Working group set up to implement lung cancer screening pilot project in Terceira and São Migue - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security published today an order setting up a working group to define the technical assumptions for the implementation of a lung cancer screening pilot project on the islands of Terceira and São Miguel.

The working group, which will operate with no associated costs, is coordinated by the President of the Azores Oncology Centre and includes the Regional Health Director and Vítor Rodrigues, as an expert.

It also comprises members from Island Health Units and Hospitals: Vânia Medeiros, from the São Miguel Island Health Unit; Isabel Cota Silva and João Pedro Silva Toste, from the Terceira Island Health Unit; Carlos José Pavão Matos, from the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada, and Maria Aurora Lino Silva Neves, from the Santo Espírito Hospital on Terceira Island.

The existence of this working group is no obstacle to calling in contributors on an individual basis or workers from different services and organisations within the Regional Health Service, as well as from other entities whose contribution is considered relevant to the work in question.

The working group is temporary. At the end of its work, it will present the results to the Regional Secretary, Mónica Seidi, along with a proposal to develop the recommended solution.

Regarding the creation of this working group, the Secretary for Health and Social Security recalled that "lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Region and one of the three leading causes of death."

"This is also one of the goals of the 2030 Regional Health Plan, as part of the Regional Strategy to Combat Oncological Diseases. Therefore, it is important to prepare this implementation through a pilot project to test the best solution adapted to our reality," she added.