Finland’s cancer survival rates lag behind other Nordic countries, investigation reveals

Finland’s cancer patients die earlier than those in other Nordic countries, yet the issue has received surprisingly little attention, according to an investigation by MOT, the current affairs program of Finnish broadcaster Yle.

Researchers Kirsi Karppinen and Minna Knus-Galán found that Finland ranks last in the Nordics for survival rates in over 20 types of cancer in men and nearly as many in women—ranging from common to rare forms. These include lung, liver, kidney, and cervical cancers, as well as various leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma.

Delayed diagnoses and limited access to treatment
The investigation uncovered systemic barriers in Finland’s healthcare system. Patients report difficulties accessing timely diagnostics, with symptoms often dismissed even after seeing a doctor. A study by the University of Helsinki previously linked Finland’s poor lung cancer outcomes to slow primary care access, fewer imaging scans, and initial consultations with nurses rather than doctors.

Public feedback to Yle’s report revealed widespread frustration, with many describing struggles to get symptoms taken seriously. “A cough isn’t just a cough—sometimes it’s a deadly sign,” one commenter noted, highlighting how delays allow cancers to spread, worsening prognoses.

Low use of advanced cancer drugs
Finland also lags in adopting cutting-edge immunoncology (IO) drugs, ranking among the lowest users in Europe alongside Latvia and Slovakia. Neighbouring Sweden and even poorer Eastern European nations prescribe these high-cost treatments—some exceeding €100,000 per patient—more frequently.

While cost is officially not a factor in treatment decisions, doctors and investigators suggest financial constraints influence prescribing practices. “Money inevitably plays a role when hospitals weigh expensive drugs,” the report states, leaving physicians and patients in difficult positions over who receives costly therapies and for how long.

Calls for national debate on cancer care priorities
Finland’s newly published national cancer strategy aims to improve and standardise treatment quality amid rising patient numbers and pressure to cut billions in healthcare spending. However, cancer organisations argue funding gaps persist for addressing critical shortcomings.

Doctors interviewed by MOT urge public discussion on Finland’s cancer care ambitions: if the country accepts worse outcomes than its Nordic peers, “that should be stated openly at the political level.” The investigation concludes that without urgent reforms, Finland risks continuing its troubling trend of premature cancer deaths.