Seville woman’s breast cancer misdiagnosis prompts Andalucian scan review of 2,317

The following are some of the ways to get in touch with each other Seville woman, Anabel Cano, Public screenings were held Mammogram The result was flagged “doubtful” but she wasn’t called back. She was diagnosed with a disease nearly a year after she was first recalled. Breast Cancer The aforementioned underwent a The mastectomy. The Junta de Andalucía After a communication breakdown, the FDA has now acknowledged that 2,317 women’s screening results require review.

Amama, a patient group, is preparing 260 lawsuits over the alleged harm that delayed diagnosis has caused. Regional authorities say around 90–96 per cent of affected women have already been re-examined and a “plan de choque” (Emergency Plan) is underway.

The crisis exposed by Anabel Cano

Cano’s story was made public when she told her experience to Spanish radio and television. She told HuffPost Spain she had a routine mammogram under Andalucía’s public screening programme at 50 and was told that “if in 10 or 15 days you don’t get a call or a letter, everything is fine.” No one contacted the woman, so she assumed that everything was fine.

The original scan was considered “dudosa” – a “doubtful” or “probably benign” image that should have triggered closer follow-up. Cano described the consequences of this delay, which included a mastectomy as well as long-term emotional distress. Her testimony quickly went viral, and patient groups began to ask whether other women in Andalucía had also been left in limbo after “doubtful” mammograms.

Under Andalucía’s breast cancer screening programme, women in the target age group are invited for mammograms at regular intervals. If the scan results are normal, then they will be discharged. If there is any suspicious or unclear lesion, they may need to have further imaging or biopsy.

HuffPost Spain has conducted an investigation which found that more than 2000 mammograms have been labeled as “dudosas“, but were not properly followed up after changes to IT and internal procedures. The staff in some hospitals believed that new systems or external providers were going to take over notification, so some women did not receive a letter or a phone call despite abnormal or undetermined results.

In late October, Europa Press It was reported that 2 317 women were identified as needing to review their screening and that 1 778 women had already had repeat mammograms. Later, an update stated that approximately 90 per cent had been completed. Also, the integrated breast cancer care pathway was being revised and artificial intelligence will be used in the future.

The controversy has reached the streets.

Amama in Seville, an association that represents women with cancer of the breast, has taken a leading role in the scandal. The group said it began collecting cases after being alerted by members who complained of delayed or missed follow-up following suspicious mammograms.

November is a month of celebration. El País Amama, the Amama Foundation, is preparing 260 patrimonial lawsuits against the regional governments, claiming harm caused by late diagnoses. This includes deaths, mastectomies or psychological damage, as well as alleged damages from late diagnoses.

A large systematic review, meta-analysis and other findings published in the BMJ found that even a four-week delay in starting cancer treatment is associated with an increased risk of death, with researchers concluding that ‘each four-week delay to cancer treatment increases the risk of death by around 10 per cent.’

Why it matters for residents and expats in Andalucía

For many British and other foreign expats, Spain’s supposed strong public healthcare system is one of the attractions of living in Andalucía. The Anabel Cano case does not mean that screening is ineffective – but it does show how vulnerable patients can be when communication breaks down, especially if they are unfamiliar with local procedures or struggle with Spanish.

All health news.