Distribution of SMS messages about colon cancer screening has begun

The free colon cancer screening program continues to operate. Learn more about the self-testing procedure that you can take in pharmacies.

Greece has launched a program of free preventive screening for colon cancer. It began with sending SMS to citizens over 50 years of age. The first messages have already been sent, and program participants can obtain self-tests from certain pharmacies, which can be found in the section “Συνεργαζόμενα Φαρμακεία και Κέντρα Διενέργειας Εξετάσε ων” on the website Colon.gov.gr.

How to self-test for colon cancer – process in detail

“I just received a message from mnm from IDIKA offering me a free screening test for colon cancer“, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis wrote on his Twitter account. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common and dangerous types, but it can be successfully treated in the early stages. So if you receive a message like this, don't ignore it – it may help save your life.

Main goal national screening program colorectal cancer is early detection of precancerous lesions or the disease itself for immediate intervention and treatment. If adenomatous polyps or possible neoplasias are diagnosed and treated early, the probability of complete recovery is 100%what does early diagnosis extremely important.

The risk of developing colon cancer can be assessed through self-testing. If the result is positive, colonoscopy is recommended, which allows early detection of adenomatous polyps or possible neoplasia.

Beneficiaries of the program

In accordance with European guidelines and the scientific protocol recommended by a committee of public health experts, the program is intended for all persons aged 50 to 69 years who have not yet been diagnosed with adenomatous polyp of the colon, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis or hereditary intestinal cancer. Regardless of whether they are insured or not.

What should a citizen do if the self-test result is positive or negative?

After completing the self-test, the participant must report the result to the participating pharmacy. In case negative result the program ends. If the result is invalid, the citizen has the right to free self-test in the same order. If the self-test result was positivethe pharmacist will inform the citizen that a code will be automatically generated to contact a doctor.

This will allow a person to visit a gastroenterologist participating in the program for free. The doctor will conduct a clinical assessment, and if he determines that a colonoscopy is necessary, the patient will a referral was issued for a free colonoscopy.

If the colonoscopy reveals something that can be removed (such as polyps), they will be removed on site. However, this is inPossible only in hospitals, not in diagnostic centerswhere colonoscopies are also performed. If someone goes to a diagnostic center and they discover “problems” with the intestines, the patient will have to repeat the colonoscopy procedure to remove (the polyps) in the hospital.

In each case where “problems” are detected, samples of tissue or cells are taken from the body for further examination. A referral for a biopsy is issued automatically and is free of charge.

Source link