You cannot come to the hospital, donate blood and be sure that there is no cancer: an oncologist spoke about the importance of early cancer diagnosis

Early diagnosis of oncological diseases can be a decisive factor for successful treatment, especially when detected in the initial stages. He told about it in an exclusive comment UNN said oncologist Andrii Hardashnikov.

“Screening is an examination of healthy people without complaints, from certain risk groups for certain diseases, in oncology – for neoplasms… If we are talking about screening that is in the recommendations and that has evidence of effectiveness, for example, for the same breast cancer , mammography is performed at a certain age for women, so it is very important. The same is true for determining the early diagnosis of cervical cancer, – emphasized Hardashnikov.

He emphasized that, unlike tests for tumor markers, which patients often self-administer, and which are not indicative and true without a doctor’s appointment, screening is an effective method for assessing health.

“Our people, for example, really like to come and order tumor markers – let me take tests for all types of cancer to know… unfortunately, these tests for tumor markers usually do not have such reliability, and they must be prescribed by a doctor. That is, not you can come to a hospital, order a set of some laboratory tests and just give blood and be sure that there is no cancer. It doesn’t work like that,” Hardashnikov emphasized.

The oncologist emphasized that in case of early diagnosis of the disease, the treatment becomes much more effective and affordable. “Unfortunately, we do not have such an examination that would guarantee early detection (of cancer – ed.), it is also very important to discuss so that there is no misunderstanding among those people who cannot detect these diseases in the early stages. This is not is always the fault of the patient himself, far from always. But if we really manage to detect oncological diseases in the early stages, then statistically the treatment in the early stages is more effective, there is much more frequent remission, much more often there are long-term remissions – i.e. they allow people to live, and treatment is often more accessible,” he explained.

Hardashnikov cited the treatment of metastatic cancer as an example. According to him, it is expensive, and usually modern methods of treatment, such as immunotherapy, are not covered by the state. Treatment of the early stages of various malignant formations is often, according to the doctor, more affordable.

Regarding screening programs, Hardashnikov noted that some of them are funded by the state and are available to patients free of charge. “It seems to me that either the majority, or even everything that is included in the screening, can be implemented at the expense of the state. Even when we talk about lung cancer screening and CT scan, it is also possible. The only thing is that it cannot be done quickly. Hardly will the patient come, say that I want a CT scan with screening and they will tell him – come tomorrow and we will do it. Most likely, it will be planned, through electronic referral, after weeks or months, but in the matter of screening, it is usually not an urgent matter, so you can wait there,” said the oncologist.

Let’s add

One of the examples of how the state takes care of the health of its citizens is the program that operates for the residents of the Brovary territorial community. The local government has introduced the “Caring for everyone” program for 2024-2026, which is aimed at ensuring social protection and medical support for the most vulnerable sections of the population.

As part of the program, regular diagnostics are carried out for the early detection of oncological diseases. In particular, the following examinations are available to community residents:

• cytological screening for cervical cancer (liquid Pap test) and HPV testing for women over 21 years of age;

• breast and ovarian cancer screening for women over 30;

• thyroid cancer screening as directed by a doctor;

• urological screening for prostate cancer diagnosis for men over 35 years old.

Citizens of Ukraine who are registered and live in the territory of the Brovary community can undergo these examinations free of charge once a year.

In addition, several important medical programs aimed at supporting the health of the community, in particular, privileged categories of the population, operate in the Brovary community. Ihor Kravtsov, director of the Brovary city center of primary health care, in an exclusive comment UNN said that one of the key programs is providing privileged categories of the population, in particular internally displaced persons (IDPs), with free medicines and medical supplies.

In addition, the local government of Brovary allocates significant funds to support oncology patients living in the community. The hospital provides them with free chemotherapy drugs, which are expensive because all the components are foreign-made.

Mayor of Brovary Ihor Sapozhko in an exclusive comment UNN emphasized that such programs are important for ensuring the health and well-being of community residents. He added that the city government will continue to support these initiatives, despite the limited budget.

“We understand how important these programs are for our citizens, especially for those who need constant medical support. Free drug programs, support for cancer patients and cancer prevention are vital initiatives, and we are doing everything possible to preserve them even in difficult conditions. Caring for the health of our community remains our priority,” said Sapozhko.