People in Lower Saxony go to cancer screening more often
More people in Lower Saxony are going for cancer screening again. The number of screening appointments has returned to pre-corona levels, as the health insurance provider AOK announced on Tuesday. However, there is still room for improvement.
"Current survey results show that more than 70 percent of people in Lower Saxony are interested in cancer screening, but only 57 percent take advantage of these examinations regularly," said AOK CEO Jürgen Peter. The health insurance company is referring to figures from its scientific institute's early detection monitor, which only takes AOK policyholders into account. The figures are from the first quarter of 2023.
According to the figures, the number of colonoscopies for colorectal cancer screening in the first quarter of 2023 increased by almost 36% compared to the first quarter of 2019. One reason for this is presumably that men have been able to take advantage of the examination from the age of 50 since 2020 and are invited to do so by the health insurance companies. The number of breast cancer screenings rose by 18.2 percent during this period, while the number of prostate cancer screenings rose by 1.4 percent and the number of cervical cancer screenings by 2.3 percent.
According to the AOK, the number of screenings for skin cancer fell by 8.7 percent between 2019 and 2023. The health insurance company suspects that this is due to a change in the interval for the general health check-up. The two are often done together.
The interest in cancer screening in Lower Saxony is high, with statistics showing that over 70% of people express interest, yet only 57% regularly take advantage of these examinations. Regular cancer screenings are crucial for early detection and management of various diseases, such as colorectal, breast, prostate, and cervical cancers.
Source: www.dpa.com
