Early detection of cancer through the Onco Full Body, an early diagnosis of the pathology increases survival rates

A child born in 2027 will have a 50% chance of developing cancer in his or her lifetime, according to a study published by Cancer Research UK. In other words, it is likely that 50 out of every 100 men will at some point hear their doctor say “he has cancer.” This proportion will also rise in women, representing 44 out of every 100. Age is the main cause of this increased cancer risk. However, not everything is negative. While the incidence of cancer will increase, so will survival rates. The positive data is due to several aspects. Firstly, advances in research will provide new, more effective treatments and, secondly, technological improvements will make it possible to detect cancer early, at stages with a better prognosis. Oncological mortality has been reduced notably in the last 15 years, with a five-year survival rate of 30% to 45% in men and 40% to 60% in women.

Prostate tumors, followed by lung and colorectal tumors, are the most frequent in men, while in women breast cancer is the most common, far above colorectal and cervical cancer. Although prostate and breast tumors have a good survival rate, 76.5% and 80.9% at five years respectively, others such as lung cancer only achieve 9.2%. The main cause lies in the fact that symptoms often appear when the tumor is already advanced. “Practically all tumors can develop without symptoms. Lung cancer, for example, is very advanced when it begins to show symptoms, and survival is associated with the extent of the cancer,” stresses Dr. Enriqueta Alomar, Medical Director of Creu Blanca. For this reason, early diagnosis is essential.

Onco Full Body

Health education based on preventive medicine is increasingly present in the population, which understands the importance of having regular check-ups, especially after the age of 40, which is when the frequency of onset increases, if there are risk factors or a family history. For this reason, Creu Blanca has created the Onco Full Body, a medical examination that uses the most advanced technological equipment to detect tumors early. “The aim is to anticipate, that is, to detect possible anomalies before they appear,” says Dr. Alomar.

Technology has played a major role in the early diagnosis of cancer. High-resolution scans and MRI scans make it possible to detect very small lesions that are missed by other techniques. “The new equipment, such as the Aquilion One, the only computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner in Spain with 320 crowns, reduces radiation and scanning time,” says the doctor.

Thanks to the Aquilion One, a virtual colonoscopy is performed, a very effective tool for the study and diagnosis of colorectal cancer. As Dr. Alomar points out, “it only requires a special diet during the days prior to the test. During the test, which lasts about five minutes, the patient is introduced a little air through the colon and a sequence of face-up and face-down X-rays is performed”. The specialist, through a reconstruction of the images, digitally recreates the colon and explores its entire dimension slice by slice.

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The importance of CT in smokers

The examination also includes a thoracic CT scan. Several studies show that more than 90% of lung cancer cases are attributable to smoking. “A 45-year-old man who has been smoking all his life should have a high-resolution CT scan, even if he is well, because if lesions smaller than one centimeter are detected in the lung, survival increases very significantly,” explains the group’s medical director. In addition, the power of the Aquilion One allows the scan to be performed without the administration of intravenous contrast.

Finally, the study will be carried out by means of magnetic resonance in a 3 Tesla unit, which, thanks to its power, allows us to study the skull, thorax and abdomen in a single study. These state-of-the-art equipment have the advantage of having a larger interior space than usual, which makes the test much more comfortable.

An abdominal and renal ultrasound is also performed. In men it is completed with a vesico-prostatic study, and in the case of women it is complemented with a gynecological ultrasound. These studies would rule out tumors in the digestive, urinary and gynecological apparatus.

To complete the check-up, a mammogram is performed in the case of women in order to rule out a breast tumor, and a PSA test in men to rule out a possible prostate cancer.

Monitoring PSA levels to screen for prostate cancer

PSA is a protein produced by the prostate that is an important marker of cancer. The more advanced the prostate tumor, the higher the PSA will be, but high levels can also occur in other pathologies such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis. In other words, a high PSA level is not synonymous with prostate adenocarcinoma and, therefore, is not a diagnosis of cancer, but it is a great help for the specialist to make a diagnosis together with other tests such as digital rectal examination. Regular monitoring of PSA levels is essential to ensure early detection, less aggressive treatment and thus a better quality of life.