EU oncobus passed through Poland

This summer is marked by breaking the taboo associated with cancer. The EU oncobus, which traveled across Poland as part of the "Look, Poland! Keep an eye on cancer!". Five cities took part in the campaign: Katowice, Gdynia, Grunwald, Wroclaw and Lublin. Medical specialists, educators and representatives of non-governmental organizations dealing with cancer were waiting at specially prepared stops. The campaign was received positively by residents, NGOs and local media alike.

The campaign was part of Mission Cancer, an EU initiative to fight cancer. Its main goals are not only to fund innovation and research to better understand cancer and its causes, to modernize diagnosis and treatment through the development of more effective screening tests, but also to improve patients' quality of life during and after treatment. In addition, the EU is also involved in building oncology infrastructures in member states, among other things.

Twenty institutions (foundations, organizations and hospitals) supported the EU action

According to statistics, cancer is detected in 2.7 million people annually throughout the European Union, but as many as 40 percent of cancers can be prevented or cured if detected at an early stage. Priority points on the initiative's list were to gather information on cancer in Poland, as well as to raise awareness among Poles about cancer treatment, prevention, screening, oncological diagnosis and scientific advances in the fight against the disease.

- I would like to thank all the volunteers involved in the success of the pilot campaign "Look, Poland! Keep an eye on cancer!", and especially to the experts present at the stops of the EU oncobus route. Doctors, scientists, psycho-oncologists, recovering patients, patients in the disease, volunteers of oncology foundations, health care professionals - we thank you very much for your substantive support of our campaign. This mission has shown how important it is to work together and across sectors in the fight against cancer for the health and lives of EU residents. The campaign does not end with the last stop. The EU Cancer Mission will continue to support innovative solutions to better understand cancer and its causes, to modernize diagnosis and treatment through, among other things, the development of more effective screening tests," says Martyna Gacek-Świecik of the Regional Representation of the European Commission, coordinator of the campaign in Poland on the part of the European Commission.

The campaign nationwide was supported by twenty institutions (foundations, NGOs and hospitals), as well as independent experts on the subject of fighting cancer. The stops offered the opportunity to talk to doctors, nurses and psychologists of various specialties.

- As a foundation, we are dedicated to educating the public about cancer prevention. Therefore, it was with great pleasure that we decided to participate in the campaign "Look, Poland! Keep an eye on cancer!". Together with the organizers of the campaign, we want to inspire people to feel responsible for their health. According to the World Health Organization, by leading a healthy lifestyle, we are able to avoid 50 percent of all cancers. It is also worth noting that malignant neoplasms are the second most common cause of death in Poland. The incidences particularly affect young and middle-aged people. And up to 90 percent of cancers depend solely on external factors over which we have real influence. Therefore, educating the public on this topic is extremely important," says Magdalena Jarecka, president of the Foundation in Association with Cancer.

Special guests during the campaign were oncology patients who had won their battle with cancer and shared their valuable experience, including journalist Joanna Górska in Lublin. The campaign also involved influencers, popularizers of science: Kasia Gandor and Tomasz Rożek.

- Cancer is one of the most important health problems in our society. Unfortunately, we still do not talk enough about cancer prevention, which makes many people unaware of the possibility of preventing this disease. I decided to make my contribution to the fight against cancer and therefore took part in the campaign "Look, Poland! Keep an eye on cancer!". I believe that through education and increased awareness we can save the lives of many people," says Kasia Gandor, YouTuber and promoter of knowledge.

Free examinations and talks with doctors attracted to the stop

Visitors also had the opportunity to learn breast and testicular self-examination, and in Katowice and Grunwald - to take advantage of free examinations such as measuring heart rate, blood pressure and saturation or measuring blood sugar levels. Printed informational materials on cancer prevention and promoting informed decisions on lifestyle, diet and daily habits awaited visitors.

What surprised the organizers was the speed at which news spread about the tests being conducted on site. It was also noticeable that people with good sugar or blood pressure results were happy to share this with their companions. However, according to conversations with participants, on a daily basis, Poles are most often prompted to take preventive examinations by a diagnosis from someone close to them.

As a result of the medical consultations, several visitors to the bus stops were sent to an urgent appointment with their primary care physician or had suspected moles examined for skin cancer.

Psycho-oncologists' help still in high demand

There were also some emotional moments. A stop in Grunwald was visited by an elderly woman diagnosed with skin cancer, who sought help because the treatment she was receiving had proved ineffective. A similar situation occurred in Gdynia, where an elderly couple asked for psychological support, as the woman had just been diagnosed with cancer. After talking to cancer sufferers, one can see the great need that patients and their loved ones feel for the help of psycho-oncologists.

The action was popular not only among Poles, but also among Ukrainian citizens, who were often unaware of the examinations to which they were entitled in Poland. The stops even interested children and teenagers - they were eager to use the prepared photo booth and microscopes. Attractions that attracted passersby of all ages were games about healthy habits. Surprisingly, most of the players said they had already incorporated these habits into their lives.

Women are more health conscious

Interviews with participants show that Poles are increasingly taking better care of their health, but regular cancer screenings are still not part of our routine. Women are most involved in taking care of their health. They were the ones more likely to admit that they perform regular examinations such as mammography or cytology, and more likely than men to participate in discussions with experts.

As the organizers emphasize: looking at the interest in the stops and their positive reception, the demand for similar actions is still high in Poland. Poles want greater accessibility to examinations, as well as the opportunity to perform screening tests free of charge. Although cancer is slowly ceasing to be a social taboo, there is still much to be done in this area.

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