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Women aged 45 to 74 across the Region of Murcia are set to benefit from an expanded breast cancer screening programme, with invitations due to start going out next week.

 

Regional Health Minister Isabel Ayala announced the timetable during a session of the Regional Assembly on Wednesday October 21. The expansion will widen access to early detection, with the current screening age range covering women aged 46 to 72.

 

“Invitations for the entire screening period will begin to be sent out next week,” Ayala told assembly members. The announcement follows renewed attention on the importance of recognising breast cancer early.

 

Recent guidance has highlighted warning signs women should look out for and how to check for changes themselves.

 

Health professionals are also being trained to introduce artificial intelligence into screening across the Region. The technology has already been tested through a pilot programme in Health Area V, with plans to extend its use progressively.

 

Ayala said the existing screening programme was operating properly and had no waiting list for routine appointments. More than 70,000 preventive mammograms were carried out last year, she reported.

 

For women who need a mammogram because a doctor suspects possible cancer, the average wait is currently 16.5 days. According to the minister, this is six days shorter than it was six months ago.

 

Murcia has also introduced a hospital service designed to reduce the time needed to diagnose breast cancer from weeks to less than an hour.

 

However, the screening figures remain a point of political disagreement. The Socialist Parliamentary Group criticised the lack of up-to-date published data, saying the latest available figures covered the 2021-2022 period.

 

A PSOE representative told the Assembly: “We're not here to take a leap of faith, we're here to rely on the data.” The party also claimed that 480 women were waiting for a mammogram, with some allegedly exceeding the established deadlines. This contrasts with Ayala’s statement that there is no waiting list for the routine screening programme.

 

The debate also turned to wider healthcare delays and their possible effect on sick leave. Socialist MP Virginia Lopo said sick leave in Murcia lasts an average of 61 days, compared with 44 days nationally. She argued that delays in tests, specialist appointments and treatment contribute to the difference.

 

Ayala rejected the idea of a direct, automatic link between waiting lists and the length of sick leave. She cited figures from June 2016 showing that patients in Murcia waited 26 days less than the national average for surgery and 32 days less for outpatient appointments. She also announced a working group involving the Murcian Health Service and health inspectors to improve monitoring of temporary disability claims.

 

 

Image: National Cancer Institute/Unsplash