The Regional Secretary for Health announced today that colorectal cancer screening will start in the Azores by the fourth quarter of this year.

Speaking at the end of a meeting with the Administration Board of the Azores Oncology Centre, Miguel Correia said that everything is prepared for the beginning of the screening, as announced. The initiative will be carried out in collaboration with island health units and health centres, covering approximately 50 thousand men and women aged between 50 and 70 years in the archipelago.

"It is an ambitious screening, but the Oncology Centre has proven to be up to the challenge and I am sure it will be a success," said the Secretary for Health.

The screening will be conducted using the faecal occult blood testing method, which has lower costs but has proven efficiency levels worldwide.

The meeting was also held with the purpose of assessing other ongoing screenings coordinated by the Azores Oncology Centre. In the case of the breast cancer screening, 36 thousand mammograms were performed: 20 thousand in the first phase and 16 thousand in the second phase. 73 cases have been detected at an early stage and, thus, patients will have all the conditions for a successful recovery.

By Government's decision, breast cancer screening will be continued. All women aged between 45 and 74 years should have mammograms regularly.
The cervical cancer screening is also ongoing; a total of 15,100 cytologies have been performed. This screening aims to reach all women aged between 25 and 64 years.

Several cases have also been detected, which has allowed starting immediate treatment in order to achieve a successful cure.

The work carried out in the Region at the level of cancer screening, cancer registration and prevention campaigns have put the Azores at the forefront of the fight against this disease.