Improving colon cancer screening in Poland. In search of the Holy Grail

Abstract

I would like to raise the problem of colon cancer screening in Poland. Santucci et al. described recently the predicted mortality trends for colorectal cancer in the five most populous countries in Europe, including Poland. 1 The trends presented for the population of men under 50 years of age with colorectal cancer in Poland are unfavorable. Unfortunately, this situation is unlikely to improve significantly in the near future. In an earlier publication, Santucci et al. highlighted the persistent gap in cancer mortality between Western and Eastern Europe, including colorectal cancer, which correlates with the International Agency for Research on Cancer prognosis indicating an increase in cancer incidence and mortality in Poland. 2,3 These gloomy prognoses for colon cancer patients in Poland result from poor primary and secondary prevention, but also from the problem of poor patient attendance at screening tests.