According to the 2019-2021 three-year access assessment released today, the maximum guaranteed response time to cancer surgery has decreased on average, but has increased for patients who need surgery within three days.
At a commemorative meeting to mark World Cancer Day, Donzilia Brito, deputy of the National Cancer Program of the Directorate General of Health (DGS), said waiting times increased in 2020 due to Covid-19, but were restored in 2021. reaching the level of 2019, the pre-pandemic year.
The average wait time in 2019 was 38 days, rose to 40 days the following year and dropped to 35 days in 2021, according to the data.
“We found that there was homogeneity over a three-year period, so priorities did not change, but we did notice something interesting, which was an increase in the average wait time for level 4 (delayed urgency) patients who need to have surgery within three days . “, he said, adding that he has no explanation for this situation.
Citing data from the Access Directorate of the General Directorate of the Health System, the surgical oncologist said that the number of oncological operations has increased by 20%, despite a decrease during the pandemic.
The majority of operations (73%) were performed in 14 institutions with a “high volume of operations”, more than 1000 operations per year, including three IPOs (Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra), the São João Hospital Center, the University Hospital of Coimbra. Center and Hospital Center of the Central University of Lisbon.
According to an analysis carried out with the support of the Center for Research on Technology and Health Services of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, the most frequently operated cancer is skin cancer (25%), followed by breast, bladder and colon cancer. and rectum, stomach and prostate.
Donzilia Brito noted that a quarter of oncological surgeries were carried out in three Portuguese oncological institutes (IPOs), and half in departments of non-central hospitals.
He explained that 60% of colon cancer surgeries, one-third of esophageal cancer surgeries and two-thirds of testicular cancer surgeries were performed outside reference centers.
“There are reference centers with surgical activity equal to or less than one that were not classified as reference centers,” he emphasized.
“Although we know that the relationship of operational volume is positively associated with quality, quality analysis was not performed in this study, so the data does not allow us to say this with certainty by only conducting a quality analysis. “, mentioned.
The specialist added that certification of centers involves multidisciplinary teams, and not just surgeons carrying out large-scale oncological activities, therefore, according to her, there may be large-scale centers that are not ready to be centers for the treatment of oncological pathology. .
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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