If lung cancer is suspected, the patient should be referred as soon as possible to a center experienced in the rapid and high-quality diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Are the standards of treatment in Poland different from European standards and what are the most effective methods of treating this cancer? Adam Macieczyk.
prof. Adam Maciejczyk is Director of the Lower Silesian Center for Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology, President of the Polish Cancer Society in 2018-2022 and co-founder of the National Cancer Network.
Monika Witkowska “Wprost”: What is the prognosis for lung cancer patients in Poland? Do they differ from European standards?
prof. Adam Macieczyk: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Europe. In 2019, about 235,000 people died from this disease in the EU. The 5-year patient survival rates in Poland do not differ significantly from European results - depending on gender, they are 14-19 percent. However, it should be emphasized that comparisons of cancer treatment outcomes across countries without taking into account the stage of the disease should be interpreted very carefully.
In addition, it should be noted that the available data on the life expectancy of lung cancer patients cover the period before the introduction of funding for new lung cancer treatments in Poland; we still have to wait for a rational assessment of the effect of these actions.
What determines the success of lung cancer treatment?
Treatment of lung cancer is a multidisciplinary, complex process, the success of which depends on many factors. The most important, of course, is the stage of the disease. A patient in the first stage of progression has a very good chance (about 90%) of a permanent cure. In Poland we have access to modern thoracic surgery (thoracic surgery - ed. note) and stereotactic radiation therapy (radiation treatment for cancer - ed. note), which is an alternative to surgical treatment when the patient is not indicated for surgery.
Unfortunately, more than 50% of patients are stage IV patients. Oncologists are treated too late. Therefore, as we have repeatedly reminded, the most important intervention that gives a chance to improve the results of lung cancer treatment in the population is broad actions in the field of primary prevention (primarily eliminating exposure to harmful components of tobacco smoke) and secondary prevention (screening in risk groups).
Also important are actions aimed at improving the performance of diagnostics and improving access to complex oncological therapy.
Source: Wprost
