•
It is the first time that this pilot programme is carried out in
a rural area.
•
The programme is meant for people between 50 and 69 years old,
and it consists of a test, easy to use and free of charge, that
can be done at home.
•
The screening of colorectal cancer has shown its efficiency in
the decrease in the incidence and casualties due to this cancer,
the most common in our country.
The Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO) has started
a pilot programme of premature diagnosis of rectum and colon cancer
in l’Alt Penedès. This tumour is the most frequent
among the Spanish population, and the success of its treatment
is considerably higher if it is diagnosed during the initial stage
of the illness.
The programme of premature diagnosis of rectum and colon cancer
is meant for men and women between 50 and 69 years old. It was
started in the area of Hospitalet de Llobregat in 2000; in 2004
a pilot test was carried out in Vilafranca del Penedès.
It is now spread out to the whole of the Penedès region,
and it is the first time to be taken to a rural area. The programme
is to be stablished in all Catalonia in 2010.
How does the Pilot Programme work?
Colon and rectum cancer is a frequent illness among people of 50
and older. It is the second most frequent cancer among women and
the third among men, with an estimated new 4,000 cases diagnosed
in Catalonia every year. It is the second cause of death by cancer
in our country (2,000 every year), and a vast majority occur among
people older than 54.
If it is detected at an initial stage, it is easier to treat and
there are more probabilities that it will be cured. The problem
is that colorectal cancer can develop for months without causing
any pain. Thus, it is important to detect it before pain appears.
It is possibly one of the best examples in which premature diagnosis,
which allows treatment at the initials stages, modifies positively
the prognosis of the illness and reduces the agressiveness of the
therapy.
Colon and rectum cancer and the importance of premature diagnosis
ICO sends letters to men and women between 50 and 69 years old
from the Alt Penedès region, explaining them what the programme
consists of. In order to participate, they have to send back the
survey enclosed with the invitation letter. Some weeks later, they
will receive all the necessary items to do the test, which is free
of charge.
The test consists of detecting blood in faeces; blood that can
not be seen at first sight. The samples of faeces necessary to
do the test can be easily collected at home, following the instructions
leaflet enclosed with the letter, and are sent to ICO in a pre-paid
envelope. Once they are analized, the participants are informed
of the results.
If the test turns out positive, that is to say, blood is detected
in the faeces, the Hospital Comarcal of l’Alt Penedès
programmes a visit so that the person has a colonoscopy done, which
is the diagnosis test to determine whether there is an injury.
The fact that blood is found does not imply that the person suffers
from cancer, and in most cases a benign alteration is detected.
Actually, 94% of the people who have participated in the pilot
tests so far have obtained a normal result.
The programme in l’Alt Penedès
The Institut Català d’Oncologia is the reference centre
of the Servei Català de la Salut as far as cancer prevention
is concerned, and it is responsible for the management of the Programme
of premature diagnosis of rectum and colon cancer. This Programme
was started in 2000 in the town of Hospitalet de Llobregat and
it is to be stablished in all Catalonia in 2010.
To start the Programme in Alt Penedès, ICO will count on
the collaboration of the health institutions in that region: the
Consorci Sanitari of l’Alt Penedès, the basic Health
Areas in the region (Sant Sadurní, Penedès Rural
i Vilafranca), and the College of Chemists of Barcelona.
