Our vision
- Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center (Karolinska CCC) brings together cutting-edge expertise in highly specialized cancer care, basic, translational, and clinical research. The Center is a joint initiative between Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute.
- Karolinska CCC is Sweden’s first accredited Comprehensive Cancer Center according to criteria set by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), a non-governmental non-profit legal entity established in 1979 to promote greater cooperation between European cancer centers and institutes. The Accreditation is a confirmation that the organization meets the high-quality requirements the OECI places on care, research and education in the field of cancer.
- Karolinska University Hospital is one of Europe’s leading university hospitals with a special responsibility for highly specialized care. Karolinska Institute is one of Europe’s highest rated medical universities. Together we are a medical center that conducts world leading healthcare, research, and education. We have a significant role in developing healthcare where new research findings and new therapies are continuously implemented and come to patient benefit
Our contribution
Main cancer statistics in our country
- Cancer care and outcomes in Sweden are among the world’s best, survival rates are among the highest, reflecting the overall high quality of clinical care. In 2020, 62 494 (33 689 men, 28 805 females) cancers were reported to the Swedish Cancer Registry in a 10.1 million population.
PROSTATE CANCER
- Over the past 10 years, the incidence has slowly declined. The sharp uptick and large fluctuations in incidence are likely linked to how the PSA-test was used for early diagnostics and in scientific studies. For 2020, the decline in incidence is possible due to fewer PSA-tests during COVID-19 pandemic.
BREAST CANCER
- The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer increased by about 60 percent from 1970 to the mid-2010s and then leveled out at about 144 women per 100,000. During the 2000s, the number increased significantly. The introduction of breast cancer screening has been a contributing factor to the higher incidence of breast cancer. During 2020, 7570 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, which is a decrease compared to the period 2017-2019. During the pandemic, several regions reduced or largely stopped mammograms during the first wave of the pandemic.
Main prevention and screening programs in place
- In Sweden, women aged 40-74 years are called to breast cancer screening at intervals of about two years. 60 percent of all breast cancer tumors are detected within the screening program. Women aged 23 to 64 years are called for regular
gynecological cell sampling to find cell changes on the cervix, thus reducing the risk of cervical cancer. The program has been very successful, reducing cases of cervical cancer by more than half since it was introduced in the 1960s. Vaccination against HPV has been included inCthe general vaccination program for girls since 2010 and from 2020 for boys. Screening for
colorectal cancer is recommended for everyone aged 60-74 years. The regions of Stockholm and Gotland have offered residents sampling for early detection, other regions plan to gradually start. Screening for prostate cancer is not being
recommended at present but a project for structured PSA testing is launched.
National Task Force on Prevention
- The Swedish government decided in 2018 on a long-term strategy to develop and prioritize the prevention of cancer.
Our areas of intervention
Overview of cancer research
- In 2017, funds equivalent to 3.3 per cent of GDP were invested in research and development. In Sweden, research is funded by
government agencies, public foundations and private financiers. - Karolinska CCC brings together cutting-edge expertise in highly specialized cancer care, basic, translational and clinical research. It is a joint initiative between Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet. Karolinska University Hospital is one of Europe’s leading university hospitals witha special responsibility for highly specialized care. Karolinska Institutet is one of Europe’s highest rated medical universities. Together we conduct world leading healthcare, research, and education. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet selects the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine. Cancer Research KI is an overall umbrella organisation and single point of entry to cancer research.The aim is to combine cancer research with clinical oncology by bringing together cancer researchers at the highest level from different disciplines..
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) is a national research infrastructure for molecular life sciences and is one of
the Government’s major investments in research infrastructures in Sweden. The Centre for Clinical Cancer Studies (CKC) is a core facility at Karolinska CCC with the commission to facilitate clinical cancer research; prospective clinical studies phase 0-4. It is organized as a central platform facilitating clinical trials in patients with malignancies.
Clinical studies statistics
Organization of cancer care
- The healthcare system is mainly publicly financed and managed and have three administrative levels, each with separate roles in the health system: Ministry of Health and Social affairs, 21 Regional health authorities and Local authorities.
- Cancer care is an integrated part in the general health care on all levels. In collaboration with county councils and regions,
the government has focused longitudinal efforts on establishing RCC´s. The care is highly decentralised and involves all levels.
National clinical guidelines
- Each tumor group follows a national care program, that contribute to equal and good care for all patients
A National Cancer Strategy was indorsed in 2009 with 5 overarching goals: Reduce risk of developing cancer Improve the quality of cancer patient management Prolong survival time and improve quality of life after a cancer diagnosis
Reduce regional differences in survival time after a cancer diagnosis and Reduce differences between population groups
in morbidity and survival time
Cancer treatments
- Genomic Medicine Sweden is a national initiative consisting of 170 participants from the whole country. A central hub for this
structure is SciLifeLab. This structure is aiming to bring together researchers and the health care system, being a critical part for
precision medicine - Precision Medicine Center Karolinska (PMCK) was established in 2021, a virtual center for precision medicine. The objective is to develop and implement precision medicine in several clinical areas and will facilitate development and implementation of new techniques and collaboration between academy, industry and health care.
- National Working Group on CAR-T Cell Treatment
The group is supporting the process of introducing CAR-T cell therapy in Sweden. by making recommendations and ensuring anchoring and cooperation with relevant processes within the regions.
Budget devoted
- In 2018, Sweden spent 10.9% of GDP on health, equivalent to SEK 51,996 (USD 5,982) per capita in absolute terms. All
public resources for health originate from budget revenues at each respective administrative level, with the regional income tax being the largest source of health funds overall. Health priorities are set at the central, regional, and local governments, respectively. Due to increases in both costs per case and the number of diagnosed cases, cancer care costs have almost doubled over the last 20 years.