Cancer groups urge Finland to adopt Denmark’s red-flag system

Finland should introduce Denmark’s system for fast-tracking suspected cancer cases, the Cancer Organisations say, as patients there wait longer for treatment than in other Nordic countries, Yle reports.

The system flags patients for urgent further tests when they have certain symptoms or findings. Doctors are encouraged to consider cancer as a possible cause of symptoms such as weight loss, persistent abdominal or other pain, and shortness of breath.

In Denmark, a lung cancer patient receives treatment an average of 67 days after symptoms are identified. The wait is 107 days in Sweden and 155 days in Finland, according to Yle’s MOT programme.

Juha Pekka Turunen, secretary general of the Cancer Organisations, says the system gives cancer special priority in Denmark. Social Affairs and Health Minister Wille Rydman says cancer is a major issue for society, but argues that many other diseases are important too. Cancer does not have special status in Finland.

Where patients live also affects their prospects. According to the Finnish Cancer Registry, lung cancer patients in eastern and northern Finland receive curative treatment less often than patients elsewhere in the country. Long distances and a higher number of inconclusive samples are among the reasons. Some patients may be too unwell for doctors to obtain a clear sample.

Turunen says outcomes are also linked to education and socioeconomic status, with people in weaker positions tending to fare worse. Finnish patients have the Nordic region’s poorest survival prospects for about 20 cancers affecting men. The overall picture is better for women, but Finland ranks last for many cancers affecting women as well.

Income and employment can influence how quickly patients get care. Outpatient clinic fees have risen, and not everyone can afford private medical appointments. Primary care cannot provide CT scans, Turunen says, which could help patients reach tests and diagnosis sooner. People covered by occupational health services can see a doctor more quickly and may find it easier to get a referral for imaging or an X-ray, even though cancer treatment itself is not covered.

Some patients also delay seeking medical help because of the cost or fear of discovering they have cancer, according to a survey by the Cancer Organisations.