Stein Erik Hagen, founder of Norway’s Rimi grocery chain who went on to take over industrial firm Orkla, is donating NOK 100 million (USD 16 million) to fund research into prostate cancer. He also envisions a hospital in Norway that would specialize in prostate cancer treatment.
Hagen, who regularly ranks as one of Norway’s wealthiest men, was diagnosed with prostate cancer himself and paid for his own treatment in the US. He has said he’s worried that the mortality rate for men with prostate cancer in Norway is much higher than in the US, where around 9.5 percent die compared to 18 percent in Norway.
News bureau NTB reported that every fifth man who dies of cancer in Norway, moreover, has had prostate cancer. Hagen believes there’s a need for more research and better treatment options in the country.
newsinenglish.no staff
