Why are Poles afraid of preventive check-ups? Episode 92

Why do Poles so rarely take advantage of preventive examinations? Is it a matter of a lack of knowledge, poor organisation of the system, or perhaps inadequate communication? In the latest episode of Po Pierwsze Pacjent, Monika Rachtan talks to Dorota Korycińska, president of the Polish National Oncology Federation, about why Poles avoid preventive examinations, what barriers stand in the way of an effective fight against cancer and how health education can change the face of Polish oncology.

Poles and preventive examinations

In Poland, we have access to excellently planned prevention programmes - so says the Ministry of Health. However, as Dorota Korycinska points out in an interview with Monika Rachtan, the problem is dramatically low attendance. Poles are not taking advantage of screening tests, even though they are free and readily available through the public system. Why is this happening? Answers often boil down to finding fault, patients, doctors or the system, but this does not solve the problem.

Dorota Korycinska cites the Sarcoma Association's 2022 report, which reveals frightening data: more than 30% Poles do not know that preventive screenings are free or where to get them. Lack of information is the main barrier, not laziness or disregard for health. The expert stresses that instead of blaming society, we should ask: how do we get the knowledge to people and make prevention their priority? The answer requires action on many levels from education to better communication.

Health education

Dorota Korycińska emphasises that without health education, Poles remain defenceless against cancer. Lack of basic knowledge means that prevention is trivialised and health-promoting habits are treated as unimportant. Everyday choices such as diet, physical activity or avoiding stimulants can reduce the risk of cancer, but unfortunately many people are not aware of this at all. The problem is therefore not a lack of desire, but a lack of reliable information and systemic support.

Without informed education, Poles are doomed to chance. The expert points out that messages about prevention are lost in a flurry of advertising promoting unhealthy lifestyles, and information about screening does not reach those who need it. Public health cannot be based on the assumption that people will find the key information themselves, as it is up to the state to provide it to them in a clear and effective way. Health education is not a cost, but an investment that can save thousands of patients' lives.

Prevention programmes - do they really work?

Although prevention programmes exist in Poland, their effectiveness leaves much to be desired. An example is 'Prophylaxis 40 plus', which was supposed to facilitate access to screening tests, but only a small percentage of those eligible took advantage of it. As Dorota Korycińska points out, the problem is not a lack of willingness on the part of patients, but a number of systemic errors, lack of promotion of the programme, limited availability of tests in some regions and insufficient involvement of PCPs. Worse still, patients who did take advantage of the programme often received results without any interpretation, which could lead to unnecessary stress or a false sense of security.

However, the problem is not just with one programme, the lack of reliable analysis of the effectiveness of prevention is a common phenomenon. How many cancers have been detected at an early stage by screening programmes? How many patients actually started treatment? What were the long-term effects of these measures? These questions are unanswered because the system lacks a mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention. Korycińska emphasises that without a detailed analysis and verification of the results, there can be no effective health policy. Preventive programmes cannot just be an activity 'for statistics' - they must translate into real improvements in the health of the population, and for this we need responsibility for their implementation and transparency in communicating the results.

Cancers shrouded in myth

Many Poles still believe that a cancer diagnosis means the end, one of the most damaging myths that effectively discourages prevention and screening. As Dorota Korycinska emphasises, cancer detected at an early stage is in most cases fully curable. The problem is that lack of knowledge and fear of diagnosis cause patients to delay examinations, and when they finally get to the doctor, the disease is already at an advanced stage.

The guest of the episode points out that the myth 'cancer is a sentence' is just as dangerous as the belief that cancers are only the result of bad luck. In reality, lifestyle, diet, physical activity, avoidance of stimulants and vaccination (e.g. against HPV) can significantly reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. Health education and reliable information are paramount, because the more we know, the more consciously we can take care of our health and not put off getting tested.

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