 | Do you have this keyring? Treat it as a small reminder. Every now and then, take a few minutes to check whether your preventive care has its own rhythm. |
Go directly to the area that matters to you.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The pink ribbon has become its symbol to remind us about prevention, knowing our own bodies and using screening tests that can help detect disease at an earlier stage.
This matters because breast cancer can develop for a long time without pain or obvious symptoms.
25% of cancers diagnosed in women worldwide are breast cancer. | 80% of breast cancer cases in Poland affect women over the age of 50. |
Pink October is therefore a reminder of something very practical:
know your breasts, respond to changes and use screening appropriate to your age and individual risk.
When breast cancer is detected early, the chances of successful treatment are very good.
| 20+ · MONTHLY | Breast self-examination Ideally 3–5 days after your period ends. After menopause, choose the same day each month. |
| 20–40 · EVERY 1–2 YEARS* | Breast ultrasound After the age of 30, it is worth having a breast ultrasound once a year. If your risk is higher, the frequency should be agreed with your doctor. |
| 45–74 · EVERY 2 YEARS | Mammography Available free of charge through the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ), without a referral, if you meet the programme criteria. |
| 25–64 · EVERY 5 YEARS | High-risk HPV test Part of the cervical cancer prevention programme. A positive high-risk HPV result → liquid-based cytology (LBC) from the same sample. |
| 25–64 · ANNUALLY | Cervical cytology The interval depends on previous results and individual risk factors. If abnormalities are found, follow your doctor’s recommendations. |
| ANY AGE · INDIVIDUAL PLAN | Family history / BRCA Breast or ovarian cancer in the family, cancer diagnosed at a young age or a confirmed mutation → an individual prevention plan may be needed. |
Get to know what is normal for your breasts so you can notice when something changes.
Look out for: a lump, a change in shape or size, changes to the skin or nipple, nipple inversion or unusual discharge.
Remember: self-examination does not replace mammography or tests recommended by your doctor.
Ages 45–74: mammography every two years under the NFZ programme.
Check: when you last had one.
BRCA1/2: a confirmed pathogenic variant may increase risk and require an individual prevention plan.
Movember is a November campaign focused on men’s health, particularly the prevention and early detection of prostate and testicular cancer. Its name combines the words moustache and November, and its characteristic moustache has one simple purpose:
to get men talking about their health before a problem appears.
~1 in 4 cancers diagnosed in men in Poland are prostate cancer. | ~800 cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed in Poland each year. | 15–35 is the age range in which testicular cancer is most commonly diagnosed. |
That is why Movember is not a campaign only for older men.
Prevention matters at every age – it simply looks different at different stages of life.
For younger men, it starts with knowing their own bodies and responding to changes in the testicles. Later, the prostate and individual risk become increasingly important.
It is not about testing for everything. It is about knowing what is worth checking and when.
| 15+ · MONTHLY | Testicular self-examination Ideally after a bath or shower. Around five minutes is enough – the goal is to understand what is normal for you. |
| IF SOMETHING CHANGES · DO NOT WAIT | Doctor / testicular ultrasound A lump, swelling, a change in size or a feeling of heaviness → see a doctor. Ultrasound is performed when clinically indicated. |
| 40+ + BRCA2 · AS ADVISED | PSA + prostate A confirmed BRCA2 mutation → it may be worth starting prostate screening earlier. |
| 45+ + FAMILY HISTORY | PSA + prostate Prostate cancer in a first-degree relative → the first PSA test may be recommended earlier. |
| 50+ · EVERY 2 YEARS / BASED ON RESULTS | PSA + prostate check The first PSA test is recommended after age 50. The next interval should be agreed with your doctor based on the result and individual risk. |
Once a month, preferably after a bath or shower.
Look out for: a lump or hard area, swelling, a change in size, heaviness or pressure.
Notice a change? Do not diagnose yourself on Google. See a doctor.
Prostate cancer can develop for a long time without symptoms.
PSA: a blood test; the result itself is not a diagnosis and should be interpreted by a doctor.
Do not wait: problems urinating, blood in urine or semen, or other new symptoms → seek medical advice.
BRCA2: may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer or other cancers in your family? Tell your doctor – it may affect when screening should begin and how often it should be repeated.
| 20–49 · EVERY 5 YEARS | “Moje Zdrowie” (“My Health”) check-up A free preventive health check available through primary care in Poland. The scope is selected after completing a questionnaire and may include tests such as a complete blood count, glucose and lipid profile. |
| 40–49 · IF AT INCREASED RISK | Colonoscopy If a first-degree relative had colorectal cancer and it has been at least 10 years since your last colonoscopy. |
| 50+ · EVERY 3 YEARS | “Moje Zdrowie” (“My Health”) check-up The same preventive check-up, but more frequently. The scope depends on age and individual risk. |
| 50–65 · EVERY 10 YEARS* | Colonoscopy For people without symptoms who have not had a colonoscopy within the last 10 years. *Unless your doctor recommends otherwise. |
Eligibility for low-dose CT lung cancer screening (NDTK / LDCT) depends on age and smoking history.
Tests such as ECG, abdominal ultrasound, gastroscopy, bone density testing or eye examinations should be considered according to age, symptoms, existing conditions and individual risk factors.
This calendar is intended for people without symptoms. Have you noticed a new symptom or change?
Do not wait for the date suggested by the calendar – consult a doctor.
when nothing hurts yet.
Sources:
pacjent.gov.pl · onkologia.pacjent.gov.pl · gov.pl · movember.com · tantumrosa.pl · nfz.gov.pl
