The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic cooperates with the National Institute of Cancer on the campaign o.z. NO RAKOLINE and Europacolon Slovensko ÞECCAM 2024" (European Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month), supported by the mobile application "Step By Step" to help save lives and patients with colorectal cancer.
MARCH is annually a month of educating about colon cancer (ECCAM 2024), focusing on a responsible approach to health in the years of age, motivation for movement, prevention, screening = OncoControl and patient support in all EU countries. Up to 32 Slovaks die each week as a result of colorectal cancer, the annual increase in patients with colon and rectum cancer accounts for up to 4,000 people a year (NCZI) - half of which die from this disease. It wouldn't have to be like that. Therefore: Add your step to the steps to reduce deaths from colon and rectum cancer - that's the motto of this year's awareness campaign.
GO ON THE ONCECONTROL IS OK
Since 2019 in Slovakia available screening - OncoControl - colon and rectum cancer. This is a state-run and evaluated prevention programme supervised by the National Cancer Institute (NOI). At the age of 50-75 years, healthy people without symptoms every two years have the opportunity to be examined by a general physician by testing for faecal occult bleeding (TOKS) or by colonoscopic colonoscopy in a gastroenterologist every 10 years. Health insurance companies pay for the colonoscopy to every citizen over 50 years of age every 10 years.
The Department of Health, thanks to the working group to support the communication of screenings, has since autumn of last year come with the OnkoControl campaign, which calls on both men and women aged 50-75 years to carry out a preventive screening examination for colon and rectum cancer, - said Minister for Health Zuzana Dolinková at today's press conference.

Although this is a free examination, few people of a given age still do. The positive report is that the number of participants in OncoCheck compared to 2020-2022, the period before COVID pandemic in 2019 is growing and exceeded in 2022. Minister for Health Zuzana Dolinková: In 2022, 44.4% of men and women aged 50 and 75 participated in OnkoControl. The worse news is it's still not enough. In order to significantly eliminate the incidence of colon and rectum cancer, it is necessary to attend about 70%, and it is also necessary that after the first, so-called TOKS test in case of positive findings, there be a continuation of colonoscopic examination.
Jana Piffle Spank, leader NO RAKOVINE, also highlights the importance of prevention:THIS password will be accompanied by the stories of life-savers in our campaign this year. We are pleased that we are able to highlight the meaning of oncological prevention with our collective efforts.
The March campaign includes the following activities:

Important information in the prevention of colorectal cancer is a process initiated by the Ministry to allow for the reimbursement of analgossation in colonoscopy. The resort, in cooperation with partners of patients' organisations, with the Slovak gastroenterological company and with the Slovak company Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine - has prepared and already sent to the Commission a request for health performances to agree on the inclusion of the health performance of the colonoscopy in the code list of health performances, which is headed by the National Health Information Centre.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIVE IN LIFE AND HEALTH, WE HAVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Correct, healthy diet, movement, alcohol restriction and smoking; more on the site OncoCheck. enin the ESMO booklet on page 7:https://www.noisk.sk/files/2019/2019-07-04-colorectal-guide-for-patent-en-02.pdf
2. From 50 to 75 years of age you need to go to OncoControl = Faecal Hidden Bleeding Test (TOKS) or primary screening colonoscopy every 10 years; more on page OncoCheck. en in part: Why should I go to the examination?:https://www.oncocontrol.sk/skring-colorectal-carcinoma#where
3. After a positive TOKS test, the cause of bleeding should be determined using a subsequent colonoscopy in a gastroenterologist. Only then can the cause of bleeding be detected and removed in time, so we can reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer in Slovakia; more on the site OncoCheck. en in the section: "How the examination is carried out':https://www.oncocontrol.sk/skring-colorectal-carcinoma#where
Pagewww.oncocontrol.skis a reference to workplaces:https://www.oncocontrol.sk/skring-colorectal-carcinoma#whereMore information on the campaign:https://www.nierakovine.sk/colorectal-karcinom/application-stepapp.

link to press conference:https://fb.watch/qM4Z9T2wGI/