The quality of cancer care including “prevention, diagnosis and treatment” in Portugal varies from region to region, say a majority of health professionals (74%).
“Unequal” access to cancer care is actually “the biggest health concern” for the 600 health professionals queried in a recent study.
Most of them (82%) also believe cancer patients don’t have access to the “most advanced and effective treatments” because the government does not invest enough money.
For 74% of those queries, the lack of health professionals at “primary health units and hospitals” is another huge struggle in the battle against cancer – while 68% stress there is currently no national cancer screening initiative.
The study was conducted by the Portuguese Society of Oncology (SPO) and Encontros da Primavera de Oncologia.
