A new report from the Danish Regions has revealed significant regional differences in access to treatment with new cancer drugs in Denmark. According to the report, cancer patients in different parts of the country experience significantly different chances of being approved for treatment with new, not yet standardized cancer drugs. Since 2020, 90% of the applying cancer patients in the Northern Region (Region Nordjylland) have been granted permission to use new cancer drugs. This stands in sharp contrast to the Capital Region (Region Hovedstaden) and the Central Region (Region Midtjylland), where only 60% and 61% of patients, respectively, have been given the green light for similar applications. These figures come from a memo that Jyllands-Posten has gained insight into. The memo highlights how cancer patients must apply through the regions’ drug committees to access new and often more expensive hospital medication that has not yet become part of standard treatment.
Furthermore, the memo shows that the number of rejections for treatment with new drugs has significantly increased since 2020 in four out of five Danish regions. This raises questions about equality in healthcare services and access to the latest treatment options across the country. This situation underscores the need for a more uniform approach to approving new drugs nationwide to ensure that all cancer patients, regardless of region, have equal access to the best and most innovative treatments.