The screening program for breast cancer of the Ministry of Health is in the hands of the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC) of the Region of Murcia for years and every year thousands of women from between 50 and 69 years old have mammograms to detect or rule out cancer. However, there have been several instances in recent months where these tests have failed.
Up to three women who have gone through the AECC this year have been diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks or months after receiving a negative diagnosis by the association, for which they warn that the tests «they are not entirely reliable and errors occur that can have serious consequences.
“Just a few weeks after receiving the diagnosis a bulto noticed me. I went to a private oncologist and after a mammography and an ultrasound confirmed that I had a tumor of more than two centimeters and that it had been there for a long time ”, explains one of those affected in La Opinión.
Specialists believe that in cases of dense breasts, two tests should be done to confirm
Upon learning of this first case, the president of the Amici Association, Catiana Martinezhe confirms that he is aware of as many as three similar cases this year, in which the cancer was confirmed after a test at the AECC that came back negative.
Specialists indicate that there are cases when they are faced with dense breasts it is difficult to make a completely reliable diagnosis only with a mammogram, therefore the ideal would be to do two exams: mammography and ultrasound, and therefore by crossing them a good diagnosis would be obtained.
A sensitive issue, considering that close to 50,000 Murcians they pass every year through the mammograms of the Murcia Cancer Association and trust the report released by the radiologists.
The AECC had problems covering two radiologist victims due to a lack of specialists
When questioned about this situation, the AECC confirmed that “a report is being made, as established in the protocol, both by us and by the company itself. Health consultancyto find out the reasons this case was not detected», to which they add that «it can be a dense breast, which is more difficult to see».
However, they insist that up to three different radiologists have reported theto test this patient and “all agree on the diagnosis and state that the mammogram was negative for cancer and there were no palpable lumps or lesions consistent with cancer.”
Sources from the Ministry of Health explain this perform quality control and evaluation of these tests and “in any case, the responsible units are immediately contacted”. As for the specific situation of one of these patients, they indicate that when the case became known, she “she received next day care at the Morales Meseguer Breast Unit.”
break in March
Here is the situation faced by the three women who were misdiagnosed with mammography the test in the AECC of Murcia last March, dates on which the association had a break with diagnoses due to lack of radiologists in the team.
«We have received comments that in March there were problems with AECC mammograms, with delays in diagnosis of several months and repeating the tests in other cases”, says Catiana Martínez. For this reason, the Associazione Amica began to verify these testimonies, which coincided, and “an operator of the association confirmed that there were technicians on leave and that more than 200 mammograms were awaiting reporting, some cases referred to Social Security radiologists,” says the president.
The team of AECC of Murcia He replies that “there is a significant shortage of radiology specialists and at that time we had two victims (one due to covid and the other due to a common disease) that we were unable to cover”, despite looking for specialists in the province neighboring areas of Alicante, Albacete and Almería.
To this was added the legislation on SMS incompatibilities, with which a public health radiologist cannot work in an institution that receives funds from the Administration itself“which made the situation even more complicated for us and led to a longer delay until we could sort it out with the Ministry.”
The AECC acknowledges that there was a delay in diagnoses on that date, “but a month everything that had been delayed was made up and we caught up».
The Amiga Association calls for the combined double test of mammography and ultrasound
The Asociación Amiga de Murcia has already received several cases of women who AECC breast cancer screening mammography The tumor was not identified, a tumor that was diagnosed shortly after through the combined use of tests: mammography and ultrasound.
For this reason, its president, Catiana Martínez, says that in women with dense breasts, in which it is more difficult to see if there is anything, this double test is done to check them and have an accurate diagnosis.
In this case, it goes as far as to indicate that in the Morales Meseguer Hospital it even takes it a step further and ultrasound is done with contrast, “which is even more reliable.”
Martínez regrets the “jam” that occurred in March with the tests at the Spanish Cancer Association due to the lack of specialists and recalls that “the protocol establishes that the mammograms must arrive informed and in case the result is positive for breast cancer, make an appointment preferentially with the Breast Unit of your reference hospital to be seen by the oncologist within a period not exceeding 15 days».
Furthermore, when asked about these cases in which the cancer has not been detected by a first test, the president of Amiga insists that “it is a very delicate question, since there will be patients in whom a delay in the diagnosis of 2-3 months It can suppose a complication in the state of their disease or a worsening and in others, however, not ». Although it confirms that some interested parties have already expressed their intention to take legal action.
We also recall the announcement made by the regional government just a few weeks ago when it said it would raise the age of women for breast cancer screening from the current age of 50 to 69 to reach to all those between 45 and 74 years oldin front of which he asks for “higher quality in the tests that are already being carried out before expanding it”.
