Experts warn against cutting cancer screenings in Finland as benefits outweigh costs

Experts interviewed by Yle argue that savings should not be made on cancer screenings, as their benefits outweigh the costs. This discussion emerged in a recent Yle article addressing the reduction of public healthcare services, featuring comments from directors Kirsi Varhila and Petri Virolainen of the Satakunta and Päijät-Häme welfare regions, respectively.

Varhila suggested cutting colorectal cancer screenings, citing less convincing evidence compared to mammograms and Pap smears for cervical cancer. In contrast, Virolainen considered whether screenings could be targeted based on genetic risk factors.

The purpose of screenings is to detect cancer at its earliest stages. Vesa Jormanainen, a medical adviser at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, noted that discussions around screenings often arise without deeper knowledge or supporting evidence. He emphasized that the effectiveness of a screening program is measured by the significance of the disease on public health.

Aapeli Nevala from the Finnish Cancer Registry expressed surprise at Varhila’s comments on the effectiveness of colorectal cancer screenings, as he believes existing studies provide compelling evidence. New tests in colorectal screening may reduce cancer-related mortality by 25-40%.

In the 2022 screening round, 581 cancers and 3,950 pre-cancerous conditions were identified, demonstrating improved results compared to older tests. Nevala mentioned that the program’s benefits are expected to be considerably higher.

Economic considerations are part of assessing the cost-effectiveness of screenings, with the threshold for an additional year of life generally set between €25,000-30,000 in Europe. Currently, targeting screenings based on genetic risk factors is already being implemented in Finland, but changes would require legal adjustments.