“Changes in preventive programs will ensure that women aged 45 to 74 can benefit from free mammography, and women up to 64 years will benefit from free cytology,” said Health Minister Katarzyna Sójka. According to her, the medicines Enhertu and Lynparza will be reimbursed from November 1.
The head of the Ministry of Health announced the extension during a Friday briefing in Warsaw, after extensive consultations with doctors and patient organizations, breast cancer prevention program, among others.
The solutions we want to present are, first of all, lowering and raising the age for free mammography for women in Poland. The current solutions – free mammography examinations from age 50 to 69 – will be extended downwards by five years and increased by five years upwards.
Jay said.
Extensive group
Thanks to the new solutions, she said, women between the ages of 45 and 74 in Poland will be able to benefit from preventive mammography examinations under similar conditions as before. Tests for the expanded group will be available from November 1 this year.
Another solution for the prevention of breast cancer includes: The Ministry of Health is increasing the possibility of immunohistochemical testing of receptors in breast cancer.
They will be able to be performed at an early stage, which – I hope – will certainly shorten the diagnosis time and at the same time accelerate the possibility of introducing appropriate treatment for patients.
– said Sójka.
She said that from 2025 only digital mammography will be mandatory.
The head of the Ministry of Health emphasized that the changes are aimed at increasing the number of people taking advantage of preventive tests and allowing cancer to be diagnosed as early as possible.
Minister Sójka said that women with a negative family history will be referred to special care for people in the risk group so that the diagnosis is made as early as possible.
She also said that the group of patients who can benefit from free cytological tests will be expanded and the age limit will be increased from 59 to 64 years.
She said that from January 1, 2024, women will also be included in the breast cancer prevention program five years after completing breast cancer treatment.
Medicines reimbursed
The head of the Ministry of Health also announced that the drug Trastuzumab deruxtecan will be reimbursed from November 1. It is used to treat adult patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
Until November 1, we will take out a bridge financing together with the manufacturer, which will make it possible that from next Monday, September 18, patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer can benefit from this, can enter the treatment program and then smoothly transition to reimbursement.
– said the minister. This drug, she said, gives hope to patients with advanced disease.
The ministry announced on Twitter (X) that based on the minister’s decision, Enhertu will be reimbursed from November 1, 2023 under the drug program B.9.FM – Treatment of breast cancer patients. The therapy will be available to patients in the second, third or fourth line of treatment for unresectable or advanced HER2-positive breast cancer after they have received at least one line of anti-HER2 therapy.
The Ministry of Health also announced that from November 1, 2023, therapy with Lynparza (olaparib) for the treatment of breast cancer will also be reimbursed.
READ MORE: Minister Sójka: From the first day at the Ministry of Health, we start working hard. There is one goal: the well-being of the patient
edy/PAP
Source: wPolityce