Cancer survival rates linked to government spending in EU
pharmafile | October 1, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | CDF, Cancer, EU, NICE
The bigger an EU country’s healthcare budget, the greater its cancer patients’ prospects of survival, according to new research released this week.
The study, presented at the annual European Cancer Congress in Amsterdam, found that the difference is particularly noticeable in breast cancer figures – and that the difference between mortality rates in eastern and western Europe is ‘glaring’.
Lead researcher Felipe Ades, said: “Despite all the initiatives to standardise public health policies, there is significant variation between health expenditure and cancer incidence and mortality in the 27 EU member states.”
Why this is particularly the case among breast cancer patients is not totally clear, although it may relate to the better availability of screening in western countries.
The study found that although the population of western Europe is around four times that of eastern Europe, the region’s combined GDP is ten times greater. GDP is, in turn, strongly correlated with healthcare expenditure.
European Cancer Organisation president Cornelius van de Velde, said: “Factors such as the proportion of GDP spent on health, levels of employment and numbers of hospital beds are associated with a favourable prognosis for cancer patients.”
He continued: “Previous studies have shown that these appear to be responsible for over 65% of the variations between countries in survival for breast cancer in western Europe.”
According to the report, countries such as Romania, Poland and Hungary which spend the equivalent of $2,000 per person on healthcare have a 60% cancer death rate.
Conversely, countries with a budget twice that figure such as France Belgium and Germany, report a much lower post-diagnosis mortality rate of 40 per cent. Figures suggest that the UK falls somewhere between those two points.
European Society for Medical Oncology spokesperson José Martin-Moreno praised the study for “confirming that funding for health systems is crucial to ensuring good patient outcomes and warning over health inequalities across the EU countries.”
He added: “Given the ongoing economic recession, this is a message that European governments and citizens need to know.”
The findings were made public shortly after the British government announced it will inject an additional £200 million into the Cancer Drugs Fund, extending its lifespan to 2016.
The fund was established to pay for cancer treatments not approved by or under the consideration of cost effectiveness watchdog NICE.
Hugh McCafferty
Related Content
Digital mental health technologies – a valuable tool in supporting people with depression and anxiety
The potential benefits of digital mental health technology for managing depression, anxiety and stress, together …
Sharp invests $100m in US and EU manufacturing and packaging facilities
Sharp Services, a pharmaceutical packaging and sterile manufacturing specialist, has announced investments totalling $100m across …
Combination treatments: Takeda’s Implementation Framework and the broader landscape
Pharmafile talks to Emma Roffe, Oncology Country Head (UK & Ireland) about the combination treatment …
