Portuguese gastroenterologist denounces pressure on doctors to restrict medical exams

Jose Cotter, president of Portugal's society of gastroenterology, has denounced "immoral pressure" faced by doctors to cut down on medical exams like colonoscopy procedures, local media reported on Wednesday.

Cotter said not requesting colonoscopy procedures could have serious consequences for citizens, and could backfire on doctors for medical-legal reasons,Portuguese Lusa News Agency reported on Wednesday,

His comments came after Portugal's minister of health recently said at parliament that the government's financial constraints had resulted in less diagnostic tests being carried out, highlighting that the prices for colonscopy procedures were "excessive."

However, Cotter said the price of these tests have been significantly reduced in the past years and pointed out that there is a lack of clinics which carry out the procedures due to cuts in the health service.

Cotter also pointed out that bowel cancer was easier to prevent than other types of cancer.

"The prevention of bowel cancer has a great advantage over other cancers, as pre-malignant lesions can be detected though the colonoscopy and removed at the same time," Cotter said.

He added that the tests "prevent the development of these lesions until the cancer phase."

Colon cancer and bowel cancer are the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Portugal, with 7,000 cases of the disease being detected in 2014.

Cotter said these diseases were caused by not leading a healthy lifestyle. Endit