FZK Dr. hab. Paweł Koczkodaj: let's go back to invitations for mammography screening. "The doctor's recommendation is also important"

• Only a 70% rate of patients reporting for breast cancer screening shows a clear population effect
• Since 2017, there have been no invitations to screening tests in Poland as part of the national program. Only about 32 percent of women responded to the invitation
• A solution that has been considered for years and could change the effectiveness of breast cancer prevention in Poland is to refer to it during periodic examinations as part of occupational medicine.
• In reporting for screening tests, the doctor's recommendation is of great importance. Also because the doctor can, by referring to the documentation, ask whether the proposed test has been performed
• We should return to sending invitations to screening tests, and not only by post - believes Dr. hab. Paweł Koczkodaj, professor at the Institute, from the National Institute of Oncology - National Research Institute

There are no longer many discussions about whether invitations to mammography screening are effective, but rather how to introduce and continue them to achieve the desired population effect, which is observed, for example, in Norway - says Dr. hab. Paweł Koczkodaj , professor at the Institute, from the Department of Epidemiology and Primary Prevention of Cancer at the National Institute of Oncology - State Research Institute in Warsaw.

In an interview with Rynek Zdrowia, the specialist points to solutions which – as scientific research shows – make it possible to significantly increase the participation of women in breast cancer screening tests and thus reduce the number of deaths due to this cancer.

*The interview was conducted during the Women's Health Forum (Katowice, June 9-10, 2025)

Copyrighted material - reprint rules are specified in the regulations .