Title : Implementation of a population-based breast cancer prevention program in Poland before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Poland in comparison with other countries
Abstract:
Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women in Poland and in the world. It accounts for about 24% of all cancer cases in Polish women. According to the latest report published in November 2022 by the Sarcoma Association for Sarcomas and Melanomas, as many as 39% of Polish women and men do not know that free of charge, National Health Fund-financed, preventive examinations detecting cancer at an early stage are available in Poland. Almost half of Polish men and women cannot name any preventive examination for cancer. As many as 2 out of 3 people do not perform regular preventive examinations for cancer. Unfortunately, the report also shows that every fifth Pole believes that prophylaxis will not save their life. The material consists of epidemiological data on the performance of mammography examinations in Polish women under the population breast cancer prevention program in the years 2014–2022. The data are obtained from monthly reports published by the National Health Fund. The prevention program for early breast cancer detection is addressed to women aged 50–69 who have not had a mammography examination in the last 24 months and to those who have received a written recommendation to repeat a mammography examination after 12 months.
The aim of the program is to reduce the mortality rate due to breast cancer to the level achieved in the leading European Union countries. The study is also based on epidemiological data on preventive screenings for early detection of breast cancer in other countries around the world, obtained from the Health at Glance 2021 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report (OECD). The study was based on epidemiological data related to the performance of mammography examinations among Polish women under the breast cancer prevention program. The results were compared with data from other countries around the world.
In the years 2014–2022, a significant decrease was observed in the number of mammography examinations among Polish women under the population-based breast cancer prevention program.
A continuous decrease in the number of preventive examinations in Poland is related not only to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to the discontinuation of sending paper invitations for mammography under the breast cancer prevention program.
