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03-02-2023

The health insurance funds urge the residents to take preventive cancer screening opportunities

Iliustracija

During the World Cancer Day, the health insurance funds noted that residents are still reluctant to check their health on a regular basis. They usually contact the medics only when feeling unwell. However, oncological diseases develop without showing any symptoms for a long time and are more difficult to treat when diagnosed in an advanced stage.

Based on the data of the health insurance funds, less than one third of the target-age population use preventive cancer screening opportunities, enabling to beat the disease at its onset, every year. Thus, experts urge the residents to undergo their check-ups while they still feel healthy, because beating oncological diseases is much easier, when they're diagnosed early.

Lithuania offers four cancer prevention programmes – cervix cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. The costs for these programmes will be covered from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF). Everyone wishing to check their health based on cancer prevention programmes, should first of all contact their family doctor.

It’s important to note that the testing might also be prescribed to persons that do not fall in the target age group, but feel symptoms or have suspicions of a possible cancer. In such case, patients should also contact their family doctor, who will assess the health condition and, if needed, issue a referral to a specialist doctor.

Cervical cancer prevention programme is offered for women from 25 to 59 years old (inclusive). Women, aged 25-34 (inclusive), can have a cervical cytology smear every three years. Women, aged 35-39 (inclusive) can have a high-risk cervical papillomavirus (HR HPV) test and a liquid-based cervical cytological smear (if the HR HPV test is positive) every five years. Smear results may be followed by a biopsy to objectively confirm or rule out the diagnosis.

Breast cancer prevention programme targets women with compulsory health insurance coverage, ages 50-69 (inclusive), who may go for a mammographic examination every two years. Upon obtaining a referral from a general physician, it is necessary to book an appointment at an institution, which has a mammography equipment. The examination results will be delivered by the general physician, who will receive them from the institution that works with mammographies.

Prostate (anterior gland) cancer early diagnosis prevention program targets men, aged 50-69 years (inclusive), and men, aged 45 years and above, if their father or brother was diagnosed with an anterior gland cancer. They may undergo periodic blood testing to show the concentration of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. If the PSA index exceeds the norm, a general physician will issue a referral for a consultation with a urologist, who, if needed, will perform a prostate biopsy.

Colon cancer prevention programme targets men and women, ages 50-69 (inclusive), who may be tested for occult bleeding once every two years. A negative test result means that the patient is healthy, while a positive will be followed by a referral to a specialist doctor for further testing. An objective diagnosis can be confirmed or ruled out by conducting a colonoscopy and, if necessary, a biopsy.

The health insurance fund allocates increasingly larger CHIF funds for preventive programmes every year. This year the funds allocated reached as much as Eur 20.5 million, which is Eur 1.8 million more than last year.

For residents, covered by Compulsory Health Insurance, participation in the preventive programmes is free, as long as they go to a healthcare institution that has an agreement with a territorial health insurance fund.

More information on disease prevention programmes is available here.

Siauliai Territorial Health Insurance Fund

(Piktochart photo)

The NHIF invites you:

Your questions are welcome by email[email protected]or phone: local (8 5) 232 2222, international +370 5 232 2222

Last updated: 15-02-2023

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