Breast cancer screening expansion faces election delay
Women aged 45 to 74 in Spain face a longer wait for wider breast cancer screening: the Health Ministry in Madrid, Spain, says the change is unlikely to be finalised and published before the 29 November general election. The ministry has told María Varela, a patient with metastatic breast cancer, that it hopes to publish the change as soon as possible. Varela gathered more than 90,000 signatures to press for it.
What the screening rules cover now
The national health system currently offers a mammogram every two years to women aged 50 to 69. Extending screening to women aged 45 to 74 still needs legal approval before it can join the system’s standard services.
The Public Health Commission backed the proposal in May. The next step in the process is due on Friday, 23 October, at the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System.
A patient pushes for action before the vote
Varela was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 42. After she handed over the signatures collected through Change.org, the ministry committed to widening the screening age range. Now she wants the change published in Spain’s official gazette, the BOE, before the election rather than left until a new government is formed. “I’m afraid of going back to square one,” she said.
The ministry says publication could still happen under a caretaker government for reasons of public interest. Varela wants it to seek urgent advice from the Council of State to shorten the process, aiming for final approval before 29 November or, failing that, by the end of the year.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com