Prostate Cancer Data and Policy in Slovakia
Incidence
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Slovakia. In 2022 it accounted for 23% of all new male cancer cases, with an estimated 174 new cases per 100,000 men, above the EU27 average of 154.1, 2 Male cancer incidence overall is among the highest in the EU, at 757 cases per 100,000 men against 684 for the EU, and the gap between men and women, at 61%, is among the largest in the EU.1 A national study of registry, hospital and insurance data from 2009 to 2022 found a steady rise in prostate cancer incidence, most marked among men aged 50 and over.3 Across the EU, prostate cancer was the third most diagnosed cancer in 2022, with about 330,000 new cases, 12% of all cancers.2
173.5
Slovakia, new cases per 100,000, 20222
154.1
EU27 average, new cases per 100,000, 20222
Estimated prostate cancer incidence 2022
(age-standardised rate per 100,000 men)
(age-standardised rate per 100,000 men)
Mortality
In 2022, 45.4 men per 100,000 died of prostate cancer in Slovakia, against 35.1 in the EU27, and 729 deaths were registered.1 Slovakia is one of nine EU countries where the standardised death rate exceeds 45 per 100,000 men; the lowest rate, in Malta, is 20.2.1 Across the EU, prostate cancer caused 68,277 male deaths in 2022, 10.7% of all male cancer deaths.1 The national cancer registry’s most recent complete data cover diagnoses made in 2014, which limits how closely trends in mortality and survival can be followed.2
45.4
Slovakia, deaths per 100,000, 20221
35.1
EU27 average, deaths per 100,000, 20221
Prostate cancer mortality 2022
(age-standardised rate per 100,000 men)
(age-standardised rate per 100,000 men)
Survival
Five-year net survival for prostate cancer in Slovakia was 74.7% for men diagnosed between 2010 and 2014, the second lowest in the EU after Bulgaria: in Germany it was 91.6% and in France 93.1%.2 Survival rose by 11 percentage points between 2000-04 and 2010-14, a larger gain than in neighbouring Poland (9.3 points, to 78.1%), but from a low base.2 The 2025 EU Country Cancer Profile reports more recent survival of 66% for men diagnosed in 2017, calculated from health insurance data rather than registry data, so the two figures are not directly comparable.1 Organised prostate screening, brought into law in 2025, is intended to find more cancers at an early, treatable stage (see National policies).
74.7%
Slovakia, five-year survival, 2010-142
2nd lowest
Five-year survival in the EU, 2010-142
Prostate cancer age-standardised 5-year net survival (%)
National policies
Slovakia adopted its first National Oncology Programme in 2018, followed by action plans for 2019-20 and 2021-25, which set up the National Oncology Screening Centre within the National Oncology Institute.1 Organised, population-based screening has run for breast cancer since 2019 and for cervical and colorectal cancer since 2021.2 In 2025 Slovakia took the next step, in line with the 2022 Council Recommendation on cancer screening: an amendment to Act No. 578/2004 Coll., in force since 1 July 2025, brings lung and prostate cancer into organised screening, with prostate screening fully covered by public health insurance.3, 4, 5 The Ministry of Health’s implementing decree, in consultation since July 2025 and still in preparation in September 2026, sets out the design: men aged 50 to 69, invited by their health insurer in the month of their birthday, a PSA test with repeat intervals set by the PSA level, and MRI and biopsy for raised values.4, 5 A PSA-based pilot is planned in the Banská Bystrica and Prešov regions, led by the Slovak Urological Society, before a decision on nationwide roll-out; the Prešov self-governing region has approved a Swiss-Slovak funded project of €965,000 for 2026 to 2028 that combines prostate and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.6, 7 Slovakia takes part in the EU joint action EUCanScreen, which supports the stepwise introduction of prostate screening.8 Until the organised programme starts, men over 50 remain entitled to a preventive urological examination every three years, from age 40 with a family history of prostate cancer.9
Clinical guidelines
Slovakia has no national clinical guideline for prostate cancer. The Ministry of Health’s list of standard diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (ŠDTP) has no entry for prostate carcinoma, and the Slovak Urological Society said in 2023 that national standards in urology still need to be written.1, 2 In practice, Slovak urologists and oncologists follow the EAU-EANM-ESTRO-ESUR-ISUP-SIOG Guidelines on Prostate Cancer, updated each year by the European Association of Urology.3 The elements of care below therefore cannot be assessed against a national guideline.
Review by a multidisciplinary team
- Not determinable
Support from a specialist nurse
- Not determinable
Holistic needs assessment
- Not determinable
A tailored treatment plan
- Not determinable
Nutrition and exercise advice
- Not determinable
Psychological support
- Not determinable
Regular care reviews
- Not determinable
Cancer care
Access to specialists
Slovakia had 21,403 working doctors at the end of 2024, the highest number since 2009.1 The planned organised screening programme is built around urology clinics, starting in the Banská Bystrica and Prešov regions under the professional lead of the Slovak Urological Society.2
Approximate number of inhabitants per urologist - 2018*
Cost of cancer
European health systems spent €146 billion on direct cancer care in 2023, up from €62 billion in 1995.1 Spending per person ranges from under €150 in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia and Romania to €400 and above in Germany and Switzerland; Slovakia spent about €169 per person.1 Slovakia’s total health spending, at about USD 4,021 per person in 2023, adjusted for purchasing power (8.4% of GDP), remains below the OECD average.2 A National Comprehensive Cancer Centre is planned at the National Oncology Institute in Bratislava, and the institute is preparing its accreditation to join the EU network of comprehensive cancer centres.3
Direct health cost of cancer per person - 2023 (€, PPP)
Cancer medicines spend
Spending on cancer medicines in the EU rose from €49 to €126 per person between 2014 and 2023, adjusted for inflation, and in 2023 ranged from €31 in Latvia to €195 in Austria; Slovakia spent about €51 per person.1 Access to new medicines is among the lowest in Europe: of 124 cancer medicine indications approved by the EMA between 2011 and 2020, Slovakia reimbursed 19%, against 64% in Czechia, 51% in Poland and 40% in Hungary.2
Per capita cost of cancer medicines - 2018 (€)
Organisations
Patient organisations
The main prostate cancer patient organisation in Slovakia is: Europa Uomo Slovensko
References
Links to external websites are provided as a resource to the viewer. We accept no responsibility for the content or services of the linked site other than the information or other materials provided or reviewed by the LTPC expert group members
Incidence
1 OECD and European Commission (2025). EU Country Cancer Profile: Slovak Republic 2025. Accessible at https://doi.org/10.1787/e40472f4-en (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 European Commission Joint Research Centre (2023). European Cancer Information System (ECIS): estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in 2022. Accessible at https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu (last accessed 5 October 2026)
3 Babela R, Balaz V, Breza J Jr (2024). Prostate cancer in Slovakia: last decade overview. Bratislava Medical Journal (Bratislavské lekárske listy) 125(12):835-843. Accessible at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39629656/ (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Chart source
European Commission Joint Research Centre (2023). European Cancer Information System (ECIS): estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in 2022. Accessible at https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Mortality
1 Eurostat (2025). Cancer statistics – specific cancers. Statistics Explained; datasets hlth_cd_asdr2 and hlth_cd_aro. Accessible at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Cancer_statistics_-_specific_cancers (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 OECD and European Commission (2025). EU Country Cancer Profile: Slovak Republic 2025. Accessible at https://doi.org/10.1787/e40472f4-en (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Chart source
Eurostat. Causes of death – standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence (hlth_cd_asdr2), ICD-10 C61, males, 2022. Accessible at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_cd_asdr2/default/table (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Survival
1 OECD and European Commission (2025). EU Country Cancer Profile: Slovak Republic 2025. Accessible at https://doi.org/10.1787/e40472f4-en (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 Allemani C et al. (2018). Global surveillance of trends in cancer survival 2000-14 (CONCORD-3). The Lancet 391:1023-75. Accessible at https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33326-3 (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Chart source
Hofmarcher, T et al. Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe in 2019. IHE Report 2019:7. Accessible at https://www.efpia.eu/publications/cancer-comparator-report/cancer-types/prostate-cancer/ (last accessed March 2022)
Policies & guidelines
National policies
1 Slovak Ministry of Health. National Oncology Programme Action Plan 2021-2025. Accessible at https://www.iccp-portal.org/sites/default/files/plans/Slovakia%20National%20Oncology%20Programme%20Action%20Plan%202021-2025.pdf (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 OECD and European Commission (2025). EU Country Cancer Profile: Slovak Republic 2025. Accessible at https://doi.org/10.1787/e40472f4-en (last accessed 5 October 2026)
3 pravovzdravotnictve.sk (2024). Novela zákona posilňuje skríning onkologických ochorení na Slovensku. Accessible at https://www.pravovzdravotnictve.sk/sk/aktuality/novela-zakona-posilnuje-skrining-onkologickych-ochoreni-na-slovensku.a-3567.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
4 SME (2025). Rezort zdravotníctva chce zjednotiť pravidlá pre organizované skríningy rakoviny. Accessible at https://domov.sme.sk/c/23522550/rezort-zdravotnictva-chce-zjednotit-pravidla-pre-organizovane-skriningy-rakoviny.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
5 noviny.sk (2026). Slovensko mení pravidlá skríningu rakoviny. Poisťovne majú pacientov aktívnejšie pozývať na vyšetrenia. Accessible at https://www.noviny.sk/slovensko/1264016-slovensko-meni-pravidla-skriningu-rakoviny-poistovne-maju-pacientov-aktivnejsie-pozyvat-na-vysetrenia (last accessed 5 October 2026)
6 TASR via teraz.sk (2025). Pilotný skríning rakoviny prostaty odberom z krvi plánujú v roku 2026. Accessible at https://www.teraz.sk/zdravie/mz-pilotny-skrining-rakoviny-prostaty/871493-clanok.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
7 TASR via teraz.sk (2026). Prešovský kraj pripravuje skríning rakoviny prostaty. Accessible at https://www.teraz.sk/zdravie/presovsky-kraj-pripravuje-skrining-ra/940796-clanok.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
8 TASR via teraz.sk (2025). Skríning rakoviny prostaty sa zameria na mužov v rizikovom veku. Accessible at https://www.teraz.sk/zdravie/mz-organizovany-skrining-rakoviny-pro/885348-clanok.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
9 NIE RAKOVINE. O rakovine prostaty. Accessible at https://www.nierakovine.sk/rakovina-prostaty/o-rakovine-prostaty (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Clinical guidelines
1 Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. Štandardné diagnostické a terapeutické postupy. Accessible at https://www.standardnepostupy.sk (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 Lekárske listy (2023). Urológia, odborná príloha Zdravotníckych novín No. 6, 20 April 2023: interview with doc. MUDr. Ivan Minčík, PhD. Accessible at https://static.svetevity.sk/pdfs/LL_6_uro_4_2023_n.pdf (last accessed 5 October 2026)
3 European Association of Urology (2026). EAU-EANM-ESTRO-ESUR-ISUP-SIOG Guidelines on Prostate Cancer. Accessible at https://uroweb.org/guidelines/prostate-cancer (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Cancer care
Access to specialists
1 National Health Information Centre (NCZI) (2025). Press release: Počet pracovníkov v slovenskom zdravotníctve rastie, pribúdajú lekári aj praktické sestry, 4 November 2025. Accessible at https://www.nczisk.sk/Documents/aktuality/tlacove_spravy/2025/TS_Pracovnici_v_zdravotnictve_NCZI_05112025.pdf (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 STVR (November 2025). Rakovina prostaty je druhým najčastejším onkologickým ochorením u mužov. Populačný skríning ju dokáže včas zachytiť. Accessible at https://spravy.stvr.sk/2025/11/rakovina-prostaty-je-druhym-najcastejsim-onkologickym-ochorenim-u-muzov-populacny-skrining-ju-dokaze-vcas-zachytit/ (last accessed 5 October 2026)
TASR via teraz.sk (March 2024). Karcinóm prostaty je najčastejšou rakovinou, chystajú plošný skríning. Accessible at https://www.teraz.sk/slovensko/karcinom-prostaty-je-najcastejsou-rak/782922-clanok.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
TASR via teraz.sk (April 2025). Pilotný skríning rakoviny prostaty odberom z krvi plánujú v roku 2026. Accessible at https://www.teraz.sk/zdravie/mz-pilotny-skrining-rakoviny-prostaty/871493-clanok.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Cost of cancer
1 Manzano A, Svedman C, Hofmarcher T, Wilking N (2025). Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025: Disease Burden, Costs and Access to Medicines and Molecular Diagnostics. IHE Report 2025:2. Accessible at https://ihe.se/en/rapport/comparator-report-on-cancer-in-europe-2025-disease-burden-costs-and-access-to-medicines-and-molecular-diagnostics-2/ (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 OECD (2025). Health at a Glance 2025: Slovak Republic. Accessible at https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/health-at-a-glance-2025_15a55280-en/slovak-republic_91521e26-en.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
3 TASR via teraz.sk (2023). Komplexné onkologické centrum má vzniknúť aj na Slovensku. Accessible at https://www.teraz.sk/slovensko/komplexne-onkologicke-centrum-ma-vzni/761773-clanok.html (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Cancer medicines spend
1 Manzano A, Svedman C, Hofmarcher T, Wilking N (2025). Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025: Disease Burden, Costs and Access to Medicines and Molecular Diagnostics. IHE Report 2025:2. Accessible at https://ihe.se/en/rapport/comparator-report-on-cancer-in-europe-2025-disease-burden-costs-and-access-to-medicines-and-molecular-diagnostics-2/ (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Hofmarcher T, Charalambous A, Normanno N, Szmytke E et al. (2025). Access to novel cancer medicines in Europe: inequities across countries and their drivers. ESMO Open 10(10):105810. Accessible at https://www.esmoopen.com/article/S2059-7029(25)01679-5/fulltext (last accessed 5 October 2026)
2 Hofmarcher T, Szilagyiova P, Gustafsson A et al. (2023). Access to novel cancer medicines in four countries in Central and Eastern Europe in relation to clinical benefit. ESMO Open 8(4):101593. Accessible at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101593 (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Chart sources
*Different data sources were used for Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Romania and the UK, which may use data from different years. See references below. No data was found for Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovakia.
European Society of Residents in Urology (ESRU). Countries. March 2018. Accessible at https://esru.eu/?q=countries (last accessed March 2022)
Federal Public Service of Public Health, Safety of the Food Chain and the Environment. HWF STATAN 2019 (detailed statistics). 2019. Accessible at https://organesdeconcertation.sante.belgique.be/fr/documents/hwf-statan-2019-statistiques-detaillees (last accessed March 2022)
Boszormenyi-Nagy, G. Report on urological inpatient care based on 2018 data. Urologia Hungarica. Accessible at http://urologiahungarica.hu/index.php/2020/05/12/beszamolo-az-urologiai-fekvobeteg-ellatasrol-a-2018-as-adatok-alapjan/ (last accessed March 2022)
I.Stat. Personale sanitario. Accessible at http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DCIS_PERS_SANIT (last accessed March 2022)
Institutul National De Statistica. Activitatea Unitatilor Sanitare in Anul 2019. 2020. Accessible at https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/field/publicatii/activitatea_unitatilor_sanitare_anul_2019.pdf (last accessed March 2022)
United Nations, Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World Population Prospects 2019. Accessible at https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Files/1_Indicators%20(Standard)/EXCEL_FILES/1_Population/
WPP2019_POP_F01_1_TOTAL_POPULATION_BOTH_SEXES.xlsx (last accessed March 2022)
British Association of Urological Surgeons and The Specialist Advisory Committee in Urology. Workforce Report. 2018. Accessible at https://www.baus.org.uk/_userfiles/pages/files/publications/
Workforce_Report_Sep%202018%20ver%201.1.pdf (last accessed March 2022)
Manzano A, Svedman C, Hofmarcher T, Wilking N (2025). Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025, Table 4: total health expenditure and direct costs of cancer (adjusted for PPP), 2023. IHE Report 2025:2. Accessible at https://ihe.se/app/uploads/2025/03/IHE-REPORT-2025_2_.pdf (last accessed 5 October 2026)
Hofmarcher, T et al. Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe in 2019. IHE Report 2019:7. Accessible at https://www.efpia.eu/publications/cancer-comparator-report/cancer-types/prostate-cancer/ (last accessed March 2022)