Every day, 67 Croatian citizens learn that they suffer from cancer, which is 24,000 people a year, of which 13,000 die. According to statistics, only Hungarians in Europe have a higher mortality rate than us. That is why we talked to Dr. Eduard Vrdoljak from KBC Split, our leading oncologist and head of the working group that created the National Plan to Fight Cancer. He sees the solution in the system of monitoring treatment outcomes, as Sweden and other leading countries have in their health care, which have significantly better results in cancer treatment compared to Croatia.

Only Hungary has a higher mortality rate. It is estimated that about 23,000 Croats get cancer every year, of which an average of 11,000 die as a result. Lung cancer is the deadliest form for men, most women die from breast cancer. Psychologist and head of the Center for Psychological Assistance to Oncology Patients of the All for Her Association, Ljiljana Vukota, faced this difficult diagnosis in her forties, and she described her own experience with treatment. – I always said that I was looking forward to my forties, hoping that I would have children, a good job, be situated … All this really happened, but in 2005, at the age of 45, with three minor children, breast cancer also occurred. . I found a lump on my breast by self-examination, and I had my first examination (breast ultrasound) after two weeks at the Dubrava Hospital. What I experienced there I wish to all women who find themselves in a similar situation. Seeing the ultrasound findings, the doctor immediately decided to perform a cytopuncture to confirm the diagnosis and she referred me to a surgeon for further consultations – said prof. psychology of Vukota.

To get some malignant disease, you would probably want to go to a hospital that has the best methods and treatment results, right? Unfortunately, this is not yet possible in Croatia. Due to the fragmentation of our health system, it is very challenging to monitor treatment outcomes, mortality and survival rates, but also the quality of life of patients.

Nine out of ten citizens believe that data on treatment success must be publicly available and it must be known which hospitals have the best treatment outcomes, and every second Croatian citizen believes that shorter waiting lists and greater availability of effective treatment methods are key to reducing cancer mortality. which is why our country is currently second in the EU. These are the key findings of Ipsos’ research on treatment outcomes in Croatia, conducted in early June this year. Also, considering that in the past five years every second citizen has faced a diagnosis of a serious illness—either personally or within their immediate family—it is not surprising that they are interested in the state of healthcare in Croatia. As many as 81 percent of respondents say that this is one of the three key topics they want to hear more about during the election campaign, ahead of the economy and pensions.