Catalonia will offer lung cancer screenings to smokers over 60 years old

BarcelonaDespite the advances, lung cancer continues to be the most lethal cancer in the world. Now Catalonia is taking another step to improve its prevention. Starting in 2027, the Department of Health will offer lung cancer screenings to those over 60 years of age who have smoked at least one pack a day for thirty years. Later on, the measure will be extended to other population groups that could benefit from early diagnosis.

The director of the Oncology Master Plan of the Department of Health, Josep Maria Borràs, explained in an interview withLa Vanguardia this measure, which is the most important novelty of the 2027-2030 plan, which is expected to be approved at the beginning of the year. The screening will begin after the summer in a small group of municipalities, which has not yet been decided, with the forecast of extending it progressively to all of Catalonia when resources allow.

Borràs has remarked that this screening is very expensive and has a significant impact on the healthcare system. He added that it is necessary to first ensure that the proper follow-up of patients can be guaranteed. "We hope to have everything ready to start in September or October 2027 and then extend it progressively," he remarked. Precisely, one of the important limitations is the lack of machines to perform low-dose CT scans that allow for early detection. More radiologists are also needed to interpret the images.

The viability of this screening in the public health system is currently being evaluated through a European study in which the Catalan Institute of Oncology is participating, with patients from the Hospital del Mar and Bellvitge. The first results of the European study have revealed that structures are detected in the lungs that could be cancer in 5% of those over 60 who have smoked at least one pack a day for three decades. Although some do not turn out to be cancer, all of them must be followed up. Furthermore, in the case of 40% of the participants, the CT scan found other health problems, such as damage to coronary arteries or the lungs.

With this initiative, lung cancer will be the fourth type of cancer to be evaluated with a screening program, along with breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer.

Paradigm shift

Until the 80s, receiving a lung cancer diagnosis was a death sentence that meant you had six months of life left. With the arrival of chemotherapy, the prognosis for patients improved slightly, as they lived for over a year thanks to the treatment. Ten years ago, however, there was a true revolution with the emergence of immunotherapies, which stimulate the patient's defenses to attack malignant cells and have achieved survival rates of five, six, and even more years after a diagnosis. However, they are not perfect. Tumors eventually generate resistance to the treatment, and lung cancer is still the most lethal.