Poland launches free lung cancer screening program

A new national preventive program in Poland, managed by the National Health Fund (NFZ), will launch on October 1, offering free low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans for high-risk individuals. The program primarily targets people aged 55–74 with at least 20 pack-years of smoking history, provided they quit within the last 15 years. For those with additional risk factors, such as COPD or a family history of lung cancer, the screening is available from age 50.

Medical experts emphasize that early detection is critical for survival. For limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC), which is confined to the lungs and regional lymph nodes, radical treatment through chemoradiotherapy followed by immunotherapy may be possible. In contrast, extensive-stage disease requires systemic treatment. Early-stage detection significantly improves outcomes, with five-year survival rates exceeding 90 percent in certain cases.

Lung cancer remains a major oncological challenge in Poland, with approximately 22,000 to 23,000 new cases diagnosed annually and a similar number of deaths.