At Global Voices in Renal Oncology (VIRO) 2025, organized by OncoDaily, Dr. Kleida Mati , Medical Oncologist at Albania American Hospital, delivered an insightful talk on “The Current State of Renal Oncology in Albania.”
She highlighted the absence of a national cancer registry, which leaves kidney cancer patients statistically “invisible” and makes it difficult to measure incidence, survival, and treatment outcomes. Dr. Mati explained that rising risk factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are expected to increase the burden of kidney cancer in the years ahead.
Access challenges further complicate care, as patients from remote regions face long travel times, delayed diagnosis, and inequities in treatment availability. While global standards in renal cancer care now include immunotherapy and targeted combinations, Albania remains limited to a small number of reimbursed TKIs, with modern therapies largely inaccessible through the public system. Dr. Mati closed by stressing that progress in Albania depends on strengthening cancer registries, decentralizing multidisciplinary care, and ensuring equitable access to the full spectrum of therapies so that patients can benefit from advances achieved worldwide.
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