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Invitations to take the test will reach 100% of the population between 50 and 69 years old // In the community there were 1.200 cases of this tumor last year and 553 deaths
Aragón is committed to finishing the colon cancer screening plan before 2024, so that 100% of the population between 50 and 69 years of age in the community will have then received the invitation to take the prevention test. The announcement, made this Tuesday by the Health Minister of the DGA, Sira Repollés, represents an important step forward for Aragon in the fight against this type of tumor after screening was interrupted for a few months due to the pandemic and It will resume last December 1. «Since then, 77.000 people between 60 and 69 years old have already received the letter to undergo the test throughout this year. The forecast is to gradually increase the health areas, calling a total of 166.000 patients during 2022 and 2023 to reach that 100% in 2024," explained Repollés during a visit to the headquarters of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Zaragoza.
Of the 5.500 cancers diagnosed annually in the community, 19% are colon cancers, whose World Day is celebrated this Wednesday. In Aragon, this tumor is the one with the highest incidence (ahead of breast or prostate) with 1.201 cases diagnosed in 2020. In addition, it is the second type of cancer that causes the most deaths per year, with 553 people dying in 2020 in the community.
Despite everything, "it is a type of cancer that can be prevented," reiterated yesterday the regional president of the AECC, Joaquín Larramendi, who encouraged the population to participate in screening because "we are going to save many lives," he assured. . «The blood and stool test is simple, easy to do and very cheap for the system. We can avoid developing cancer and if it is already developed, by detecting it at an earlier stage the treatment will be simpler and more effective," he said.
The most important risk factor in this type of tumor is age. Scientifically, it has been shown that screening programs for any type of cancer (it also exists in breast or cervix) are capable of reducing short-term mortality between 30% and 35%, which is equivalent, in Spain, to saving about 4.000 lives. The 5-year survival rate for people with colorectal cancer is 65%. However, this varies with an early localized diagnosis and can reach 90%.
The test that the citizen must perform, which is voluntary once the DGA has sent him the letter, allows detecting whether the stool contains small amounts of blood that cannot be seen with the naked eye. If the result is positive, it is likely to be a benign lesion (polyps), but in some cases it may be due to cancer. Given this possibility, the patient must undergo a colonoscopy (exploration of the interior of the intestine) and the cancerous polyps are removed.
Effects of the pandemic
The restrictions derived from the pandemic and the healthcare pressure to which the system has been subjected have caused a certain funnel in colonoscopies. The intention of Health, once the activity has been resumed, is to "match" the invitations with the capacity to carry out these tests.
On the other hand, there is no data on how many cancers have been stopped being diagnosed after the suspension, in the first wave, of all screening plans, but the AECC Aragón has been warning for months that there has been a direct impact. In fact, hospitals have seen late diagnoses and, therefore, less survival.
Larramendi, who was grateful that this plan can be fulfilled 100% in a few years, insisted that participation is "fundamental." Completing colon screening will mean that Aragón will have a snapshot of the benefits of these programs, since it is estimated that with the participation of the target population greater than 65%, the objective is met.
Beyond these plans, avoiding the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and obesity, as well as engaging in physical activity, help in this prevention. "Having a healthy lifestyle is undoubtedly very important," Repollés said. The counselor, on the other hand, also announced during her visit to the AECC headquarters in Zaragoza that in June, when the state of alarm ended, mana cancer screening was also resumed. "The usual rhythm was recovered and in 2020 it was possible to invite 80% of the planned target population, despite the suspension between March and June," the counselor explained.
