Almost 1,000 Swedish patients received cancer treatment in Finland in 2020–2023

In the 2020s, about 1,000 Swedish patients have received cancer treatment at the private Docrates Cancer Center in Finland. More than 200 of these patients have received reimbursement for their treatments from Försäkringskassan under the EU Patient Directive. The majority of the patients who received treatment at Docrates had prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer or abdominal cancer.

In 2020–2023, almost 1,000 Swedish patients were treated at Docrates Cancer Center in Finland. Of these patients, 40% came from the Stockholm region, about 15% from Västra Götaland, about 15% from Skåne and the remaining 30% from all over Sweden. Patients of all ages have come to Docrates for treatment, but about half of the patients were aged 56–70 years old.

The majority of the patients who received treatment at Docrates had prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer or abdominal cancer.

– It’s great that patients can benefit from the EU Patient Directive and travel to receive treatment from us in Finland, which allows them to have personalised treatment without delay. Swedish patients who have received cancer treatment at Docrates usually pay for the treatments themselves first, and many apply for reimbursement from Försäkringskassan afterwards. At best, about a third of those who have been treated in Finland have received reimbursement for their cancer treatments from Försäkringskassan. A fairly small proportion of Swedish patients have had private medical expense insurance that covers their treatment. It is important to remember that cancer is treated at Docrates in a personalised way in accordance with the latest international treatment guidelines, which means that Försäkringskassan may not yet provide reimbursement for these latest treatments, says Johanna Baarman, Nordic Client Manager at Docrates Cancer Center.

–In Sweden, there are long waiting times even for radiotherapy, which we can provide within a couple of days. We have also invested in good customer service, and each patient will have a care team of their own throughout their treatment. We also serve Swedish patients in their native language from start to finish, says Baarman.

Patients’ freedom to choose their place of treatment has increased thanks to the EU Patient Directive. Docrates' international patients typically require prostate or breast cancer treatment and arrive from countries such as Sweden, Norway, the Baltic countries, England, the United States, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and France. Docrates has been treating international patients for more than ten years.