title: The influence of selected factors on the attendance of the high-risk population in the early lung cancer detection program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, killing almost 22,000 people in Poland every year. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is the most promising tool of secondary prophylaxis leading to early detection and thus successful treatment of this malignancy. Knowledge about socio-demographic factors that affect participation in lung cancer early detection programs is essential for the future design and implementation of such programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among the 8649 participants of the Pomeranian Lung Cancer Screening Program (PLCSP), 1619 individuals responded to a questionnaire that had been designed to assess socio-demographic data of participants at high risk of developing lung cancer. The survey was conducted on-site after reception of results by the program participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the survey participants, 777 (48%) were current cigarette smokers. The majority of them represented low or medium level of wealth status. The respondents positively evaluated the promotional campaign during the PLCSP, although 43% of them indicated family and friends as a source of information about the program. As the most important action that stimulated the participation, 46% of the respondents indicated the awareness campaign involving a celebrity, and 45% of them indicated the presence of cancer in the family. The influence of healthcare employees on the participation in the screening program was minimal. More than half of the respondents (53%) declared a willingness to co-finance a similar prophylactic program in the future in an amount not exceeding 100 PLN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An effective promotional campaign in the media, the influence of family and a campaign involving a celebrity promoted attendance at the screening program. The influence of healthcare employees on the participation in the program was minimal. The majority of the screened population declared a willingness to actively participate in the costs of LDCT examination.
authors.affiliation: Department and Teaching Hospital of Chest Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk. agatazakrzewskaxx@gumed.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zakrzewska
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczepanowska
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Książek
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Biadacz
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dziedzic
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jelitto-Górska
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rzyman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution