Until the Thunder Strikes: Latvia's Ministry of Health Urges Free Cancer Screening

Marking World Cancer Day in early February, the National Health Service (NVD) once again reminded the residents of Latvia how important it is to undergo oncological screening, and — importantly — to do it ON TIME.

Give Yourself a Chance

Changes in the body that precede the formation of malignant tumors often occur asymptomatically and do not cause any discomfort, so a person may not even suspect the disease that is already insidiously undermining their health.

Preventive screenings for the presence or absence of malignant tumors provide an opportunity to either confirm that health is fine and gain peace of mind, or to timely identify a problem and, accordingly, urgently take necessary measures. The earlier a malignant tumor is detected, the greater the chances for successful treatment and better outcomes. Unfortunately, advanced cases mostly end sadly.

In Latvia, the preventive screening program includes four types of screenings: for cervical cancer and breast cancer (for women), prostate cancer (for men), and colorectal cancer (for both women and men). According to WHO recommendations and professional associations, screenings are recommended to be conducted regularly at certain age intervals when the risk of disease significantly increases.

SCREENING is not limited to a specific funding volume (quotas) and is conducted outside the general queue for services. Thus, screenings are available, firstly, for free, and secondly, without long waiting times.

For the Ladies

For cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings, women in certain age groups (from 50 to 68 years) are sent invitation letters. These letters serve as both a reminder and an official referral. Upon receiving the letter, it is necessary to register for a screening at one of the medical institutions that has a contract with NVD (a list of medical institutions can also be found in the invitation letter).
For cervical cancer screenings, women aged 25 to 29 receive invitations every three years; women aged 30 to 70 receive invitations every five years. This is due to the introduction of a new, more effective testing method last year — the HPV test (for human papillomavirus), which allows assessing the risk of developing an oncological formation. If the HPV test result is negative, the next screening is conducted in five years, as the risk of developing cancer during this period is considered minimal.

These invitation letters are sent approximately three months after a woman's birthday:

— either by mail, to the address of the declared place of residence

— or to the email address (on the Latvija.gov.lv portal, if it has been created).

Vaccination against HPV is also available, which is also covered by the state. The priority group includes boys and girls aged 12 to 17. From this year, state vaccination is also available to other age groups - up to 25 years.

The course usually consists of two doses with an interval of at least six months; however, if a person's immunity is weakened for any reason, a three-dose schedule is recommended. To obtain more accurate information about the possibilities of HPV vaccination, the optimal number of doses, etc., one should consult their family doctor.

Men, It's Your Turn

Prostate cancer screening involves conducting special blood tests every two years for all men aged 50 to 75. If this issue is present in the family history — that is, if close relatives have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, screening is recommended starting at age 45. To undergo screening, it is necessary to contact your family doctor, who will issue a referral for a blood test to determine the PSA level (a tumor marker for the early detection of prostate cancer, adenoma, prostatitis. An elevated level requires a consultation with a urologist — M.B.)

Prostate cancer is a scourge for the male population; in terms of the prevalence of malignant tumors among men over 40, it ranks second. If the disease has been diagnosed in one of the close relatives, the risk of disease doubles. If two close relatives have suffered from it, the risk increases up to nine times!

Relevant for Everyone

State-funded colorectal cancer screening is recommended to be conducted once every two years for both women and men aged 50 to 74.

This type of cancer develops in the cells forming the intestinal wall. Initially, benign formations — polyps — are formed, which, if left untreated, can lead to the development of malignant disease. Typically, these mutations occur over a period of 10–20 years. In the early stages, patients usually have no symptoms or complaints; for this reason, according to data from the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, unfortunately, about half of patients are diagnosed with the disease at an advanced stage.

The fecal occult blood test is one of the research methods capable of detecting asymptomatic bleeding in the stomach and intestines. Such bleeding is an early clinical sign of many serious gastrointestinal diseases, including oncological ones.

To undergo screening, one must first consult their family doctor. The doctor will provide a test kit for determining hidden blood in the stool; the kit includes instructions on how to properly collect the material for the hidden blood analysis at home, as well as the necessary tools for this. After that, the test must be delivered to the laboratory for result determination. The procedure itself is quite simple and, importantly, there are no special restrictions required before conducting the test — for example, in diet.

The National Health Service urges all residents of Latvia who have received an invitation letter, as well as those whose age and/or predisposition increases the risk of developing oncological diseases, not to postpone screening. And certainly not to avoid screening in the hope of "maybe": such carelessness can be too costly.