The image shows how cancer cells (magenta color) crowd out healthy cells (green). Image provided by the Carlos III and Complutense universities of Madrid. EFE
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The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, reported last Wednesday of this decision of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System.
It is “very important” news, since the last document dates back ten years, said the minister, who added:
“It is a work of many months”, and explained that the update has had the participation of communities, scientific societies, patient associations and the Carlos III Health Institute.
This update, Darias continued, addresses key aspects such as prevention through a healthy lifestyle, early diagnosis, the progressive extension of the multidisciplinary care model, advances in precision medicine and the “not sufficiently resolved” challenges of psychological care and assessment of the needs of patients who have survived cancer.
Carolina Darias highlighted the approval by the Council of another agreement related to cancer and covid, a very important “milestone”.
It is, he said, analyzing the impact of the pandemic on cancer treatment, which will be made in a document with recommendations for the entire National Health System.
The Health Minister also referred to cancer screenings that have been delayed by the pandemic and promised to gradually recover these actions, both in breast cancer, as well as cervical or colorectal cancer.
Following this decision by the Health Council, the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), as a member of the Cancer Strategy of the National Health System, was “very satisfied with the approval.”
According to the AECC, this update reinforces objectives aimed at primary prevention and early detection of cancer, and includes new features such as care for long-term cancer survivors, the incorporation of molecular diagnosis and new technologies in radiotherapy.
Furthermore, according to this association, rapid diagnostic channels are created between primary and hospital care in the event of suspicion of oncological pathology.
For the Spanish Association against Cancer, these agreements represent “an important step to solve old challenges in the prevention and control of cancer and pave the way for eliminating the inequities that this disease causes in the Spanish population”.
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