"Jesper Fisker, chief executive of the Danish Cancer Society, is looking back 25 years - to the moment Denmark decided to transform its approach to treating cancer. At that point, he says, the country did not have a strong record. "It was a disaster," he recalls. "We saw Danish patients out of their own pocket paying for tickets to China to get all sorts of treatments endangering their health." Some went to private hospitals in Germany that offered new treatments unavailable in Denmark."
"From 1995 to 1999, Denmark's five-year survival rate for rectal cancer was essentially tied with the UK's, on around 48%, according to the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, a research body. It put both nations well below countries like Australia, which had a 59% rate. Now, thanks to a bold plan, Denmark's performance on cancer has jumped ahead. By 2014, its five-year survival rate for rectal cancer had risen to 69%, close to Australia's."
Twenty-five years ago Denmark had poor cancer outcomes, with patients seeking treatments abroad and five-year rectal cancer survival around 48%. A national transformation implemented centralized pathways, specialist centers, timely access, multidisciplinary teams, and investments in diagnostics and treatment. By 2014 five-year rectal cancer survival rose to about 69%, matching top-performing countries, while the UK improved less. Improvements also occurred across colon, stomach, and lung cancers. Danish system changes influenced UK policymakers, and elements of the Danish model are under consideration for inclusion in England's forthcoming long-term cancer plan.
Read at www.bbc.com
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