WOMEN fearing a breast cancer diagnosis in Andalucia will now be able to undergo all necessary tests in a single day under a new rapid-response scheme.
Junta health chief Antonio Sanz announced that the ‘single procedure’ protocol is being rolled out to all 32 breast screening units in the region as of Monday, January 12.
The initiative targets patients with ‘suspicious lesions’ or a very high suspicion of cancer – technically classified as BI-RADS (Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System) levels 4 and 5 – eliminating the agonising wait between appointments.
READ MORE: Medical breakthrough as dogs trained in Spain detect cancer with 99.9% accuracy
Previously, patients often had to travel to hospitals on multiple occasions for different stages of diagnosis, but the new system guarantees that mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies are all performed in a single visit.
While the service was already available in select hospitals, Sanz described the region-wide standardisation as an ‘important step forward’ for public health.
“What we have done now is extend this, standardise it and guarantee it in all existing breast screening units in Andalucia,” Sanz said.
He added that the goal is to provide the ‘most effective attention’ from healthcare professionals without forcing patients to make unnecessary journeys during a stressful time.
Click here to read more Andalucia News from The Olive Press.
