Solange Peters: “Health insurance now shows its limits in the face of cancer” – rts.ch
Invited Tuesday in the 7:30 p.m. on the occasion of World Cancer Day, oncologist Solange Peters alerts growing inequalities in the care of the disease in Switzerland. Medical progress does not benefit everyone in the same way, especially with immunotherapy.
Cancer affects more and more patients and the infrastructure is struggling to follow. Between the aging of the population and increased cases in those under 50, tensions on the care system are increasing.
In this context, inequalities are increasing, in particular according to the type of insurance coverage. “You have a whole range of variants that you can choose in your basic insurance […]types of insurance that make one present with the same cancers when every penny counts or when you have a lot of money, “said Solange Peters Tuesday in the 7:30 p.m. Treatments thus vary according to the financial means of patients.
“Health insurance now shows its limits,” alerts the oncologist. According to her, these disparities create an “unacceptable in Switzerland” situation, where access to care should be the same for everyone.
>> Also review the report of 7:30 p.m. on the day against cancer:
Immunotherapy: Hope at its own pace
Immunotherapy has long been presented as a revolution in cancer treatment, but its effectiveness remains limited to certain types of this disease. “It is a hope that is still focused on certain cancers, it evolves, but at its own pace,” explains Solange Peters.
In addition, this treatment remains extremely expensive and reserved for certain patients. “Immunotherapy is an ultra dear treatment that works in patients selected for the moment, which will undoubtedly democratize in the future and properly heal more cancers. But once again, I come back to the A concept of knowing who is who will really be able to benefit from it, “she analyzes.
Faced with these challenges, the first Swiss cancer plan, launched under the leadership of Oncosuisse, of which Solange Peters is the president, aims to improve prevention, screening and accessibility to treatments. But for the oncologist, it remains for the moment essential to keep measurable and realistic goals for the moment.
Interview by Philippe Revaz
Adaptation web: ther