Rising mortality, delayed access to new therapies and challenges in cancer screening in Romania.

In Romania, cancer mortality accounted for about 16.7% of all deaths in 2020. Lung cancer emerged as the most common cause of death, followed by colorectal cancer and breast cancer. The 2023 Health Country Profile shows that cancer mortality in Romania is above the European Union (EU) average and has increased for six cancers since 2000.

The report notes that the age-standardized cancer mortality rate was 7% higher than the EU average in 2019, with modest progress since 2011. The National Cancer Programme reported a significant number of patients on treatment in 2020 and 2021.

Despite these figures, access to new therapies in Romania is lagging behind the rest of Europe. The country has the lowest cost of care for cancer patients in the EU, amounting to €160 per capita, compared to the EU average of €326.

Estimates for 2022 indicate over 100,000 new cases of cancer in Romania, with the most common types being prostate, lung and colorectal cancer in men, and breast, colorectal and cervical cancer in women.

Persistent problems in Romania include low rates of cancer detection in the target groups, with only 9.2% of women aged 50-69 participating in breast cancer screening in the last two years, compared to the EU average of 65.9%.

The report adds a worrying perspective on the increase in cancer burden in Europe by 2040, as well as the impact of air pollution, highlighting that over 97% of the EU urban population lives in areas that exceed the WHO recommended level for air pollution.