The Regional Secretary for Health announced in Ponta Delgada that the order approving the Oral Cavity Cancer Intervention Programme (PICCOA) was published today in the Official Journal, noting that the programme is aimed at "the early assessment of oral cancer risk, especially among risk groups."
 
Luís Cabral spoke at the presentation of PICCOA at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital. “Given the lack of specific recommendations for an organised screening of the population, it is appropriate to implement secondary prevention measures," stressed the Regional Secretary.
 
"In this case, the groups considered at risk are, for example, smokers, heavy drinkers as well as those with a history of oral cancer in the family and sun exposure. These are some of specific groups at risk that also have poor oral hygiene habits," said the Regional Secretary.
 
The development of PICCOA will take place with the involvement of all the Health Units of the Regional Health Service under the coordination of the Azores Oncology Centre.
 
Luís Cabral pointed out that this measure is a response to the "incidence of 57 new cases of oral cavity cancer registered per year recorded in the Azores and a mortality rate of 19 cases per year. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the measures envisaged, as the programme now approved."
 
"This is another step in the fight against cancer that the Regional Government will implement, using the human resources of the Regional Health Service," said the Secretary for Health.
 
"We are certain that this will certainly be another excellent initiative of the Azores Oncology Centre for the prevention of oncologic diseases," said Luís Cabral.