Cancer care in Norway
Norway has a broad and strong public healthcare system, supplemented by various private health initiatives. Regardless, the country’s ability to handle new and improved forms of treatment is widely debated.
Even though Norway is one of the richest countries in the world, NGOs and Patient Organisations are in a constant dialogue with public health administrations about reducing the waiting time for new and effective treatment. The past years a lot of work has been done in order to streamline the public system. This has led up to a new national initiative that ensures that patients will be able to receive some of their treatment at home.
According to figures from the National Cancer Register (kreftregisteret.no), there were 34,190 new cancer diagnoses in 2018. An increase in the number of cancer cases is expected in the future due to a growing population and a higher average age. Three times as many cancer cases are diagnosed now compared to 50 years ago, and more men than women have cancer in Norway.
Despite the fact that more and more people are surviving, a significant number of people die each year from cancer. More than 11,000 Norwegians died of cancer in 2017.
All.Can Norway initiative
The Norwegian All.Can initiative is a collaborative project that aims to unite representatives from patient organisations, decision-making environments, health professionals, research and industry.
The initiative is based on voluntary efforts, while financial support for All.Can’s projects and operations is funded by the industry. All initiatives of the group should reflect a consensus among all members in All.Can Norway.
All.Can will not promote specific therapies but have an overall perspective on a better and more patient-oriented cancer treatment.
All.Can Norway wants to strengthen the work for more effective cancer care with the patient at the centre, promote even better cancer treatment in Norway, support personalised treatment – and improve the journey from diagnosis and back to everyday life.
Bristol Myers Squibb Norway is the main sponsor and Roche Norway is a funding partner. The Brain Tumor Alliance, Aktiv mot kreft, CarciNor (NET & Carcinoid cancer) and the Lung Cancer Society are general members.
Members
Rolf J. Ledal
Norwegian Brain Tumor Association
Helle Aanesen
Aktiv mot kreft, Non-profit foundation
Erik Hansen
CarciNor (NET & Carcinoid cancer) patient organisation
Gunn Lægreid Haldorsen
Visma Enterprise AS
Margaret Brusletto
Bristol-Myers Squibb
New Book about Life Cancer by All.Can Norway
All.Can Norway supports a new book about life after cancer
All.Can Norway: Reinforced cancer effort – before and after treatment
All.Can Norway details their aims with two key areas of focus.
Upcoming activities
2020:
• Public launch of the All.Can Norway initiative
• Establish a consensus recommendation for improvements in the Norwegian cancer care
• Dialogue with key opinion leaders, politicians and health policy makers
• Create awareness to promote a better and more effective and patient oriented cancer care in Norway
All.Can Norway was officially launched in May 2020. This is a short information film explaining who we are and a little about our two areas of focus: “Reliable & Safe Discharge” and “Prehabilitiation”.
In August 2018 the interim Norwegian All.Can initiative published a report in collaboration with Aktiv mot kreft and Oslo Economics. The report has become an innovative pioneer study and has set an example on how important exercise is as a part of the holistic cancer care paradigm.
The report’s primary goal is to ensure that physical activity becomes an integral part of cancer care. Some of the conclusions about the value of physical activity for cancer patients included:
• increased effect of cancer care
• reduced side effects
• better health & quality of life
• reduced costs for cancer care
• quicker return to normal life & work
Disclaimer:
The All.Can initiative is made up of leading representatives of patient organisations, policymakers, healthcare professionals, science and industry. All the publications produced as part of this initiative reflect a consensus of All.Can members, who retain full editorial control.
The All.Can initiative in Norway is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb and Roche, and supported by The Brain Tumor Alliance, Aktiv mot kreft, CarciNor and the Lung Cancer Society. None of the content developed from All.Can discussions and activities contains direct or indirect references to specific medicinal products or therapies.