Portugal's cancer crisis deepens as 17,000 patients face life-threatening delays
The number of cancer patients facing delays in Portugal has risen sharply. By the end of the first half of 2025, over 8,000 were waiting for surgery or their first oncology appointment. Health officials have called the situation alarming.
Figures released by the Portuguese League Against Cancer (LPCC) reveal a worsening crisis. Some 8,215 patients were waiting for cancer surgery by mid-2025—a 9% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Another 8,874 remained in queues for their first oncology consultation, up 3% from the previous year.
More than one in five patients—21.2%—had already exceeded the legally guaranteed maximum wait times. LPCC president Vítor Veloso described the delays as a 'double blow' for those affected, with both initial consultations and surgeries being postponed. Veloso blamed the growing backlog on a shortage of healthcare staff and 'likely structural deficiencies' in how services are organised. He stressed that the entire National Health Service, including oncology care, needs urgent restructuring. The LPCC has now called on the Ministry of Health to review the data and take immediate action to reverse the trend.
The LPCC’s report highlights a system under severe strain. With waiting lists growing and legal deadlines missed, officials warn that without intervention, patient care will continue to deteriorate. The organisation has pushed for a full assessment and concrete measures to address the crisis.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
