Manuela García takes part in presenting the results of the pilot program of phone calls by AECC volunteers
The Colorectal Cancer Screening Program of the Balearic Islands invited 124,801 people to participate, of whom 33,593 eventually attended — a participation rate of 27%.
The Minister of Health, Manuela García, reminded the population of the Balearic Islands of the importance of responding to the invitations issued by the Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Program, the second most common cancer in the region for both men and women. In 2024, 891 new cases were diagnosed: 551 in men and 340 in women.
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The Minister of Health Encourages Participation in the Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Program
Minister García made this call during the presentation of the initial results of a pilot program in which volunteers from the Balearic delegation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) made phone calls to undecided individuals to increase participation in this population-wide screening program.
In the past year, 124,801 people were invited to participate in the screening program, with 33,593 eventually taking part — a 27% participation rate.
During 2024, a total of 1,148 colonoscopies were performed as part of the Balearic Islands’ Screening Program. Of these, 40 (3.5%) resulted in a diagnosis of cancer.
“This highlights the importance of taking part in the program,” emphasised Minister Manuela García, who noted that early detection can increase survival rates by up to 80%, while also allowing for much less aggressive treatments. “These tumour screening programs offer a simple and free opportunity to detect cancer in its early and most treatable stages,” she added.
The Minister of Health was accompanied during the presentation by the Director General of Public Health, Elena Esteban, and the President of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in the Balearic Islands, Dr. José Reyes.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
Participating in the Early Detection Program is very simple. Citizens between the ages of 50 and 69 receive a letter encouraging them to participate and providing a list of pharmacies where they can pick up the test kit free of charge. They are then asked to collect a stool sample and drop it off in a designated box at their health center — without needing to wait in line.
If the result is positive, the person is quickly contacted for further diagnostic evaluation, which may include a colonoscopy. If negative, they will be invited again in two years to repeat the test, ensuring no tumors have developed during that time.
Results of the Volunteer Pilot Program
As for the results of the pilot project carried out by AECC volunteers in the Balearic Islands, contact was successfully made with 456 out of the 567 people targeted — 80% of the initial goal.
Among those 456 individuals, 70 (15%) stated they would not participate, either because they were already receiving care at a private clinic, were not interested, or were currently outside the archipelago. Another 54 people (12%) requested a new invitation letter due to loss, expiration, or change of address.
Finally, the remaining 73% were provided with information about the Early Detection Program and were encouraged to participate actively.