REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.

Sec. Breast Cancer

Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1599741

The Burden of Breast Cancer in Poland: Current Status and Future Directions

Provisionally accepted
Wojciech SierockiWojciech Sierocki1,2*Ligia KornowskaLigia Kornowska3Alicja DudekAlicja Dudek4,5Małgorzata SzpakowiczMałgorzata Szpakowicz6Claudia DompeClaudia Dompe7,8Magdalena RoszakMagdalena Roszak2
  • 1Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
  • 2Department of Computer Sciences and Statistics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
  • 3Fundacja Podaruj Dane, Warsaw, Poland
  • 4Department of General Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Lesser Poland, Poland
  • 5Department of Endocrinology CMKP, Bielanski Hospital in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
  • 6Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Primary Prevention, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Masovian, Poland
  • 7Department of Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
  • 8Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland

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Breast cancer poses a significant public health challenge in Poland, with incidence rates exceeding the EU average and a concerning disparity between incidence and mortality. This review analyzes the key steps of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Poland, examining factors influencing therapeutic outcomes. We explore the complex interplay of epidemiological trends, prevention strategies, the impact of the National Oncology Strategy (NSO) and the National Cancer Network (KSO), access to care challenges, treatment protocols, and drug programs. While Poland has made strides in implementing comprehensive care pathways, including the DiLO card system and dedicated drug programs, significant gaps remain. Low screening participation, delays in diagnosis, limited access to innovative therapies, and reimbursement restrictions hinder optimal patient outcomes. This review highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to address these challenges, improve early detection, enhance access to care, and ultimately reduce the burden of breast cancer for Polish patients.

Keywords: breast cancer, National Health Fund, Epidemiology, prevention, Treatment, Poland

Received: 25 Mar 2025; Accepted: 10 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Sierocki, Kornowska, Dudek, Szpakowicz, Dompe and Roszak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Wojciech Sierocki, Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 2JA, England, United Kingdom

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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