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According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund, all women aged 25-59 should be regularly screened for cervical cancer. All women in this age group who are covered by the general health insurance in the National Health Fund should receive a personal invitation for a smear test every three years.
The screening program, i.e. screening is carried out on the basis of the Act of July 1, 2005 on the establishment of a long-term program “National Program for Combating Cancer Diseases. The main goal of the Program is to reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. The organizers want to improve the statistics by performing mass Pap tests among Polish women in the age group of the highest risk, who have not had a Pap smear under the National Health Fund insurance in the last 3 years. Annually, as part of the Population Program for the Prevention and Early Detection of Cervical Cancer, the examination may be performed by 3 women.
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Each woman participating in the Program is provided with comprehensive and multi-stage medical care. In the event of an abnormal cytological examination, the patient is referred for a repeat cytological examination or, as part of in-depth diagnosis, for colposcopy. The patient may also undergo a biopsy, i.e. taking targeted specimens from the cervical disc and curettage of the cervical canal and possibly the uterine cavity. If the diagnosis confirms the presence of cancer cells, the patient is referred for treatment to the oncology ward.
The examination under the program may be performed without referral, once every 3 years. If a woman belongs to a high-risk group, she is entitled to an annual examination. The high-risk group includes primarily women who
- have been treated for moderate to severe cervical dysplasia
- had previously been treated for cervical cancer
- were infected with a highly oncogenic variant of the human papillomavirus
- suffer from immunodeficiency, e.g. due to taking immunosuppressive drugs
- are infected with HIV
- Under the Program, it is also possible to perform another test several months after the last one. This procedure is allowed for women whose swab does not find cells from the cervical plate or canal, or whose previous swabs were unreadable due to a large number of leukocytes in the case of inflammation, erythrocytes, or atrophic cells. Then the doctor decides about the date of the examination.
The Population Cervical Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Program is regionally monitored by Voivodeship Coordination Centers (WOK), which are subordinate to the Central Coordination Center (COK) in Warsaw, which supervises the entire Program.
Prof. dr hab. Jerzy Stelmachów, National Consultant in the field of Oncological Gynecology
| The Polish Coalition to Fight Cervical Cancer has developed a comprehensive project of preventive measures. The introduction of the proposed solutions will make it possible to significantly reduce the dramatically high number of deaths due to cervical cancer in Poland. Each vote of support will increase the chances of a serious social discussion on this topic. Support the RSM Coalition. Accelerate the changes. |