The CSF strengthens fairness and effectiveness in cancer diagnosis and treatment
Strengthening the knowledge base
Information products – Finnish Cancer Registry. Cancer statistics for 2022 were published in April 2024, and in early May, preliminary statistics on cancers diagnosed in 2023 were published. For the first time in the history of the Cancer Registry, the preliminary statistics were completed on the same schedule as the actual annual statistics. The report Cancer 2022 r was published in June.
The Cancer Registry’s research and expert services development project (Tutka) produced new content for the Cancer 2022 report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cancer mortality. The project continued to incorporate text mining algorithms into statistics production. The production routine for Gleason scores for prostate cancer was completed. Over 90% of prostate cancers diagnosed between 2015 and 2022 have at least one Gleason score within four months of the prostate cancer diagnosis. The use of algorithms in the statistical production of TNM staging data describing the spread of cancer continued.
Data products – screening. The first annual statistics on colorectal cancer screening were published in June 2024. These were more extensive and illustrative than previous statistics. The cervical cancer screening statistics were modified in terms of both content and structure to correspond to the colorectal cancer screening statistics. New features included tables on the screening chain and results broken down by population group and test method. In addition, figures on participation and results were published by age group and region. The breast cancer screening statistics were published with the same content as before.
A new, uniform layout was created for all annual reports on cancer screening programmes, and their content was also harmonised. The reports were published in November 2024.
International research collaboration on cancer registries
Finland participates with Denmark and Sweden in the SALiCCS (Socioeconomic Consequences in Adult Life after Childhood Cancer) project, which monitors the later life stages of people who had cancer in childhood from a socioeconomic perspective. In 2024, articles on the independence and education of childhood cancer patients were published as part of the project.
The pan-Nordic NOCCA (Nordic Occupational Cancer Study) project, coordinated by the Cancer Registry, which maps the cancer risks of occupational exposures, published a study on the link between socioeconomic status and the risk of head and neck cancer in the Nordic countries.
Survival rates for cancer patients in the Nordic countries were compared in collaboration with cancer registries and experts from the Karolinska Institute. The study showed that the prognosis for patients in the Nordic countries has improved significantly over the past 20 years, although older patients continue to have the poorest prognosis.
Active scientific and cancer prevention cooperation is carried out with the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In 2024, the research director of the Finnish Cancer Registry was Finland’s representative on the IARC’s Scientific Council. The Cancer Registry initiated negotiations on a research cooperation agreement with the IARC.
ANCR and screening development networks. The 2024 Nordic Cancer Registry Conference (ANCR) was held in Norway. Meetings of the Nordic development networks for breast cancer and colorectal cancer screening were held in connection with the meeting. The cervical cancer screening network meeting had taken place earlier in the spring.
EU projects. In early 2024, a four-year project, the Joint Action on Cancer and other NCDs prevention, was launched. The aim of the Joint Action is to influence health-promoting factors common to cancer and non-communicable diseases. The Cancer Registry is involved in three of the work packages: calculating population-based estimates; producing data for the cancer risk calculator; and updating data on cancer risks associated with different occupations.
The Cancer Registry’s second Joint Action project, which began in 2024, concerns the implementation of cancer screening (EUCanScreen). The Cancer Registry is responsible for the work package focusing on the monitoring of cancer screening. It is also responsible for lung cancer screening for long-term smokers, among other things. The Cancer Registry is also involved in projects developing HPV vaccination screening and breast cancer screening technology assessment. In 2024, the monitoring work package created new tools for validating screening data and standardising analyses. It also developed the first version of a data model for pan-European cancer screening data production and research. In the lung cancer screening project, the design of pilot studies was finalised and a protocol and data collection plan were developed. In addition, an EU survey on smoking cessation interventions was conducted as part of the screening.
The third EU project on cancer registries (CancerWatch) was prepared in 2024. The aim of the project is to provide up-to-date cancer burden data to the ECIS system maintained by the JRC.
CanScreenECIS. The CanScreenECIS project to promote the harmonisation of cancer screening data and indicators came to an end in 2024. Its final output was an online course on monitoring screening programmes, implemented by the Cancer Registry and open to all.
Screening services and implementation
Screening services and their implementation. The Cancer Registry worked closely with the wellbeing services counties. Information on quality manuals, among other things, was provided to them.
Three screening laboratories continued to screen for colorectal cancer after Synlab Oy’s operations were transferred to Islab. Following the merger, Islab screens 12% of the target population. Other operators continuing their activities were Fimlab (55%) and Helsinki University Hospital Diagnostic Center (33%). Several meetings were held with the screening laboratories on topics such as data delivery and reporting. Preliminary statistics on participation rates and follow-up examinations were provided to all laboratories.
The Cancer Registry organised eight remote meetings for nurses working in colorectal cancer screening, and two training sessions for new screening nurses. On average, 50 nurses attended the remote meetings.
Thirty-two nurses completed the training on the Pedanet platform for screening nurses, and 12 specialists completed the colonoscopy training. Thirty pathologists registered on the training platform for pathologists.