In this article, we discuss the 5 best countries for cancer treatment. If you want to read our analysis of the oncology market, go directly to the 15 Best Countries for Cancer Treatment.
5. Germany
In all of the EU, Germany is said to have among the highest number of medical needs met. The country is well-known for cancer treatments as it lays claims to some of the best cancer specialists in the world, quality cancer research, and unique treatments owing to the advancement in research and having abundant resources. The biggest hospital in all of Europe is Charité University Hospital in Berlin which has many centers dedicated specifically to cancer treatment, including Skin Cancer Center, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Interdisciplinary Intestinal Tumour Center, and the Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Center.
Germany has one of the best rates for cancer screening in the region while the accessibility of service, with regard to the inpatient case rate per 100,000 population, is among the highest in the EU for all types of cancer.
4. Norway
Norway is one of the countries that offer universal health coverage to all its citizens and has the lowest amount of patient copayments which are responsible for less than 15% of the total healthcare cost. Moreover, the country takes a spot on the list of best countries for cancer treatment because the frequency of locals opting for private hospitals for cancer treatment is rare which is evidence of a strong healthcare system.
Many prefer Norway over other countries for cancer treatment because the country has many initiatives developing to integrate precision medicine into the healthcare system. In addition, new treatments are streamlined through the European Medicine Agency and National System for Managed Introduction of New Health Technologies and are covered under the universal healthcare system.
Lastly, Norway has 11.3 radiotherapy centers per 1 million citizens, significantly higher than the average of 8.9 radiotherapy centers per million in the EU.
3. Finland
In the EU, Finland has some of the best cancer survival rates. In 2019, the survival rate of Finland stood at 215 deaths per 100,000 population and the EU’s figure was 247 per 100,000 people. The country is ranked 6th and 7th in global survival rates for breast and prostate cancer.
The low mortality rate can be attributed to various factors including the country’s emphasis on new policies to prevent cancer like the Act on Screening 2022 which promotes early screening for specific cancer types and the national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for children aged 10-12.
For cancer care, the country has 10.3 radiation centers per 1000,000 people compared to the EU’s 8.9. Lastly, Finland is speeding up cancer research through the Genome Centre Act and The Finnish National Study to Facilitate Patient Access to Targeted Anti-cancer Drugs (FINPROVE).
2. Belgium
Belgium has high survival rates for the main types of cancer with 85.4% for breast cancer and 92.6% for prostate cancer. Belgium is one of the EU countries where the number of practicing doctors has been increasing rapidly, the number of nurses is more than the average number of nurses in the rest of the EU, and the graduate pool has been growing steadily. As of 2020, the country had 3,147 oncology nurses and 44 hematology and pediatric oncology physicians.
The country’s number of radiotherapy centers is higher than that of the rest of the EU at 9.9 centers per million inhabitants and its residents have access to high-tech proton beam therapy as Leuven Kankerinstituut started accepting patients in 2020.
1. United States of America
There has been an increased focus on improving cancer care which has consequently increased the survival rate. According to the latest data, the overall 5-year survival rate for cancer in the U.S. is 64% with the breast cancer rate at 83%, the prostate cancer survival rate at 97%, and the testis cancer rate at 92%.
In order to reduce the overall cancer care burden, the government allocates certain funding to curb the factors that contribute to increased cancer cases. Hence, the excise tax on cigarettes is increased from time to time, and as of 2021, the average tax of states is $1.91 per pack.
A study published in 2022 identified that the U.S. spent nearly $200 billion on cancer care in 2020 and the mortality rate was 86.3 deaths per 100,000 patients. To further the fight against cancer and improve treatment, the fiscal year 2022 Omnibus Appropriations bill was signed in March 2022 and allocated funding of $6.9 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
You can also take a look at the 12 High Margin Products to Sell Online and 20 Best Countries to Retire Overseas Where English is Spoken.
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