Cantabria Faces Delays in Breast Cancer Screening, Outsourcing Mammogram Readings
Cantabria’s breast cancer โscreening program, โขwhich โprovides check-ups every two years for women aged 50 to 69, is experiencing significant delays. As of July 30th, results are pending forโ 3,907 Cantabrian women,โ with an estimated wait time of two months.
To address theโค backlog, the Cantabrianโ health Service has announced it will outsource the reading of 1,000 already-completed mammograms to the X-ray Unit at Santaโ Clotilde hospital. Health officialsโ have indicated they โคmay expand this outsourcing arrangement if necessary.
The delays stem from a shortage of expert radiologists specializing in breast imaging. The valdecilla hospital team, responsible for โanalyzing the screening mammograms from โthe program’s 14th โฃround which began in 2024, has experienced recent departures, including a retirement and a transfer.
The decision to outsource has drawn criticism from opposition parties.The PSOE attributes the issueโ to a “lack of will” within the Ministry, rather than a simple shortage of personnel, and โobjects to sendingโค work to a private facility. The PRCโ also strongly opposes the outsourcing,labeling it a “patch” and warning it could be the first step towards privatizing the โฃbreast cancer early detection program.
PRC Health spokesperson, Paula Fernรกndez, criticized regional president Marรญa Josรฉ Sรกenz de Buruaga (PP) โฃfor not following theโ example of the Andalusian โฃregional president, Juanma Moreno, who accepted the resignation of his Health Minister following issues with breast โคcancer screening.
