Authorities leave cancer survivor without vital compression gear
Sunday 1st November 2026 on 14:45 in
Denmark
A woman who relies on custom-made compression garments to manage chronic swelling and pain after cancer treatment has been denied the equipment by Sorø Municipality, while the municipality and Region Zealand dispute who must provide it, DR reports.
Gitte Frosch is cancer-free, but treatment left her with chronic lymphoedema that causes one leg to swell severely. The condition is permanent. Compression garments can help control it and are essential for her to keep working, manage her pain and maintain as normal a daily life as possible, her husband, Thomas Frosch, said.
Sorø Municipality funded the garments for seven years. In 2024, it changed its view of whether they were a medical treatment or a support aid and rejected her application. The Danish Appeals Board backed Gitte Frosch in 2025, after which the municipality again approved the equipment. This year, it returned to rejecting her request.
The municipality says the garments count as treatment, which falls under the region’s responsibility. But the region does not agree, as Gitte Frosch’s cancer treatment ended nearly a decade ago and her swelling is considered a permanent after-effect requiring lifelong support.
Thomas Frosch said the dispute between the authorities had left his wife exhausted. The couple have become more isolated, he said, and can no longer take weekend trips or walks as they used to. The situation has also affected their relationship and family life.
The Danish Lymphoedema Association says members in several municipalities face similar problems, which it links to unclear rules that local authorities interpret differently. Association chair Helle Petersen said some municipalities provide the equipment while others refuse it.
Sorø Municipality declined to comment on Gitte Frosch’s case, citing her privacy. In a written response, it said current legislation prevents it from providing the garments because it considers them regional treatment. The municipality is awaiting a bill introduced in Parliament in October 2026 that would clarify responsibility and require municipalities to cover the equipment regardless of its purpose.