How Can Cancer Care Systems Prepare For Growing Complex Demand?

Cancer care systems across Europe are facing a multilayered capacity challenge. Demand for specialist services is influenced by population ageing, changes in cancer incidence, advances in diagnosis and treatment, and the growing complexity of care.

At the same time, healthcare organisations must manage workforce pressures, infrastructure requirements and the adoption of increasingly sophisticated technologies.

Preparing for this demand requires more than simply increasing the number of services available. Cancer care systems need coordinated strategies that consider workforce, technology, infrastructure, clinical collaboration and long-term sustainability.

Understanding future demand

Planning starts with understanding how demand is likely to change. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates that global cancer incidence could rise from approximately 20 million new cases in 2022 to more than 35 million by 2050.

Population growth and ageing are significant contributors to this projected increase. Europe is also expected to experience increasing pressure on cancer services.

ESTRO has highlighted projections indicating that annual cancer cases in Europe could increase from approximately 4.23 million in 2018 to 5.2 million by 2040.

The organisation also notes the important role of radiotherapy within cancer treatment, while identifying continuing gaps in access to radiotherapy services.

For healthcare leaders, this makes accurate capacity planning increasingly important. Understanding projected demand at regional and national level can inform decisions around facilities, equipment, specialist expertise and referral pathways.

Investing in the specialist workforce

Infrastructure alone cannot create additional capacity. Specialist cancer services depend on appropriately trained professionals across radiation oncology, medical oncology, medical physics, radiography, nursing, diagnostics and other disciplines.

Workforce planning therefore needs to consider both recruitment and retention. The World Health Organization (WHO) Europe identifies workforce planning, training, recruitment and retention as central to maintaining sustainable healthcare systems.

WHO also highlights challenges relating to workforce distribution, skill mix and an ageing health and care workforce.

Long-term capacity strategies should therefore incorporate professional development, multidisciplinary education and opportunities for clinical collaboration alongside recruitment.

Making better use of technology

Technological innovation can also contribute to capacity planning, provided that implementation is supported by appropriate evidence, infrastructure and workforce expertise.

Advances in radiotherapy, imaging, treatment planning, artificial intelligence and data analytics may support more efficient clinical workflows and increasingly personalised approaches to care.

However, adopting new technology should not be viewed simply as a procurement exercise. Healthcare organisations need to assess how technologies integrate with existing clinical pathways, and what skills are required to use them safely and effectively.

They should also assess whether the investment is supported by evidence of meaningful clinical or operational value.

This is particularly relevant as oncology becomes increasingly data-intensive. Networked healthcare organisations may have opportunities to share knowledge, standardise processes and evaluate new technologies across multiple settings.

Strengthening collaboration and referral pathways

Growing demand also makes collaboration between healthcare organisations increasingly important. Effective referral pathways can help patients access appropriate specialist expertise while allowing services to use available capacity more efficiently.

Collaboration between independent healthcare organisations, public health systems, academic institutions and specialist partners can also support the development of integrated cancer pathways.

At European level, collaboration can provide additional opportunities to exchange clinical expertise and operational knowledge across different healthcare systems.

For specialist oncology networks, collaboration can therefore extend beyond individual referrals to include clinical education, research, technology adoption and the development of consistent approaches to quality and governance.

Building sustainable capacity

Expanding specialist cancer services must also be considered in the context of long-term sustainability.

Healthcare leaders need to assess not only whether additional capacity is required, but how that capacity can remain clinically effective and financially and environmentally sustainable over time.

This means considering equipment utilisation, workforce requirements, estate planning, energy consumption, digital infrastructure and opportunities for coordinated service delivery.

A sustainable approach also requires healthcare organisations to monitor demand and capacity using reliable data. Regular analysis can help identify geographical variations, emerging workforce requirements and areas where investment may be needed.

A network-based approach to future cancer care

Preparing for growing demand is ultimately a system-level challenge. Increasing capacity may require a combination of investment in infrastructure, workforce development, technological innovation and stronger partnerships.

As cancer care continues to evolve, healthcare systems will need to anticipate demand rather than respond to capacity pressures only when they emerge.

Strategic planning today can help create the infrastructure, skills and collaborative models required to support specialist oncology services in the years ahead.

Learn more about Stingray Healthcare Group and its approach to oncology innovation and collaboration across Europe.