News of the week in plain Finnish | Saturday 17.10.2026

Treatment of cancer patients

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There has been a lot of talk this week about the care of cancer patients.

Yle’s MOT program reports that cancer patients in Finland receive treatment more slowly than in, for example, Sweden and Denmark.

Now we will tell you more about it.

Slow access to treatment

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A cancer patient may have to wait a long time to see a doctor and undergo tests. Photo: Ville Välimäki / Yle

In Finland, a cancer patient may have to wait for treatment for up to months.

Yle MOT reports on a new study by the University of Eastern Finland that examines treatment delays in lung cancer treatment. Treatment delay refers to the time that elapses between the first symptoms of the disease and the start of a patient’s treatment.

Research shows that a lung cancer patient may have to wait an average of 155 days, or about 5 months, to receive treatment.

There can be delays at many stages. The patient may not go to the doctor right away, even though they have already noticed the symptoms of the disease. More time is spent waiting to see a doctor and undergo tests, first at the health center and then in specialized medical care.

Other Nordic countries ahead

In other Nordic countries, cancer treatment is available more quickly than in Finland.

While a lung cancer patient in Finland waits for treatment for about 5 months, in Sweden the waiting time is just over 3 months and in Denmark about 2 months.

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MOT reported last spring that treatment outcomes for many cancers are also poorer in Finland than in other Nordic countries. Cancer patients die earlier here than elsewhere.

Slow access to treatment is one reason for this. The cancer has time to spread while the patient has to wait for treatment.

Cancer treatment a priority

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A cancer patient receives medication at Turku University Central Hospital. Photo: Silja Viitala / Yle

Cancer organizations say that cancer treatment should be prioritized in Finland. This has been done in Sweden and Denmark, where cancer treatment overtakes other diseases.

The other Nordic countries also have a national cancer quality register. The register compiles information on how cancer patients have been treated in different hospitals and what the impact of the treatment has been. Finland does not have a register.

Finland’s first national cancer strategy, a plan for cancer prevention and treatment, was completed last fall. However, the government has not provided any money for its implementation.

Repetition

Let’s repeat a little.

In Finland, cancer patients receive treatment more slowly than in other Nordic countries.

For example, a lung cancer patient may have to wait 5 months for treatment.

The treatment outcomes for many cancers are also poorer in Finland than elsewhere.

Here was the News of the Week in plain Finnish. Let’s hear it!