Clients of the General Health Insurance Office may apply for a contribution to preventive cancer checkup

The VZP will contribute 1000 CZK to its clients aged over 40 who come to the Institute to have a preventive checkup. Under normal circumstances, the checkup costs 2500 CZK. VZP clients can apply for the 1000 CZK contribution until the end of June 2009.

The Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute has been providing self-paid checkups for about two years. According to the Institute's director, Mr Jiri Vorlicek, this checkup programme has been designed for people who have no symptoms. So far, cancer has been detected in about 2% of these clients. In 25% of cancer cases, the disease was detected in the so-called precancerous stage, which could be completely cured by surgery.

For a successful treatment of cancer, an early detection is essential. In addition, treatment is much cheaper in early stages of the disease. "If cancer can be treated by surgery, the overall treatment costs tens of thousands of crowns. In more advanced stages, it costs hundreds of thousands, even millions of crowns", said Mr Vorlicek

This preventive cancer control programme has been proposed as a pilot study by the VZP: within the whole Czech Republic, the South Moravian subsidiary is the only one to offer it. However, VZP clients from other regions can also take advantage of this opportunity. They only have to make an appointment at the Institute; they will be later reimbursed the 1000 CZK contribution at their local VZP subsidiary.

Both the Institute and the VZP expect the programme to awake a large interest. However, only a limited number of clients can be satisfied per year - just about 2000. This number is determined by the capacity of the Preventive Outpatient Department at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute. In the next year, the VZP will thoroughly evaluate the programme and decide whether it will go on.

16. 9. 2008 Czech News Agency (CTK)

Back