Good medical care in Switzerland urgently needs additional financial resources to promote clinical research.

At the beginning of the new millennium, developments in cancer therapy had almost come to a standstill. The classical treatment methods such as surgeries, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy were largely exhausted. Today, however, clinical cancer research has advanced and enables new, promising therapeutic approaches.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Switzerland and the leading cause of death for men aged 45 to 84 and women aged 25 to 84. Thanks to intensive research, treatment options have significantly improved, leading to a substantial increase in survival rates and chances of cure. In an article published in the NZZ (07.12.2024), Georg Rüschemeyer wrote: 'The prospects of living long with a cancer diagnosis have dramatically improved in recent years. Thanks to new immunotherapies, a cure has become realistic in many cases.'

Recently, an interpellation on 'Ensuring the financing of independent clinical cancer research in Switzerland' was submitted to the Council of States. We welcome this initiative and are confident that politicians will recognize the need for action in financing clinical cancer research. This is the only way to ensure the high quality of medical care in Switzerland in the long term.

We are committed to effective treatments and therapies for cancer patients.

Link to the NZZ article

Link to the interpellation