When politicians really decide that nation health is a top priority: the Danish model

Abstract

Roennegaard et al. from Odense University Hospital, Denmark report their institutional experience, as tertiary cancer centre, on a nation-based head and neck cancer (HNC) fast-track programme, taking care of patients from the general practitioner (GP) suspicion of HNC to the start of initial treatment when the diagnosis of cancer is confirmed [1]. The decision to launch such a programme was made when it was observed during the 1990s that survival rates for HNC patients were worse in Denmark than in the other Scandinavian countries [2], [3]. Long waiting time from initial cancer symptoms to the start of treatment was considered as the main reason for the poor outcome of patients in Denmark. Studies have clearly shown disease progression during waiting time [4], [5]. [.]