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Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Poland and the number of new cases is expected to increase by 28% over the next 10 years. Despite modifications and expenditure growth in the Polish health care system, oncological treatment outcomes are lower comparing to the other European Union countries. Early preventative interventions are effective in reducing the total number of cancers and improving early detection. OnkoLogika is an educational campaign launched in 2016 by the Comprehensive Cancer Centre, aimed at improving cancer awareness. One hundred and twenty students from 25 high schools of the Lower Silesia region in Poland participated in the OnkoLogika program, which consisted of four-segment workshops containing pre-/post-tests, theoretical and practical parts within the project. The mean number of correct answers from the both tests improved after educational intervention (p < 0.001). Students’ knowledge increased, especially in relation to risk factors of breast cancer development (416.31% increase), HPV-related cancers (344.81% increase), risk factors and red flag signs of skin melanoma (120.31% and 99.05% increase respectively). Approx. 86% of participants were satisfied with the OnkoLogika with 14% of respondents being dissatisfied and 94% declared increased awareness about cancer prophylaxis. High schools students indicated insufficient time (250; 16.67%) and lack of details considering presented cancers (80; 5.33%) to be the major weaknesses of the program. Nevertheless, 94% of participants would recommend OnkoLogika to a friend. OnkoLogika promotes healthy lifestyle and helps acquire necessary knowledge about chosen cancers.

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Background The aim of this study was to compare short-term outcomes and long-term survival in patients following coronary artery bypass grafting in whom second arterial conduit or saphenous vein was used as well as to find out the most optimal second arterial graft. Methods Between January 2006 and June 2018, 7,857 patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups: single internal thoracic artery (SITA) + Vein group (n = 7,140) and second arterial conduit group (n = 717), of these 537 patients received right internal thoracic artery (RITA) and 180 patients received radial artery (RA). We obtained 701 propensity-matched pairs for final comparison. Short-term outcomes included: 30-day mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE), reoperation for bleeding, and deep sternal wound infection (DSWI). The long-term outcome was all-cause mortality. Results No significant differences were observed between second arterial conduit versus SITA + Vein groups and between RITA versus RA groups in terms of 30-day mortality, 30-day MACCE, reoperation for bleeding, and incidence of DSWI in the matched cohort. The use of second arterial conduit was associated with a significant reduction in long-term mortality by 24% in the matched cohort (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60–0.96; p = 0.02). RA and RITA as second arterial conduit had comparable long-term mortality (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.69–1.82; p = 0.62). Conclusion The use of second arterial conduit, irrespective of type, is safe and associated with improved long-term survival compared with the second venous aortocoronary graft.

Introduction: Nowadays, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is gaining more adherents in Poland. Awareness of CAM methods among medical professionals is unsatisfactory. The gap that has been created in the Polish health care system opens the field for abuse. Poor knowledge about the popularity of CAM therapies among oncological patients in Poland led us to the evaluation of their prevalence and features. Aim of the research:To assess the prevalence of CAM procedures and their impact on conventional cancer treatment in Poland. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre, Poland. The final research group came to 355 respondents (209 women, 146 men, response rate 58%). Inclusion criteria comprised the following: diagnosed cancer, staged from early to advanced, and ongoing conventional treatment. Exclusion criteria were as follows: incomplete diagnostic path for cancer, age below 18 years, and complete remission of the disease. Results: CAM methods were used by 156 (43.9%) patients. The most popular were herbal drugs (50.6%), linseed (49.4%), and apricot seeds (32.7%). Approximately 40% of patients informed their doctor about CAM usage. More than 7% had resigned from standard treatment in the past. Almost 2% of respondents considered suspending therapy in the future. Factors associated with CAM use were as follows: female gender (51.2% vs. 33.56%; p < 0.05), secondary and higher education (47.1% secondary, 51.8% higher vs. 19.2% primary, 38.46% vocational; p < 0.05), education associated with health care (68.4% vs. 41.0%; p < 0.05). Conclusions: CAM techniques are popular among oncological patients in Poland and are often used on their own. No single factor affecting CAM use was established. Besides oncological treatment, patients should be informed about the effectiveness and the side-effects of CAM and the dangers associated with standard treatment refusal. StreszczenieWprowadzenie: Metody tzw. medycyny komplementarnej i alternatywnej (CAM) zyskują w Polsce na popularności. Wiedza pracowników ochrony zdrowia na ich temat jest niezadowalająca. Powstała w ten sposób luka w polskim systemie opieki zdrowotnej stwarza pole do nadużyć. Niedostateczna wiedza na temat rozpowszechnienia terapii CAM wśród pacjentów onkologicznych w Polsce skłoniła nas do oceny ich popularności i cech charakterystycznych. Cel pracy: Ocena popularności technik CAM oraz ich wpływu na konwencjonalne leczenie onkologiczne w Polsce. Materiał i metody: Badanie przekrojowe przeprowadzono w Dolnośląskim Centrum Onkologii. Ostateczna grupa badana liczyła 355 osób (209 kobiet, 146 mężczyzn, odsetek odpowiedzi 58%). Kryteria włączenia obejmowały: rozpoznany nowotwór, stadium od wczesnego do zaawansowanego, trwające leczenie onkologiczne. Kryteriami wykluczenia były: niepełna ścieżka diagnostyczna nowotworu, wiek poniżej 18 lat, całkowita remisja choroby.