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Cancers
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Health Services Research in Cancer Care
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Health Services Research in Cancer Care

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2025 | Viewed by 7674

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesco Giusti

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Guest Editor
Independent researcher, Pistoia, Italy
Interests: cancer epidemiology and registration; healthcare systems; cancer treatment data; cancer data quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carmen Martos

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Guest Editor
Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO), Av. Catalunya, 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
Interests: cancer epidemiology and registration; childhood cancer epidemiology; rare cancer epidemiology; cancer data quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on health services in cancer care provides valuable information to decision makers to ensure that all people are offered the best and most appropriate care to improve their health.

This Special Issue attempts to highlight this relevant endpoint with the aim of increasing the knowledge on the use, costs, accessibility, quality, organization, financing, and outcomes of health services in cancer care. Researchers and research groups engaged in healthcare or health services in the field of oncology and the cancer care sphere are encouraged to contribute.

The range of topics covered in this Special Issue reflects the multidimensional nature of cancer care and the diverse challenges faced by patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and policymakers.

They include the following:

(1) The effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of cancer care interventions; (2) health technology assessments with a focus on cancer; (3) research on cancer care outcomes; (4) the use of cancer care services; (5) quality of cancer care; (6) access to cancer care; (7) cancer care costs; and (8) patients and caregivers.

The articles included in this Special Issue will contribute to identifying both best practices as well as areas needing improvement within cancer healthcare. By addressing gaps and challenges, these contributions will support the goal of ensuring that all individuals receive optimal and suitable cancer care to enhance their health outcomes.

Dr. Francesco Giusti
Dr. Carmen Martos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer care
  • cancer care outcomes
  • cancer care services
  • cancer costs
  • treatment
  • health systems
  • quality
  • survival
  • indicators
  • health technology assessments

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 4520 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of Rare Cancer Policies in Europe: A Survey Among Healthcare Providers
by Kostadin Kostadinov, Georgi Iskrov, Nina Musurlieva and Rumen Stefanov
Cancers 2025, 17(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17020164 - 7 Jan 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1154
Abstract
Rare cancers, defined as those with an annual incidence of fewer than six cases per 100,000 individuals, are associated with significant health inequalities. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare providers with expertise in rare cancers regarding the [...] Read more.
Rare cancers, defined as those with an annual incidence of fewer than six cases per 100,000 individuals, are associated with significant health inequalities. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare providers with expertise in rare cancers regarding the effectiveness of enacted or planned rare cancer policies across Europe. Between 25 March 2023 and 5 March 2024, we conducted an online survey targeting 738 healthcare providers affiliated with the European Reference Networks and the Organization of European Cancer Institutes, yielding 92 complete responses from 28 European countries (response rate: 12.5%). While a significant portion of respondents were unaware of their country’s legal definitions for rare cancers, 67.4% acknowledged that national cancer plans prioritized rare cancers. These plans received the highest ratings for their evidence-based interventions and monitoring efforts. The integration of rare cancer policies into broader oncology frameworks was the preferred policy model. National cancer registries were highly rated for confidentiality and validity but scored the lowest for cost-effectiveness. Government funding was deemed crucial for cancer screening programs. The disease burden and unmet health needs primarily influenced reimbursement decisions in the field of rare cancers. Respondents rated palliative care as more effective in adults with rare cancers compared to in children, particularly regarding symptom management. We confirmed significant variability in rare cancer policy evaluations across Europe, the necessity for a common EU-level definition for rare cancers, and a shift in reimbursement and policy framework models, highlighting the importance of policy integration and enhanced collaboration. However, given the limitations of the study, such as small sample size and possible unstudied confounding factors, we should interpret our findings with caution. A systematic policy review and multistakeholder assessment in the future could complement our results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Services Research in Cancer Care)
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21 pages, 1586 KiB  
Article
Factors Associated with Supportive Care Needs Among Palestinian Women with Breast Cancer in the West Bank: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Ibtisam Titi and Nuha El Sharif
Cancers 2024, 16(21), 3663; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16213663 - 30 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1317
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women in Palestine, where the need for supportive care frequently goes unmet. Therefore, this study aims to assess the supportive care services provided at the governmental hospitals in the southern area of [...] Read more.
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women in Palestine, where the need for supportive care frequently goes unmet. Therefore, this study aims to assess the supportive care services provided at the governmental hospitals in the southern area of the West Bank and to determine the factors associated with the unmet needs of these services. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 362 women with BC. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire that included the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34), patients’ sociodemographic, economic, and clinical characteristics, as well as familial history of cancer and social support. Results: The study revealed that 61% of participants had unmet supportive care needs, with health system information, physical support, and psychological support being the most unmet needs. Factors contributing to unmet needs included age, marital status, familial support, and a family history of cancer. Chemotherapy and surgery increased the probability of physical care needs by fivefold, while hormone therapy reduced the probability of psychological needs (AOR = 0.36, p < 0.001) and patient care and support needs (AOR = 0.49, p = 0.01). Additionally, radiotherapy reduced sexual care needs by 58% and biological therapy by 60%. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for enhanced supportive care services for BC patients in the West Bank, especially regarding health system information, physical care, and psychological support. Addressing these needs through targeted interventions could significantly improve patients’ quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Services Research in Cancer Care)
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19 pages, 4859 KiB  
Article
Availability and Access to Orphan Drugs for Rare Cancers in Bulgaria: Analysis of Delays and Public Expenditures
by Kostadin Kostadinov, Ivelina Popova-Sotirova, Yuliyana Marinova, Nina Musurlieva, Georgi Iskrov and Rumen Stefanov
Cancers 2024, 16(8), 1489; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16081489 - 12 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2181
Abstract
Rare cancers are defined by an annual incidence of fewer than 6 per 100,000. Bearing similarities to rare diseases, they are associated with substantial health inequalities due to diagnostic complexity and delayed access to innovative therapies. This situation is further aggravated in Southeastern [...] Read more.
Rare cancers are defined by an annual incidence of fewer than 6 per 100,000. Bearing similarities to rare diseases, they are associated with substantial health inequalities due to diagnostic complexity and delayed access to innovative therapies. This situation is further aggravated in Southeastern European countries like Bulgaria, where limited public resources and expertise underscore the need for additional policy and translational research on rare cancers. This study aimed to explore the availability and access to orphan drugs for rare cancers in Bulgaria for the period of 2020–2023. We cross-compared data from both the European Union and national public sources to evaluate the number of available and accessible orphan drugs for rare cancers, the delay from market authorization to reimbursement, the dynamics of public expenditures, and regional disparities in access across the country. We juxtaposed the main characteristics of oncological and non-oncological orphan drugs as well. Only 15 out of 50 oncological orphan drugs that were authorized by the European Medicine Agency were accessible for rare cancer patients in Bulgaria. The median delay between market authorization and inclusion in the Bulgarian Positive Drug List was 760 days. The total expenditures for all orphan drugs for rare cancers amounted to EUR 74,353,493 from 2020 to 2023. The budgetary impact of this group rose from 0.24% to 3.77% of total public medicinal product expenditures for the study period. Rare cancer patients represent a vulnerable population that often faces limited to no access to treatment. We call for targeted European and national policies to address this major inequality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Services Research in Cancer Care)
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Review

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12 pages, 935 KiB  
Review
Challenges and Opportunities in Breast Cancer Care in Low-Resourced Countries, Jordan as An Example
by Hikmat Abdel-Razeq and Asem Mansour
Cancers 2024, 16(9), 1751; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16091751 - 30 Apr 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2282
Abstract
Jordan is a relatively small country with a rapidly growing population and a challenged economy. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and also in Jordan. Though the age-standardized rate (ASR) of breast cancer incidence is still lower than that [...] Read more.
Jordan is a relatively small country with a rapidly growing population and a challenged economy. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and also in Jordan. Though the age-standardized rate (ASR) of breast cancer incidence is still lower than that in Western societies, the number of newly diagnosed cases continues to increase, involving younger women, and new cases are usually detected at more advanced stages. Improvements in breast cancer care across the health care continuum, including early detection, prevention, treatment, and survivorship and palliative care, have become very visible, but may not match the magnitude of the problem. More organized, goal-oriented work is urgently needed to downstage the disease and improve awareness of, access to, and participation in early detection programs. The cost of recently introduced anti-cancer therapies poses a great challenge, but the impact of these therapies on treatment outcomes, including overall survival, is becoming very noticeable. Though the concept of a multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer treatment is often used at most health care facilities, its implementation in real practice varies significantly. The availability of breast reconstruction procedures, survivorship programs, germline genetic testing, counselling, and palliative care is improving, but these are not widely practiced. In this manuscript, we review the status of breast cancer in Jordan and highlight some of the existing challenges and opportunities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Services Research in Cancer Care)
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