year, 862,360 Andalusians accepted the invitation made to them by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) and 28,589 colonoscopies were performedthanks to which “we were able to detect 15,000 malignant polyps and 500 cancers.”
In this sense, he insisted that “the best tool to fight against cancer is prevention and early detection, and here, our best weapon is screening”, while, he added, “colon cancer can be cured in 90% of cases if it is detected in its initial stages or in the form of premalignant lesions”. For this reason, “it is very important to participate in these screenings and our goal is to reach 100% response to the invitations made to the target population.”
The counselor stressed that “cancer is one of the main public health problems and a huge challenge, from a health point of view.” Thus, she explained that the The estimated annual incidence of this disease in Andalusia is currently 45,500 cases. (26,300 men and 19,200 women) and the mortality of almost 18,000 deaths (11,150 men and 6,800 women). “Cancer represents 25% of global mortality and in Andalusia it is the first cause of death in men and the second in women,” she explained.
Given these data, García said that the Ministry of Health and Consumption, under the coordination of the General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation, the direction of the Comprehensive Oncology Plan, the methodological support of the Fundación Progreso y Salud and in collaboration with the SAS , elaborates the Cancer Strategy in Andalusia, “which we are developing”.
This strategy contemplates five lines of intervention: prevention, promotion and early diagnosis; adult assistance; child and adolescent assistance; the humanization of health care for cancer patients and palliative care; and epidemiology, information and documentation system.
García also referred to screening for breast cancer, “the other type of cancer in which we are putting more effort”, since “it is the most common malignant tumor in women.” Every year in Andalusia, 4,900 new cases are detected.
