A report published yesterday provides recommendations for combating the “significant inequalities” affecting access to quality cancer care in Europe.
A report published yesterday provides recommendations for combating the “significant inequalities” affecting access to quality cancer care in Europe.
Cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the European Union, responsible for around 1.3 million of all 5 million deaths per year.
Based on a review of colorectal, lung and prostate cancer care in France, Germany, Poland and Sweden, the “Access to high-quality oncology care across Europe” report, commissioned by Janssen and based on research by the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE), offers six initial policy recommendations. It states a need for:
1. cost-effective allocation of provision and spending;
2. improved funding and resourcing;
3. incentivization of innovative research, including the design of reimbursement systems, reward of innovations in cancer care, and the development of new payment schemes;
4. better integrated and organized cancer care system;
5. collation of data on resource use and outcomes to monitor standards and regional differences; and
6. more recognition of the quality of life as an outcome measure for the individual and society.
The report’s co-author, Bengt Jonsson, of the Stockholm School of Economics, highlighted that “France has the quickest and most extensive uptake of new cancer drugs followed by Germany, while here in Sweden we are falling behind Germany and France. Poland meanwhile, falls significantly behind all three.”
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