Cancer risk management in Colombia, 2016

To describe the outcomes of risk management indicators for five types of cancer in population that is affiliated to the General System of Social Security in Health, in six cities of Colombia.

Based on the data from the administrative cancer registry for the period 2016, the High Cost Disease Fund (CAC in Spanish) as a technical organization of the Colombian health system, processed and analyzed the data for the calculation of risk management indicators established in consensus based on the evidence found in six cities.

There is a diversity in the indicators results found among the different cities, evidencing strengths and weaknesses in each of them for the different types of cancer. From the set of indicators, those with the best results presented are related to the greater detection of cancer in early stages or in situ, as well as a decrease in mortality, especially in colorectal and in gastric cancer. Most indicators in gastric cancer showed optimal results. Important measurements such as the opportunity for diagnosis and treatment are below the proposed standard for most types in all the six cities.

The descriptive analysis of cancer risk management indicators shows certain weaknesses in the quality and timeliness of the care of cancer patients, the standards agreed upon in the consensus with the different actors of the system are not being reached, situation which may be due to a reality of problems of the Colombian health system, as well as deficiencies in the quality of the report to the CAC.