Women in Andalucía with high suspicion of breast cancer to have all tests done in one day as of 12 January

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The regional minister of health has announced that this service, already available in some hospitals, will be extended to all 32 breast screening units in the region, which marks 'an important step forward'

José Antonio Sau

Friday, 9 January 2026, 15:34

Regional minister of health Antonio Sanz has announced that the so-called 'single procedure' for women with a high suspicion of breast cancer will be extended to all 32 breast screening units in Andalucía from 12 January.

This means that residents of the region whose case is considered higher risk will be able to undergo all necessary tests in a single day. This service is already operational in some hospitals.

Sanz said that this will be done in cases of BI-RADS 4 (suspicious lesion) and BI-RADS 5 (very high suspicion). "These women will be able to have all their tests done in a single visit, without having to travel several times or on different days, as is already the case in some hospitals. What we have done now is extend this, standardise it and guarantee it in all existing breast screening units in Andalucía," he said, clarifying that this single procedure involves biopsies, ultrasounds and mammograms, i.e. "the different tests that healthcare professionals deem necessary".

"This homogenisation comes into force on 12 January. I think it is an important step forward," Sanz said, although he did not specify the number of women who could benefit from this service. "That depends on the prior diagnosis, which may come from screening programmes or from diagnoses already made within the system," he said.

"We include all women who may fall into this category and who require rapid attention or, as is the case here, the most effective attention from healthcare professionals and the Andalusian public health system," Sanz concluded.