Background: There is an intense debate about the cost of cancer and the value of new treatments. However, there is limited data on the cost of cancer in the European Union (EU) and how costs relate to the burden of disease. This paper presents new estimates on the development of the cost of cancer in the EU 1995–2014, with a focus on the major cost components: total health expenditure, cancer drug

In a new report, the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE) compares the cancer situation in EU28 plus Norway and Switzerland. The report builds on a previous comparative study conducted in 2005 and provides a comprehensive view of the development of cancer in Europe over the past two decades. The report shows that the number of people diagnosed with cancer continue to increase in Europe, up

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important protein for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. In this thesis the role of BDNF, in suicidal behaviour was investigated with focus on possible risk factors for suicidal behaviour such as avoidant focused coping, dysfuntional personality traits like impulsiveness and hyperactivity of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Paper I: The aBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important protein for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. In this thesis the role of BDNF, in suicidal behaviour was investigated with focus on possible risk factors for suicidal behaviour such as avoidant focused coping, dysfuntional personality traits like impulsiveness and hyperactivity of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis.Paper I: The as

Open access is a well-known externality problem in fisheries causing excess capacity and overfishing. Due to global warming, externality problems from CO2 emissions have gained increased interest. With two externality problems, a first-best optimum can be achieved by using two regulatory instruments. However, solving the open-access externality problem also affects CO2 emissions. By using a bio-ecOpen access is a well-known externality problem in fisheries causing excess capacity and overfishing. Due to global warming, externality problems from CO2 emissions have gained increased interest. With two externality problems, a first-best optimum can be achieved by using two regulatory instruments. However, solving the open-access externality problem also affects CO2 emissions. By using a bio-ec

Health care as any other public service is subject to many potentially conflicting objectives and many actors. Over time, the traditional goal of health care systems of distributive justice has been accompanied by other objectives and health care reforms have developed accordingly. One type of reform in countries with publicly funded health care has evolved around replacing monopolistic state prov

Background: Policy implementation in the context of health systems is generally difficult and the Kenyan health sector situation is not an exception. In 2005, a new health sector strategic plan that outlines the vision and the policy direction of the health sector was launched and during the same year the health sector was allocated a substantial budget increment. On basis of these indications of

Background: The choice between different attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications depends on different drug attributes. Economic evaluations of drugs often disregard the utility of other attributes compare with the drugs' efficacy. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess patient's preferences and elicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for different drug attributes in the treatment of

Reformer som fokuserar på ökad privatisering och konkurrens bland utförare och ökad valfrihet för individer(patienter, elever, brukare)har införts i svensk hälso-och sjukvård, skola och omsorg. Individer ska kunnavälja bland offentliga och privata utförare som finansieras med offentliga medel och som förväntas konkurrera om elever, patienter och brukare på en reglerad marknad–en välfärdsmarknad.I

20th century massification of higher education and research in academia is said to have produced structurally stratified higher education systems in many countries. Most manifestly, the research mission of universities appears to be divisive. Authors have claimed that the Swedish system, while formally unified, has developed into a binary state, and statistics seem to support this conclusion. This

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a heterogeneous disease with widely different outcomes. We performed a comprehensive transcriptional analysis of 460 early-stage urothelial carcinomas and showed that NMIBC can be subgrouped into three major classes with basal- and luminal-like characteristics and different clinical outcomes. Large differences in biological processes such as the cell c

Background: Presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a validated prognostic marker in metastatic breast cancer. Additional prognostic information may be obtained by morphologic characterization of CTCs. We explored whether apoptotic CTCs, CTC clusters and leukocytes attached to CTCs are associated with breast cancer subtype and prognosis at base-line (BL) and in follow-up (FU) blood samples i

Objectives: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic disease with extensive vascular involvement. The aim of this study was to investigate the cumulative incidence of large vessel involvement (LVI) in GCA, the distribution of vessels involved, and predictors for LVI. Method: Patients with biopsy-proven GCA in a defined area in southern Sweden, diagnosed between 1997 and 2010, were identified throu

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancers worldwide. Recent studies have identified cancer-initiating cells (CICs) as a subgroup of replication-competent cells in the development of colorectal cancer. Although it is understood that an inflammation-rich tumor microenvironment presumably supports CIC functions, the contributory factors are not very well defined. The pr

Objective: Changes in medical education have resulted in less available time for plastic surgery, which might jeopardise the availability of plastic surgery for patients. The aims of this study were to investigate the level of knowledge within and attitudes towards plastic surgery among medical students, and find predictors for a wish to pursue a career in plastic surgery. Methods: A previously us