The University of Pécs (PTE), which has been participating in the campaign for several years as part of the European anti-cancer plan, informed MTI on Tuesday that a European Union program is being launched in Hungary to boost lung cancer screenings and make examinations easier to access.
In the announcement of the higher education institution in Baranya, it was written: as part of the program taking place throughout Europe, in Hungary, in addition to PTE, the University of Debrecen and the National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology will participate in the tests, which are expected to affect thousands of people.
Announced: the pioneering new EU4Health (EU for Health) project aims to facilitate the implementation of lung cancer screening programmes, minimize barriers to screening and ensure access to tests for all people, regardless of social and economic status.
Quoting Zalán Szántó, the PTE Clinical Center doctor and the professional manager of the project in Pécs, the announcement highlighted that as part of the program, 800 low-dose CT examinations will be possible in Baranya alone in the next two years.
During the program, professionals can get answers to questions about how best to implement a cost-effective lung cancer screening program and what effective methods can be used to reach particularly high-risk groups.
In the announcement, they explained that lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer, and the survival rate is much higher if it is detected early. It was indicated: low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is a safe, simple and effective way of screening for lung cancer, and the number of deaths caused by lung cancer can be reduced by a fifth.
The new European Union cancer screening recommendation encourages member states to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of LDCT for screening people at high risk for lung cancer.
The EU-funded project SOLACE supports Member States in implementation and provides national and regional centers with a tailored toolkit to facilitate the implementation of lung cancer screening programs across the EU, with a particular focus on groups at higher risk due to health inequalities exposed – read in the communique.
MTI
