The Italian National Health Service is faced with one crucial challenge in the fight against tumors: While the number of oncologists is increasing, that of oncological surgeons is decreasing, creating a potential imbalance in the management of oncological patients. The data released by Istat on February 4, 2025on the occasion of the World Cancer Day, highlight a worrying reality for the national health system.
Istat data on surgeons and oncological doctors
As reported by Istat, in 2024, The number of oncologists in Italy has risen to 5,050with an increase of 14.1% compared to 2023 However, the situation appears very different for surgeonsincluding specializing in oncological surgery, which they dropped to 8,787 units in 2024, with a 4.6% reduction compared to the previous year.
An even more alarming data is aging of the category: in 2024, 58.7% of oncological surgeons are more than 54 years old, compared to 54% in 2023. This means that in the coming years the number of specialists could be reduced further for retirements, without an adequate turnover of new professionals.
Such as the risks for the health sector
The reduction of the number of oncological surgeons risks extend the waiting times For surgical interventions and to put pressure on the hospital structures already burdened by personnel deficiencies.
This trend raises questions about health planning policies and the ability of the system guarantee timely and effective treatments. Especially if you take into account that, in the meantime, the number of deaths for malignant and non -evil tumors was 174,566 in 2024, a figure that confirms the importance of an efficient and reactive health system in the diagnosis and care of cancer.
For many neoplasms, in fact, the timeliness of the operation is crucial to improve the possibilities of survival and reduce the risk of metastases.
In addition, with a reduction in the number of specialists, surgeons in activity will have to manage a major workloadwith the risk of stress, burnout and, consequently, the increase in possible errors due to pressure and tiredness. This could compromise the quality of interventions and post-operative management.
As if that were not enough, the fact that 58.7% of oncological surgeons are more than 54 years old indicates that in the coming years they will occur numerous retirements. Without an adequate turnover of young specialists, the system may find itself dealing with a further deficiency of qualified surgical staff.
The Regions with a few health resources They could be the most affected by this crisis, increasing the gap between North and South in terms of access to cancer care. Patients of some areas may be forced to move to other regions to receive timely intervention, with additional economic and psychological costs. It is not a new phenomenon, health migration to Italy, but certainly the perspectives lead to thinking that numbers could increase and the situation worsen.
If the decrease in oncological surgeons will not be addressed with concrete measures, the health sector is likely to be in one crisis difficult to managewith direct consequences on the health of oncological patients and on the overall estate of the hospital system.
