Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025 – Disease Burden, Costs and Access to Medicines and Molecular Diagnostics

This is the 2025-version of our flagship report in oncology – the Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe. It continues a 20-year legacy of analyzing and comparing the cancer situation in Europe. It provides a comprehensive view of the development of cancer between 1995 and 2023. It highlights differences between countries in terms of the disease burden, economic burden, and patient access to new cancer medicines and molecular diagnostics. It also describes the advances in the medical field and discusses policy implications relating to bridging inequalities in access to medicines, valuation of medicines, and providing better data. Selected highlights of the report: Cancer is set to become the leading cause of death in Europe, although recent data indicate a stabilization in mortality trends. Cancer survival has improved across Europe, yet there are disparities between countries and differences between cancer types. Health spending on cancer care has increased considerably and varies nearly three-fold across countries. The EMA has approved almost 200 new cancer medicines since 1995, but stark country inequalities in reimbursement exist. The uptake of new cancer medicines has converged across countries, although access is still worse in Central and Eastern Europe. The rising expenditure for cancer medicines calls for consistent use of HTA and recognizing societal benefits beyond direct healthcare outcomes. Sustaining Europe’s momentum in the fight against cancer is crucial, with ongoing policy efforts promising to mitigate access disparities. The report was launched by Nils Wilking and Thomas Hofmarcher at an event in Brussels hosted by EFPIA and with the participation of representatives from the public sector, academia, professional societies, patient organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry. Previous Comparator Reports on Cancer in Europe by IHE: IHE Report 2019:7: https://ihe.se/en/rapport/comparator-report-on-cancer-in-europe-2019/ IHE Report 2016:4: https://ihe.se/en/rapport/cancer-medicines-in-europe-2/