Hospiten launches the XI edition of its free annual campaign for the prevention and detection of colon cancer. On the occasion of the celebration of International Colon Cancer Day, which takes place on March 31, the hospital network will perform a free Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) for people over 45 years of age, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of early detection of colon cancer.
To carry out the initiative, Hospiten will perform fecal occult blood tests in its hospitals in Spain, on March 25 and 26. Interested individuals can request their appointment through the online appointment system or via the Hospiten app, before March 20. On the day of the appointment, they must go to the chosen center at the assigned time to deliver their two samples, which will subsequently be analyzed in the laboratory.
On the occasion of the launch of a new edition of the campaign, Dr. Katherine Bustamante, a specialist in the Digestive System at Hospiten Bellevue University Hospital, reminds that early detection is key, the probability of survival can multiply by six when the diagnosis is made in time, and up to 90% of cases can be cured if identified in early stages. “Prevention continues to be our best tool. A simple test can make the difference between a complex treatment and an early intervention with high probabilities of success,” she emphasizes.
The test allows detecting polyps of a certain size and is aimed at people without evident digestive symptoms, such as visible blood in the stool, abdominal pain, or recent changes in bowel rhythm. The test consists of collecting a small stool sample which is subsequently analyzed using immunological techniques to detect blood not perceptible to the naked eye. In those cases where there are recent symptoms or family history of colon cancer, the performance of a colonoscopy is usually recommended to complete the study.
Hospiten seeks to raise awareness among the population about the importance of going to the specialist and undergoing tests that facilitate an early diagnosis. Likewise, it encourages all interested people to participate in this preventive campaign.
About Hospiten
Hospiten is an international healthcare network with more than 55 years of experience committed to providing a service of the highest quality, which has 20 private medical-hospital centers in Spain, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Panama, in addition to 175 outpatient medical centers, under the Clinic Assist brand. Founded by Dr. Pedro Luis Cobiella. It annually attends to more than three million patients from all over the world and has a staff of more than 5,000 people, a care that will be reinforced in the Community of Madrid thanks to the construction of a general university hospital in Boadilla del Monte, which foresees the completion of its works in 2026.
MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid - Hospiten, is a subsidiary of the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (Texas, USA). With more than twenty years of history in our country, currently MD Anderson Madrid - Hospiten has a Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, more than 150 medical specialists trained in oncology, a total of 87 hospitalization beds and state-of-the-art technological equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancer.
