The Ministry of Health has completed the extension of the Colon and Rectal Cancer Prevention Program to all individuals in the Murcia region aged 50 to 69.
This extension now covers all 45 municipalities in the community, following the completion of invitations for colorectal cancer detection in the population of Diana in January and Lorca in December of last year.
Tomorrow, on March 31st, Colon Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of early detection. In 2024, the prevention program sent out 356,996 invitations to a total of 309,081 individuals, of which 78,644 participated. Among them, a total of 3,999 tested positive for occult blood in the stool, representing 5.1 percent.
The Director General of Public Health and Addictions, José Jesús Guillén, urged the population of Diana to «participate in the screening program, which allows for the prevention and detection of various types of cancer.»
«In the Murcia region, over 95 percent of positive findings do not indicate cancer, with 33 percent being advanced polyps that can be removed, preventing disease onset,» explained Guillén. «This underscores the importance of screening, as outside of it, only 36 percent of cancers in symptomatic individuals are diagnosed at an early stage.»
Starting in September 2023, the system for collecting colorectal cancer prevention programs was carried out through postcards distributed in health offices. This improved accessibility allows for the prevention and early detection of various types of cancer.
The program invites individuals to participate through a letter delivered to their homes. A simple, painless, and free fecal test is used to detect occult blood. The letter includes a list of pharmacies where the test kit can be collected by presenting the invitation. There is no need for prior scheduling; individuals can simply visit any health office and deposit the sample in the designated mailbox.
If the screening results are negative, the individual is informed via mail and invited to participate again after two years, as the test is biennial. In cases of positive findings, the Murcia Health Service (SMS) contacts the individual to conduct further tests and determine treatment based on each case.
In 2023, a total of 6,563 colonoscopies were performed within the program, leading to the detection of 118 cancers. Of these, 80 were in early stages, accounting for 67.8 percent of the total. Additionally, 23 were completely removed through endoscopy without the need for surgery, representing 19 percent of the total.
Thanks to the screening program, advanced polyps were detected in 1,613 individuals, preventing 403 cases of cancer. It is estimated that 25 percent of advanced colon and correct polyps would degenerate into cancer over an average of more than 20 years.
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