Priorities for cancer control in Poland

Deaths from cancer in Poland are expected to increase by over 60% during the next 20 years due to aging of the population and increasing age-standardized male cancer mortality. Five-year survivals are much lower than in developed Western countries. Improvement of statistics of cancer incidence and survival in different regions of Poland is essential for operational planning of interventions and resources. Reduction of tobacco smoking must remain a priority in prevention. Legislation enforcing protection from carcinogenic workplace exposures and development of monitoring is necessary. Poor performance of primary health care physicians is the major cause of delays in diagnosis. Interventions in this field should focus on professional training and development of units of rapid diagnosis of cancer. Implementation of state-of-the-art treatment through multicenter programs is recommended. Access to specialized treatment, in particular radiotherapy, should be improved through further development of the oncological networks.