During 2025, around 14.000 surgical interventions were performed for benign and malignant tumors, of which around 8.000 were for in-situ cancer or suspected cancer, the director of the Health Insurance Fund (FSSH), Sasho Klekovski, emphasized today.
At the press conference on the occasion of World Cancer Day - February 4, Klekovski presented data on early detection, surgical interventions and innovations in diagnostics and therapy. The Director of the FSSH emphasized that last year the focus was on strengthening early detection through the supply of equipment and increasing the number of checks.
"Complete interventions, breast checks, including mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, biopsy, were performed over 13.000 in 2025. Endoscopy, including rectoscopy, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, were performed around 18.000 in total, with what I can say is that we are not satisfied with the number of colonoscopies performed, considering that all citizens over 50 years of age should have a preventive colonoscopy and I encourage all adults to do so," said Klekovski.
According to FSSH data, a total of 17.581 endoscopic examinations were performed in 2025, of which 7.096 were colonoscopies and 9.807 were gastroscopies. In the field of breast diagnostics, a total of 13.042 services were performed, dominated by mammograms with 7.076 examinations.
Klekovski emphasized that significant progress has been achieved in pathology and molecular diagnostics, with increased budgets for the Institute of Pathology and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Macedonia (ASHM), as well as the inclusion of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMN) in the network. Despite the new hirings and four separate specializations, the FSSH director warned of a serious staff deficit in the suburbs.
"Despite staffing limitations, over 20.000 histopathological analyses and around 2.000 molecular and genetic research have been conducted in the country. As an innovation, "reflex testing" is being introduced, which should significantly shorten the diagnostic time," he said.
Regarding Oncology, Klekovski informed that the budget for medicines in 2025 has increased by 70 percent compared to last year, in order to ensure continuity of therapy. He also announced the need for urgent renewal of official treatment guidelines, which date back to 2008.
In the surgical ward, statistics show that in 2025, a total of 13.993 surgeries were performed on tumors by organ system, as well as 7.907 surgeries on in-situ and suspicious neoplasms.
“This is a significant number that our surgeons in Macedonia have managed to achieve and we should give them recognition,” says Klekovski.
Asked about waiting lists and the availability of innovative therapies, Klekovski is adamant that there should be clear criteria that will apply equally to everyone. “We should not have more privileged, very privileged or privileged citizens,” the director of the Health Insurance Fund underlined.
