All health centers in the Region of Murcia now have mailboxes for collecting colon screening samples.

Since the installation of the Colon and Rectal Cancer Prevention Program mailboxes, almost 24,500 participants have deposited their samples, which represents an increase of more than fifteen percent.

Until now, participants had to pick up the sample collection tube at one of the collaborating pharmacies, and make an appointment to deposit it at their health center or office where a nursing assistant trained in screening would pick it up. Now, however, you do not need an appointment, just go to any center or office and deposit it in the mailbox provided for this purpose.

During 2023, the collection period was extended from September 1 to November 30, and during 2024 it will be from January 2 to May 31.

“With this measure, it is expected to continue increasing participation, which will allow more cancers to be prevented and detected early,” explained the Minister of Health, Juan José Pedreño, in an event organized together with the Spanish Association Against Cancer of the Region of Murcia (Aecc) and the Official College of Pharmacists on the occasion of Colon Cancer Day, which is commemorated this Sunday, March 31.

More than 160 tumors detected in 2022

Consolidated data for 2022 show that 6,690 colonoscopies were performed within the Colon and Rectal Cancer Prevention Program, thanks to which 162 cancers were detected. Of them, more than 71 percent (a total of 116) were detected in an early stage.

In this sense, the Health Minister explained that “here lies the importance of participation in screening, since outside of it, in people with symptoms, only 36 percent of cancers are diagnosed at an early stage.”

In addition, thanks to the screening program, advanced polyps have been detected in 1,863 people, and 373 cancers have been prevented, “since it is estimated that 20 percent of advanced polyps of the colon and rectum, if not removed, would degenerate into cancer at over about ten years on average,” Pedreño highlighted.

From 50 to 69 years old throughout the Region of Murcia

The Colon and Rectal Cancer Prevention Program of the Ministry of Health has already begun to be extended throughout the Region of Murcia to people between 50 and 69 years old.

This year, the expansion of the age range in the Health II and III areas has begun, complying with the extension of screening to one hundred percent of the target population, which has been done progressively in all Health areas of the Community.

During 2023, the Colon and Rectal Cancer Prevention Program sent 345,923 invitations to a total of 235,648 people, of whom 70,959 participated. Of the samples collected, a total of 3,877 were positive (5.5 percent).

The Ministry of Health recommends that participants, if possible, pick up the tube at one of the collaborating pharmacies (the closest ones appear on the back of the invitation letter), take the sample and deliver it to the following 15 days from when they receive the invitation.

In that letter they will have a link to the Program website (https://www.murciasalud.es/infocolon) so that they can find out in which offices and health centers the Screening Program mailboxes will be displayed.