A review of expenditure, outcomes, access to oncology medicines and oncology health systems in ten European countries

Introduction. Substantial variation exists across Europe in cancer outcomes, health spending, and access to oncology medicines. The study aimed to collect and compare epidemiological indicators and data on oncologi­cal care in 10 selected European countries. Material and methods. A cross-national, targeted review of oncological data was undertaken to characterize key epidemiological and healthcare profiles in Poland, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Spain, Slovenia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy, and Finland. Data on health expenditure, site-standardized relative survival, and access to medicine were drawn from international sources (OECD, ECIS, EFPIA Wait Report and IHE Report). Summary of findings. In all the countries studied, the 2 leading causes of death were lung and colorectal can­cer. Both incidence (537–690 cases per 100,000 population) and mortality rates (241–326 cases per 100,000 pop­ulation) vary substantially in the selected countries. National cancer plans incorporating most of the elements stip­ulated in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan have been implemented in every country. Among the selected countries in 2023, spending on cancer care accounted from 4% of total healthcare spending in Finland, to 8% in Germany and Poland. Poland shows the lowest levels of cancer screening, with breast cancer screening reaching only 37% of women ( vs. 82% in Finland) and cervical cancer screening was as low as 11% (compared with 77% in Czechia). Conclusions. Improving oncology system performance requires strategic resource allocation and is crucial to the impact analysis on population outcomes. The access granted to health services without a long-term strategy in implementation and prospective evaluation to value-based cancer care should be in compliance according to the Beating Cancer Plan. The level of integration, equity in access also at a regional level, not only on the country level is crucial to shaping health care in Europe.