Medical students: shoppers in Latvia often shy away from talking about state-funded cancer screening
On 10 October, University of Latvia medical students informed people at 15 retail sites in 10 cities about state-funded cancer screening. Many passers-by avoided the conversation, citing a lack of symptoms, fear or distrust of the system.
On 10 October, medical students from the University of Latvia visited 15 retail locations in 10 Latvian cities to tell people about state-funded cancer screening, as part of the campaign "Latvija, atver vēstuli!" ("Latvia, open the letter!"). According to the organisers' estimates, more than 4,000 conversations took place. The students say the experience shows a wide gap remains between medical guidelines and people's everyday perceptions.
Why people declined
Many passers-by would not talk or said they "already knew everything". Others felt that discussing cancer amounted to "tempting fate". During the campaign, 1,175 people anonymously answered what keeps them from screening. One in six, or 16%, cited having no symptoms. The survey was not representative.
The students point out that malignant tumours can cause no symptoms in early stages, and routine blood tests do not always detect them. Screening is meant for people who feel healthy.
What the state covers
Latvia funds four programmes:
- breast cancer: mammography for women aged 50 to 68, every two years;
- cervical cancer: a cytology test for ages 25 to 29 every three years, and a human papillomavirus (HPV) test for ages 30 to 70 every five years;
- bowel cancer: a faecal occult blood test, with the sample taken at home, for women and men aged 50 to 74 every two years;
- prostate cancer: a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for men aged 50 to 75 every two years, or from 45 in certain family-risk cases.
The state mails or e-mails invitation letters for breast and cervical screening. Bowel and prostate checks are organised by family doctors' practices, so people must ask about them themselves. According to SKDS survey results published in 2024, 42% of respondents had not heard of the state-funded bowel cancer screening programme.
Distrust and system gaps
Some people voiced doubts about the state and about waiting lists for specialists. A woman in Liepāja said her family doctor's practice had no test kit. Others said doctors remind patients about screening to differing degrees.
The students suggest text-message reminders, more active work by family doctors' practices with help from nurses, test kits available in other places, and support from employers. They stress that early detection must be followed by accessible treatment.
