"Miodowa 15". The most effective way to save thousands of women. We stopped using it

• The guests of the program "Miodowa 15" are Anna Kupiecka from OnkoCafe and Prof. Paweł Koczkodaj from the National Institute of Oncology
• The interviewees point out that breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. If detected early, the disease can be completely curable. However, screening tests are key
• Experts believe that the most effective way to encourage women to come for a mammogram is through personalized invitations.
• Messages can reach women in various forms: paper or electronic.
• According to the interviewees, occupational medicine and primary care physicians also have an important role to play in prevention.
• The material was created in cooperation with Novartis Poland

In Poland, breast cancer continues to reap a tragic harvest, even though it can be fully curable if detected early. Although many women are aware of the existence of mammography, which helps detect pathological changes, the rate of participation in screening tests remains insufficiently high to significantly contribute to reducing the number of deaths due to cancer.

Guests of the program "Miodowa 15" argue that one of the reasons for this state of affairs may be the abandonment of sending personalized invitations to the tests. These were in use until the end of 2016. They were personalized, often with a designated date and place of the test.

The system was abandoned after reports from the Supreme Audit Office , which questioned the cost-effectiveness of the program. NIK indicated that many invitations ended up in the trash, and also drew attention to legal ambiguities in the field of personal data protection.

Since then, the state has not run an organized system of inviting people for mammography. Some facilities do it on their own initiative, and so-called mammobuses come to some towns to allow for the examination.

Meanwhile, research by the OnkoCafe Foundation - Razem Najlepsze shows that 70% of women who received a personalized invitation in any form (letter, text message, phone call) actually registered for the test.

- This shows that there are solutions that we can implement in Poland, i.e. individual treatment of a woman, direct contact with her, but also this information, invitation, tailored to her place of residence, lifestyle, to the specifics of a given woman - indicates Anna Kupiecka , president of the OnkoCafe Foundation and vice-president of the Polish Oncological Federation.

Prof. Paweł Koczkodaj from the Department of Epidemiology and Primary Prevention of Cancers at the National Institute of Oncology in Warsaw echoes her. He confirms that from experience he sees that personalized invitations increase participation in the screening test. Even more so when women are given a specific date for the test in the afternoon, so that it does not clash with their daily tasks.

Experts claim that modern technology opens up many more possibilities for formulating invitations than just a paper letter. You can use the Patient's Internet Account, text messages, e-mails, or Central e-Registration.

The interviewees also draw attention to the important role of occupational medicine physicians, primary care physicians, and nurses. Anna Kupiecka claims that up to 90 percent of people, after talking to a medical professional about preventive examinations, go for diagnostics.

- The best tools are those that not only provide information, but also allow you to immediately sign up for a test - emphasizes Anna Kupiecka.

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