MOT: Cancer treatment delays in Finland lead to poorer outcomes than in Nordics

Yle's investigative program MOT has uncovered that Finland is lacking comprehensive national data on cancer treatment delays, despite previous research indicating poorer survival rates for patients in Finland compared to other Nordic countries. In a recent documentary, Slowly Towards Cancer Treatment, MOT explored these delays further.

Unlike other Nordic countries, Finland lacks a national cancer quality registry to collect hospital data on treatment outcomes and identify delays and differences in care. The funding for developing this registry has been cut from next year's budget, forcing researchers to study delays in individual types of cancer instead. An ongoing study by Professor Outi Kuittinen of the University of Eastern Finland is examining delays in lung cancer treatment across several Finnish cities.

According to MOT's findings, the average time from symptom onset to treatment in Finland is about five months, or 155 days. Of this, more than 50 days are attributed to the patient, 41 days to primary healthcare, and 58 days to specialized healthcare. In comparison, Sweden averages 107 days, and Denmark averages 67 days, for the same condition.

Potential reasons for these delays include patients delaying medical help due to financial concerns or fear of diagnosis. Cancer organizations suspect that some people delay seeking medical attention because their symptoms are initially misclassified or because primary healthcare professionals fail to recognize them. In specialized healthcare, delays can occur while waiting for imaging, reports, and sample collection.

Professor Kuittinen suggests better training for primary care doctors and faster access to scans could help, as well as a fast-track system for people suspected of having cancer. Heidi Rintahaka, diagnosed with aggressive triple-negative breast cancer at age 39, waited six weeks for treatment after her symptoms appeared, during which time her tumor grew significantly. She also faced delays in receiving biopsy results, leading to uncertainty about her condition.

Finland adopted its first national cancer strategy in November 2025, but its implementation has been slow. The roadmap estimates a need for 140 million euros in funding. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, responsible for the strategy, declined to publish it, citing potential misperceptions about secured funding. Tuula Helander, a biotechnology and pharmaceuticals director at the health ministry, said securing funds depends on political decisions.

Despite these challenges, cancer experts argue that investing in the strategy could ultimately save both money and lives. Denmark, for example, has seen improvements in treatment outcomes for lymphoma and lung cancer through a public quality register. However, Minister Wille Rydman acknowledged that cancer is a major societal issue but noted the need to balance attention on other diseases as well.

Päivi Auvinen, chief physician at Kuopio University Hospital’s cancer centre, highlighted how breast cancer diagnoses can be delayed due to the disease's rarity and the difficulty in detecting tumors in dense breast tissue.