ELAS warns of oncology drug withdrawals in Greece

The ELAS organization has issued a warning regarding the consecutive withdrawal of innovative oncology drugs from the Greek healthcare system. The most recent withdrawal involves a treatment for breast cancer, following at least four other oncology therapies removed in recent months, including medications for metastatic colorectal cancer and hematological cancers.

ELAS stated that these treatments remain available in other European countries but are no longer accessible in Greece. The organization criticized current policies for placing extreme pressure on drug costs without increasing public funding, arguing that this approach deprives patients of their right to access the best available treatments. ELAS called on the government to take responsibility and ensure continuity of care for patients currently undergoing treatment, emphasizing that healthcare should not be treated merely as a cost to be compressed.