The Ministry of Health (MZ SR) introduces a new, organised approach to cancer screening. Amendment to Law No 578/2004 The Z. z. approved today by the OR SR will help to increase the effectiveness of prevention while extending it to new screening programmes.
Cancer screening is one of the most effective tools to fight cancer. It serves to capture cancer at an early stage or in a seemingly unsympathetic population. Early detection of cancer increases the chances of successful treatment and at the same time is less costly for healthcare.
Three types of cancer screening are currently being carried out in the Slovak Republic, fully covered by public health insurance: cervical cancer, colon and rectum cancer and breast cancer. The amendment extends these screening programmes by two more, namely lung cancer screening and prostate cancer screening, which are among the most frequently occurring cancers with high mortality rates.
Starting lung cancer screening and prostate cancer screening will be gradual. The pilot project for prostate cancer screening will put the first Banská Bystrica Region into practice in 2025. Next year, it is also planned to start screening lung cancer, first in Bratislava and Nitra region and then in other chest surgery workplaces.
The organised approach to cancer screening, introduced by the Amending Law, provides for a more effective organisation of inviting insured persons for examination to improve population participation in screening programmes. Health insurance companies will, at intervals recommended by experts, address a target population group identified as being at risk from a type of cancer disease. An exception is lung cancer screening, which will indicate general physician or pneumologist.
The centralised approach will allow the systematic monitoring of participation in screening, the collection of data on the target population targeted and the evaluation of screening.

For example, the criteria for the selection of the target population eligible for screening, the invitation methodology for cancer screening, the criteria for the types of screening tests, the screening interval or the requirements for the screening sites will be modified by implementing rules. He currently works closely with representatives of professional companies and members of the Commission of MZ SR for cancer screening. The legislation has been in force since 1 July 2025.
The provision of effective preventive health care is one of the top five priorities of the health department. We strive for prevention to play a greater role in people's daily lives. The result will be a reduction in the incidence of diseases, an improvement in patients' lives and ultimately a reduction in the health system and public finances, underscores the Minister of Health of SR Kamil Šaško.

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