Romania has the lowest incidence of cancer cases in Europe, but mortality due to cancer is the highest because of the focus on treating acute diseases and emergencies, rather than chronic diseases, according to Vasile Astarastoae, president of the Romanian College of Physicians.

“We have a fragmented health system. The decentralization has moved focus on acute diseases and emergencies. Each chronic patient has one or two acute or emergency episodes in five years. We have set up the emergency system, which is very good because we stabilize the patient, but what happens with the chronic patients afterwards?,” said Astarastoae, quoted by local Mediafax.

According to him, this is the reason why Romania has the highest cancer-related mortality in Europe, while the incidence of the disease is the lowest. He did not offer further information on the number of cancer cases, and the level of the mortality rate due to cancer.

Astarastoae added: “It is a paradox that in Romania we have the lowest incidence of cancer, but the highest mortality, a proof that the system of early detection doesn’t work”.

According to him, chronic diseases represent the major public health problem, and their incidence is growing.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo: Wikimedia Commons)