On Thursday, December 19th All.Can Spain, the Spanish chapter of the international cancer platform All.Can, in collaboration with the Conselleria de Sanidade in Galicia, organized an event where the main challenges and opportunities related to the new EU recommendations on cancer screenings were discussed, with a particular focus on the profound impact and importance of cancer early detection. The event brought together experts, patients, and senior officials from the Directorate General of Public Health of the Conselleria de Sanidade.
During these vent, different roundtables covering different topics were organized. The first one, New European Recommendations on Cancer Screenings: A Step Forward in Early Detection, included interventions from Isabel Mosquera Metcalfe, researcher in the Division of Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO, who was able to provide a European perspective on the advances in the fight against cancer, and Dr. Rafael López, member of the Scientific Committee of All.Can Spain and head of the Oncology Department at the Santiago de Compostela University Hospital Complex, who stated, “We must actively address cancer. Early detection has a crucial impact on the prognosis of the disease and the quality of life of the patient. Today, we have cutting-edge tools that open new pathways to make this possible in a swift and precise manner, and it is in our hands to take advantage of them.”
Next, in the presentation titled Galicia, at the Forefront of Cancer Screening Programs, Mrs. Carmen Durán, Director General of Public Health at the Conselleria de Sanidade, outlined the current state of cancer screening in the region, highlighting the key milestones and health outcomes.
The following roundtable titled Public Health and the Care Dimension of Screenings: Two Sides of the Same Coin, featured the intervention of high level representatives of the regional Ministry of Health. It addressed the fundamental connection between public health and the care dimension of screening programs, where participants emphasized the importance of proper planning and having the necessary resources to ensure the success of these prevention programs.
In the fourth panel, titled The Patient’s Voice, members of the Scientific Committee of All.Can Spain, Mr. Bernard Gaspar, president of the Spanish Association of Lung Cancer Patients (AEACaP), and Mr. David Trigos, coordinator of the European Patients’ Academy (EUPATI) in Spain, were represented. “Early detection is everything: if there’s one thing we know about cancer, it’s that every day counts, and the stage of the disease has a decisive influence on the diagnosis, prognosis, and available treatments. Survival and quality of life data for patients speak for themselves, making screening programs an essential tool for continuing to improve health outcomes,” both patients stated.