New colorectal cancer screening program to be implemented in Armenia

It is planned to launch a new colorectal cancer screening program in Armenia in 2020, said Armenian Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan at a joint meeting of the standing parliamentary commissions during the preliminary discussion of the draft state budget for 2020.

According to him, the country is already screening for breast and cervical cancer. Now they will also be screened for colorectal cancer, which will be carried out in two medical centers among citizens aged 55 to 75 years. AMD 11.2 million will be allocated for this program.

Answering colleagues' questions about why lung cancer screening is not carried out in Armenia, if this is the most common type of cancer in the country, the minister noted that not all screenings are cost-effective, and lung cancer screening is one of the ineffective ones.

According to the minister, if, for example, a low-dose CT scan is performed for 50,000 smokers over 40 years old and the number of cases found is compared with the money spent on it, it will become clear that there was no point in doing screening.

The Minister noted that the only truly effective way to fight lung cancer is to fight smoking, which will help prevent many new cases. And if the disease is already developing, it is recommended to consult a doctor at the first symptoms - this is the only thing that can be done.

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