Six out of ten residents in Malaga province ignore offer of colon cancer screening

In 2023 alone 844 colonoscopies were carried out in the province as a result of this screening process, resulting in 23 colorectal cancers detected and 128 high-risk lesions diagnosed for continued monitoring

Iván Gelibter

Friday, 19 July 2024, 10:43

It is not a definitive method, but it helps to detect the three colorectal cancers, in particular colon cancer, the other two being adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It is exactly ten years since screening for such cancers was started up in Andalucía, but only four out of ten Malaga residents accept the invitation to undergo this checking process. The process is painless, convenient and also free of charge. Sixty per cent of the target population in Malaga does not respond to the offer ofscreening, significantly (10 points) above the average across Andalucía that stands at 50%.

Andalucía's regional health ministry reminded the public of the importance of prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer, and called for public participation in its screening programme. The scheme involves inviting all residents of Andalucía aged 50 to 69 to undergo a "simple and painless" test that checks for the presence of blood in the stool. In the event of a positive result, an appointment will be made at your local health centre to inform you and recommend further tests.

As the regional health ministry also reminds us, colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in developed countries, with an increasing incidence in recent decades. This cancer can be cured in 90% of cases if it is detected in its early stages or in the form of pre-malignant (pre-cancerous) lesions. In the short term, early detection reduces mortality by 30-35%.

Currently, in Spain, colorectal cancer is the second most commonly-occurring cancer in both men and women and it moves to first place if both genders are considered. According to estimates by the Cancer Observatory, 40,203 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Spain in 2023. Specifically for Andalucía there were 6,653 diagnoses, the top region in Spain for new cases. In Malaga province 1,360 new cases were diagnosed last year, placing it second in Andalucíabehind Seville (1,459 cases).

"In addition to early diagnosis, it is important to improve lifestyles to reduce the likelihood of developing it," was the advice from the Cancer Observatory. The risk factors that feature heavily in patients with colorectal cancer are very much to do with lifestyle: being overweight or even obese, alcohol consumption, smoking, eating red or processed meats and diabetes. However, there are protective factors against the disease, such as moderate physical activity and a diet low in fat and rich in vegetables, fruit and fibre.

For all these reasons, the regional health ministry stresses that prevention is the best tool for looking after your health and, in this sense, early detection of colorectal cancer can make a "big difference". The ministry underlines the importance of heeding the invitation to participate. The screening letter is sent to homes in Andalucía where anyone in the target age group resides. It contains information and a test that can save lives. "Reading it and following its instructions can be the first step in detecting colon cancer early," state ministry sources.

Acceptance

Since 2014, the colon cancer screening programme has been extended to 99% of the target population in Andalucía (those over 50). Currently, 50.4% of Andalusian residents who have received the invitation have signed up, of which 39% have completed the entire process. Of those people who have participated, 5% of cases have tested positive for hidden blood in their stools and have been treated. "This is a major benefit for the people who have been prevented from developing colorectal cancer."

Until 2023, 2,319,696 people had been invited, of which 1,186,734 participated. In 2023 alone, 4,620 colonoscopies were performed as a result of this screening process, where 57 cancers and 754 high-risk lesions to be monitored have been diagnosed.

In Malaga, however, the figures are less positive. In addition to the 10% more people refusing to undergo the process, in 2023 alone 844 colonoscopies were performed in the province as a result of screening, in which 23 cancers were diagnosed, more than 40 percent of the tally for the entire region of Andalucía. In addition, 128 high-risk lesions were detected that will require ongoing monitoring.

According to a study carried out by Spanish cancer association AECC and reported by SUR a few months ago, the main barriers among those who have not taken the test are pretty typical: firstly, the lack of symptoms (39.6%); not having received the official invitation to participate (39.9%); forgetfulness or laziness on their part (28.6%); barriers related to the desire to stay away from medical centres in the context of the pandemic (24.9%) or, finally, the perceived saturation of the public health system (22.1%).

Last April, just after World Colorectal Cancer Awareness Day (31 March), SUR consulted César Ramírez, head of surgery at Quirónsalud Malaga and a leading voice on colon cancer. He argued that the lack of symptoms is the factor that most favours these figures. He puts it down to a lack of awareness in the population for all things medical, something that has been overcome for some cancers, such as breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men by self-examination of lumps and bumps (neoplasms).

"Forgetfulness, laziness or pure apathy, precisely due to a lack of knowledge and interest in one's own health, also play a major role in the avoidance of these tests, which are based on a simple test, detecting if there are traces of blood in our stool, which is not necessarily related to colorectal cancer, but it does alert us to the fact that something is not right in our digestive tract and pushes us to perform other types of tests such as a colonoscopy, which can diagnose a neoplasm [an abnormal mass of tissue that can be benign or malignant] in the colon or rectum", he explained.

In his opinion, the responsibility should rest with the medical professionals, who should warn and keep warning us of the risks and the various ways of detecting this type of cancer. "At the same time, health and medical institutions at provincial, regional and national levels must invest in medical education and awareness-raising to increase screening figures, thereby improving survival rates," he concluded.

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