The Belarusian Health Ministry has approved an instruction on the procedure for early lung cancer detection. The document was adopted as part of the 2026-2030 state program “Nation’s Health.”
The program is available free of charge to patients aged 50-70 who have at least one risk factor: a smoking history of more than 30 pack-years, quitting smoking less than 15 years ago, or lung cancer among close relatives. Electronic cigarettes and nicotine-containing products are also taken into account in the calculations.
The main diagnostic method is low-dose computed tomography of the chest, which will be carried out once a year. Patients can join the program through their local clinic. When applying, patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire. Referrals for tomography are issued by prior appointment.
Three outcomes are possible following the examination: no pathology detected, detection of nodules with a follow-up CT scan назначен, or suspicious changes requiring referral to a specialized institution. The Health Ministry emphasized that the detection of nodules does not mean cancer, but that further monitoring should not be ignored.
