Spain will diagnose more than 300,000 new cases of cancer this year, according to estimates from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), and the number is expected to keep rising as the population ages. A project backed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, bringing together medical societies and patient organisations, has set out what it considers the keys to reducing deaths from the disease.
Prevention
Between 30% and 50% of cancers could be prevented by tackling modifiable risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, obesity and physical inactivity, according to the World Health Organization. Oncologists stress that the goal is not only to develop new treatments but to ensure that more people avoid cancer altogether, survive it or live with it as a chronic condition.
Early detection
Screening programmes for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer have proven to save lives. Studies in the United States estimate that prevention, screening and treatment together averted millions of cancer deaths over recent decades. In Spain, specialists call for screening programmes to be fully implemented and to reach the same level of participation in every region.
Precision diagnosis
Diagnosis is changing rapidly. Liquid biopsies, which detect traces of tumours in the blood, and biomarker testing allow earlier detection and treatment tailored to each tumour.
Pathologists highlight the shift to digital pathology: replacing microscope slides with digital images makes it easier to share cases, obtain second opinions and use artificial intelligence tools, which can help reduce differences between hospitals and regions.
Metastatic cancer
Patient organisations warn that people with metastatic cancer often feel invisible within the health system. One of their main concerns is access to new medicines: according to European industry data, it takes on average well over a year and a half in Spain for a newly approved cancer drug to become available to patients, compared with a few months in Germany. For patients with advanced disease, they say, time is not an abstract question.
An integrated approach
The participants argue that progress requires removing clinical, organisational and regulatory barriers, through collaboration between health authorities, professionals, patients and industry.
The debate
Faster access to medicines also raises questions about cost and value. Health authorities must balance the price of innovative treatments against the sustainability of the public system, and independent experts stress that decisions should be based on evidence of real benefit for patients. Prevention and screening, by contrast, remain among the most cost-effective tools available.
