Prostate Cancer Data and Policy in Belgium
Incidence
Prostate cancer incidence in Belgium is below the European average of 153.9 per 100,000 population, at a rate of 139.9 per 100,000.1 The age-adjusted incidence of prostate cancer decreased in Belgium between 2006 and 2017, despite being the most frequently diagnosed cancer amongst men.2 To note is that national data can in some instances deviate from international datasets. According to the most recent Belgian Cancer registry data from 2017, the crude rate is 171.6 per 100,000.3
139.9
Belgium, new cases per 100,000, 20201
153.9
EU27 average, new cases per 100,000, 20201
Estimated prostate cancer incidence 2020
(crude rate per 100,000 population)
(crude rate per 100,000 population)
Mortality
At 28.6 per 100,000 people, mortality rates for prostate cancer in Belgium are below the EU27 average of 32.1 per 100,000 population, and significantly below countries like Estonia and Sweden.1
28.6
Belgium, deaths per 100,000, 20201
32.1
EU27 average, deaths per 100,000, 20201
Prostate cancer mortality 2020
(crude rate per 100,000 population)
(crude rate per 100,000 population)
Survival
From 2010-2014, the 5-year net survival rate for prostate cancer patients in Belgium was 93.8%.1 This puts the Belgian 5-year net survival rate in the top 3 in the EU, overtaken only by Lithuania (94.3%) and Cyprus (99.2%).1 To note is that national data can in some instances deviate from international datasets. According to the most recent Belgian Cancer registry data from 2017, the 5-year survival rate is 95.4%.2
93.8%
Belgium, five-year survival, 2010-141
3rd
Highest five-year survival in Europe, 2010-141
Prostate cancer age-standardised 5-year net survival (%)
National policies
While prostate cancer is not mentioned specifically, cancer formed part of the 2015-2019 Chronic Diseases Integrated Care Plan. An overview of cancer initiatives in Belgium, ranging from prevention to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation can be found on the website of the Belgian Cancer Centre.
Clinical guidelines
Belgian clinicians follow the European Association of Urology’s clinical guidelines for prostate cancer. The recommended care pathway, includes patient access to*:
Review by a multidisciplinary team
- Included
Support from a specialist nurse
- Included
Holistic needs assessment
- Included
A tailored treatment plan
- Included
Nutrition and exercise advice
- Included
Psychological support
- Included
Regular care reviews
- Included
Cancer care
Access to specialists
In Belgium, there are approximately 22,500 inhabitants to every 1 urologist.1,2 This is a higher number of urologists than in neighbouring France3 and the Netherlands,4 where there are approximately 44,000 and 47,000 inhabitants respectively per every 1 urologist.
Approximate number of inhabitants per urologist - 2018*
Cost of cancer
In 2018, the direct cost of cancer in Belgium was €284 per person,1 higher than the European average of €154 per person.2 Whilst a number of factors contribute to improved outcomes for those affected by prostate cancer, studies have shown that those countries that invest more in cancer care tend to achieve better outcomes for patients.3
Direct health cost of cancer per person - 2018 (€)
Cancer medicines spend
Belgium ranked at third place in cancer medicine spend when compared to other European countries, spending €90 per capita, which is just behind Germany (€92) and Austria on (€108).1 Denmark closely follows suit, at €89 per capita.1
Per capita cost of cancer medicines - 2018 (€)
Organisations
Patient organisations
Prostate cancer organisations in Belgium include:
Us Too Belgium
https://wijook.be/
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 European Cancer Information System (ECIS). Estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in 2020. Accessible at https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/explorer.php?$0-0$1-All$2-All$4-1$3-34$6-0,85$5-2008,2008$7-7$CEstByCountry$X0_8-3$X0_19-AE27$X0_20-No$CEstBySexByCountry$X1_8-3$X1_19-AE27$X1_-1-1$CEstByIndiByCountry$X2_8-3$X2_19-AE27$X2_20-No$CEstRelative$X3_8-3$X3_9-AE27$X3_19-AE27$CEstByCountryTable$X4_19-AE27 (last accessed February 2022)
2 Healthy Belgium. Cancer – for a Healthy Belgium. 24 July 2020. Accessible at https://www.healthybelgium.be/en/health-status/non-communicable-diseases/cancer (last accessed February 2022)
3 Belgian Cancer Registry. Cancer Burden in Belgium 2004-2017. 2020. Accessible at https://kankerregister.org/media/docs/CancerBurdenfeb2020reduced.pdf (last accessed February 2022)
Chart source
European Cancer Information System (ECIS). Estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in 2020. Accessible at https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/explorer.php?$0-0$1-All$2-All$4-1$3-34$6-0,85$5-2008,2008$7-8$CEstByCountry$X0_8-3$X0_19-AE27$X0_20-No$CEstBySexByCountry$X1_8-3$X1_19-AE27$X1_-1-1$CEstByIndiByCountry$X2_8-3$X2_19-AE27$X2_20-No$CEstRelative$X3_8-3$X3_9-AE27$X3_19-AE27$CEstByCountryTable$X4_19-AE27 (last accessed March 2022)
Mortality
1 European Cancer Information System (ECIS). Estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in 2020. Accessible at https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/explorer.php?$0-0$1-All$2-All$4-1$3-34$6-0,85$5-2008,2008$7-8$CEstByCountry$X0_8-3$X0_19-AE27$X0_20-No$CEstBySexByCountry$X1_8-3$X1_19-AE27$X1_-1-1$CEstByIndiByCountry$X2_8-3$X2_19-AE27$X2_20-No$CEstRelative$X3_8-3$X3_9-AE27$X3_19-AE27$CEstByCountryTable$X4_19-AE27 (last accessed February 2022)
Chart source
European Cancer Information System (ECIS). Estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in 2020. Accessible at https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/explorer.php?$0-0$1-All$2-All$4-1$3-34$6-0,85$5-2008,2008$7-8$CEstByCountry$X0_8-3$X0_19-AE27$X0_20-No$CEstBySexByCountry$X1_8-3$X1_19-AE27$X1_-1-1$CEstByIndiByCountry$X2_8-3$X2_19-AE27$X2_20-No$CEstRelative$X3_8-3$X3_9-AE27$X3_19-AE27$CEstByCountryTable$X4_19-AE27 (last accessed March 2022)
Survival
1 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)
2 Belgian Cancer Registry. Cancer Burden in Belgium 2004-2017. 2020. Accessible at https://kankerregister.org/media/docs/CancerBurdenfeb2020reduced.pdf (last accessed March 2022)
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)
Cancer care
Access to specialists
1 Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environmen. HWF STATAN 2019 (detailed statistics). 2019. Accessible at https://organesdeconcertation.sante.belgique.be/fr/documents/hwf-statan-2019-statistiques-detaillees (last accessed March 2022)
2 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)
3 European Society of Residents in Urology (ESRU). France. March 2018. Accessible at https://esru.eu/?q=france (last accessed March 2022)
4 European Society of Residents in Urology (ESRU). Netherlands. March 2018. Accessible at https://esru.eu/?q=netherlands (last accessed March 2022)
Cost of cancer
1 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)
2 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) – average calculated from data included for individual countries
3 Hofmarcher, T et al. Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe in 2019. IHE Report 2019:7
Cancer medicines spend
1 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)
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)
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)
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)