Latest news with #NationalCancerStrategy
The Irish Sun
20-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Ireland's cancer care postcode lottery laid bare as lives put at risk with new person diagnosed with disease every 3mins
A POSTCODE lottery exists for patients accessing cancer care, it has emerged. New data shows huge variations in tests and treatment across Ireland, meaning where you live can significantly impact how quickly you're diagnosed, and start treatment. 3 The postcode lottery is putting cancer patients at risk Credit: Getty Nationally, only 74.2 per cent of men got their prostate rapid access clinic appointment within 20 working days – below the 90 per cent target. This dropped as low as 12.7 per cent in Major regional variance was also seen in breast and lung Some 96.6 per cent of But this was down to just 62 per cent for Irish Cancer Society chief Averil Power warns there is no question these delays are causing avoidable deaths and that this postcode EVERY three minutes someone in Ireland learns they have cancer. One in two of us are now expected to get the disease in our lifetime. When you, or someone you love, receives that devastating news, you deserve the best possible chance of surviving the disease. Sadly, right now in Ireland, many people are not getting that chance. The major symptoms of 'common cancer' as HSE say 'know the signs' In cancer care, time can be everything. For many cancers, your chances of survival at stage one are 80 per cent or more. TIME MATTERS But by stage four, that can drop to less than 20 per cent. So early detection and treatment can literally be the difference between life and death. That is why target waiting times for cancer tests and treatment are set out in the National Cancer Strategy. However, WAITING FOR TESTS Many patients are waiting much longer than they should to access tests for breast and prostate cancer. Imagine being told by your This was the experience of one woman referred for an urgent breast assessment at the Mater Hospital in Dublin. Nationally, almost one in four women referred for urgent testing at Breast Rapid Access Clinics were not seen within the 10-day target. At the Mater, seven out of ten patients were not seen on time. Three other hospitals dropped below five in ten for at least four months last year. One in four patients nationally waited longer than they should have for their first appointment at a Prostate Rapid Access Clinic. At Galway University Hospital, only 13 per cent of patients accessed the prostate clinic on time. Access to cancer care and diagnostics should not be a postcode lottery. In Ireland, it is. CHEMOTHERAPY DELAYS If you are in the west or north-west of the country, you are far more likely to wait longer than you should for access to chemotherapy. The longest waiting times were in Letterkenny University Hospital, where on average only 20 per cent of patients started their treatment on time. In some months, nobody did. The situation has improved, but it is not acceptable that it became this bad. RADIOTHERAPY DELAYS The longest waiting times for radiotherapy were in the east of the country. Ninety per cent of patients should start radiation oncology treatment within 15 working days. In public hospitals across Ireland, just 66 per cent of patients did. In St Luke's in Dublin, only 62 per cent started on time. PUTTING LIVES AT RISK These waiting times are not only causing enormous anxiety for patients and In fact, the INADEQUATE STAFFING, EQUIPMENT AND SPACE For cancer services to function effectively, they need three things – staff, equipment and physical space. Most cancer centres are struggling with at least one of those. Our hospitals are staffed with incredible doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. They are working hard to deliver the best care they can. However, there are simply not enough of them. Equipment is a problem too. There is no PET scanner in our public hospitals in Galway, Limerick or Waterford. Some of the radiotherapy machines in Dublin are seven years past their useful life and are often out of service. While many welcome extensions have been added at some hospitals, others are half the size they need to be. INVESTMENT It must also deliver increased investment in cancer staffing in the next year's If the current coalition runs its full term, almost a quarter of a million people will hear the words 'you have cancer' under its watch. They must invest to ensure that more of us receive the words the Irish Cancer Society believes that everyone should hear: 'You will survive.' 3 One person learns they have cancer every three minutes in Ireland Credit: Getty 3 Irish Cancer Society chief Averil Power said delays are causing avoidable deaths Credit: Fennell Photography
Irish Examiner
09-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Women waiting six months for scan to diagnosis breast cancer, says senator
Women with suspected breast cancer are waiting up to six months for diagnosis scans in some cases, Senator Teresa Costello has warned. She called for action on 'systemic failures' revealed in a report by the Irish Cancer Society which identified gaps in care around the country as some patients with breast, lung or prostate cancer face far longer waits than others depending on where they live. They found that tests at rapid access clinics that would have been performed on the first appointment date are increasingly spread over a longer period. Ms Costello was successfully treated for breast cancer over a decade ago aged just 36. However she said the stories she hears now are worrying. 'I presented and I got a mammogram, a biopsy and an ultrasound that day, but fast forward to now and I'm speaking to girls who are waiting and waiting,' Ms Costello said. She added: 'When they get to the clinic, they are being seen by a nurse and told 'we'll send you for a scan and get back to with an appointment'. Some of the girls have been waiting six months for that appointment. She pointed out early diagnosis is crucial in all cancers, especially for younger women not captured in the national screening programme. That starts at 50. 'Now breast cancer in younger women is actually more aggressive, so I just don't understand the delays,' she said. 'I don't know why these appointments can't be scheduled together. I think it's a systematic failure and I've raised this before.' Responding to the report by the Irish Cancer Society, the Labour Party called for urgent action from the Government. 'The Irish Cancer Society has clearly outlined the causes of these delays: a shortage of cancer professionals, a lack of cover for staff on leave, and equipment that is years beyond its usable life,' health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said. 'Incredibly, some public cancer centres like Galway, Waterford and Limerick don't even have access to PET scanners.' The HSE pointed to improvements in care despite the obstacles, saying: 'Today, over 220,000 people in Ireland are living with or after cancer, which is a 50% increase compared to a decade ago.' However they also said: 'To sustain this progress, consistency and assurance around future funding would be helpful. This would enable forward planning, capacity-building and strategic implementation of the National Cancer Strategy.' Read More Call for publicly funded medication for breast cancer survivors who cannot take HRT
RTÉ News
08-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Variations in cancer care causing avoidable deaths
The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has said there are shocking variations across the country in terms of access to cancer tests and treatments. It said this is causing avoidable deaths. It said that new data identifies major variation in access to life-saving chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment and delays for patients who have been referred for urgent breast and prostate tests. Dr Michael McCarthy, President of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, and consultant oncologist at University Hospital Galway, said that working in the West of Ireland, he sees the human cost of the postcode lottery in Irish cancer care every day. He said that once chemotherapy is prescribed, the National Cancer Strategy states that it should start within 15 working days. Dr McCarthy said the reality in Galway is that patients are now typically waiting seven to eight weeks for their first session. He added that with every week that passes, the risk increases that their cancer will grow, or worse it will spread to other parts of their body. He said that the system does not have enough staff, space or equipment to cope and patients are paying the price. Investment impacting cancer care and outcomes The HSE said that investment is having a real and measurable impact on access to cancer care and outcomes. It added that the service is committed to ensuring all patients get timely and equitable access to cancer treatment. ICS chief executive, Averil Power said that a person's chances of surviving cancer are up to four times higher when treated at Stage 1 than at Stage 4. The ICS said that some radiotherapy equipment with a useful life of 10 years is now 17 years old and subject to significantly more downtime for maintenance and repairs as a result. It said there are no PET scanners in the public cancer centres in Galway, Waterford or Limerick. The Society said there are big variations in waiting times for patients to be seen at rapid access clinics for urgent symptomatic breast disease, urgent lung and prostate cases. Nationally from March 2024-February 2025, it said that only just over 73% of patients got their first appointment within the recommended time frame. It added that the HSE Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) only record the patient's waiting for a first appointment at the Rapid Access Clinics, not how long they have to wait for diagnostic tests to determine if they have cancer. The Society said that increasingly, tests that would have been performed on the first appointment date are not now taking place until weeks or months later. Cancer survival rates improving - HSE In response to the ICS statement, the HSE said that cancer survival is improving and that more people are living after cancer than ever before. It added that today over 220,000 people here are living with or after cancer, which is a 50% increase compared with a decade ago. The HSE said that during the lifetime of the current National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026, the National Cancer Control Programme has allocated around €90m for the development of services, including €20m for new services this year and next year. The HSE said this has supported the created the creation of 800 wholetime posts across the public cancer services, including 12 consultants, 300 nurses and 300 health and social care professionals. Around 40,000 cancers or related tumours are diagnosed here each year. The overall burden of cancer in Ireland is increasing, particularly due to population growth and ageing.
Irish Examiner
08-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Delays in cancer treatment are 'causing avoidable deaths', Irish Cancer Society warns
Delays in cancer care for breast, lung, and prostate patients are causing avoidable deaths, with patients in some counties much more impacted than others, the Irish Cancer Society has warned. Its analysis of new data from the National Cancer Control Programme shows, for the first time, differences between cancer centres. The target for referrals to Urgent Symptomatic Breast Disease Clinics is to have 95% seen within 10 days. However just 76.3% of referrals hit this between March last year and February this year. In addition Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power warned of regional differences. In Letterkenny the rate was 59.8% with a low of 5% in December 2024. This compares with Limerick where 97% were seen and 100% in Waterford. "Research published in the British Medical Journal has found that every four-week delay in starting cancer treatment can increase mortality by 10%. So, there is no question that these delays are causing avoidable deaths," she warned. Source: Irish Cancer Society. Source: Irish Cancer Society. Almost all men diagnosed with prostate cancer at stage one will survive but only half of those diagnosed at stage four. The data shows variations even within strong-performing sites. Monthly data shows while Cork reached 82.8% of these patients referred to rapid access clinics during all of last year, this dropped to 21.9% in August last year. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Ireland. In four sites they missed the target by small numbers, and each linked this to capacity issues. One - Waterford – said it was a data issue. Dr Michael McCarthy, Irish Society of Medical Oncology president and consultant medical oncologist in Galway warned: "I see the human cost of the postcode lottery in Irish cancer care every day. Once chemotherapy is prescribed, the National Cancer Strategy states that it should start within 15 working days. The reality in Galway is that patients are now typically waiting seven to eight weeks for their first session. Over 96% of Waterford patients started radiotherapy within target times, delivered in the private UPMC Whitfield hospital. Funding to upgrade ageing equipment and build more units is vital for Budget 2026, the cancer society urged. In Tralee, it highlighted a plan to build a dedicated cancer unit that was signed off on in December 2023 but has not started. In Limerick, it called for greater urgency in buying a PET scanner and for Cork more radiology facilities and equipment. Other feedback indicated shortages of GPs in the community as well as of nurses, radiologists, consultants and radiation therapists in hospitals. Source: Irish Cancer Society. When Ziva Cussen, 23, went to her GP in early 2023 with breast cancer concerns, she was referred to a symptomatic breast clinic within five weeks. Then, however, she said: 'I think I got lost in the system." In July she was given an ultrasound appointment for October. 'I was left waiting seven and a half months for an ultrasound,' she said. Ziva Cussen, Drogheda, was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer aged 21 in 2023. She faced a delay of 7.5 months in getting an ultrasound, and she questions if this impacted her. 'It's a crazy amount of time to be left waiting for a scan that literally could have been done on the day. It's less than 10 minutes, that scan.' She is now undergoing treatment for advanced breast cancer. 'There's just a lot of delays in the system,' she said. 'And being told 'we're under resourced, and not enough staff' — that's not a good enough reason, I think. People can be left waiting seven and a half months, it's costing people their lives.' Ms Cussen is a co-founder of 'Too Young to be Heard'. They want the age of public breast screening to be lowered among other age-related reforms. The data was shared with the Irish Cancer Society through the Regional Health Forum South and Cllr Roger Kennedy. The HSE National Cancer Control Programme, in response to these concerns, called for certainty around funding to support services. It highlighted reforms already started, but said: 'To sustain this progress, consistency and assurance around future funding would be helpful. 'The HSE recognises the critical importance of early intervention and the impact that delays can have on patients and their families.' Cancer survival is improving in Ireland, a spokeswoman added. 'Today, over 220,000 people in Ireland are living with or after cancer, which is a 50% increase compared to a decade ago," she said. The Cancer Strategy (2017 to 2026) allocated €90m for services development, including hiring the equivalent of 800 full-time workers. A spokesman for HSE Midwest including UHL said plans for a PET scanner are being developed, 'subject to funding availability in 2025/2026". The cancer centre has improved access to the Breast Unit with additional waiting list clinics. An increase in delays last year in accessing systemic therapy was due to a rise in demand, coupled with staffing challenges. 'The recruitment of additional staff has had a positive impact on treatment times. Six consultant oncologists are now in post,' he said. A new system for all cancer patients means a faster start to treatment, he added. 'Data for May 2025 shows 87% of patients commenced treatment within 15 working days,' he said. The nine who did not start on time were either too sick or delayed for other personal reasons. Recruitment is also continuing across HSE Southwest for Cork and Kerry. It shortlisted 18 radiation therapists in June for CUH to fill 11.5 full-time roles. Read More Extending bowel cancer screening to over 50s would reduce deaths but cost up to €66m, Hiqa says
Irish Examiner
01-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Every three minutes in Ireland someone is told they have cancer, says Irish Cancer Society
Someone hears they have got cancer every three minutes in Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society has warned, as it called for at least €20m in new recurrent funding for the National Cancer Strategy next year. Sunscreen dispensers should be funded for all public spaces so everyone can access this expensive but vital protection against skin cancer, it also urged. Connected to this, it called for a national awareness campaign on the risks linked with using sunbeds. Playgrounds, creches, and schools need support to build shade structures in outdoor spaces to help children stay safe as temperatures rise. The society's pre-budget submission also calls for a 5% increase in the HSE's capital budget. This would support it in building more cancer wards, surgery theatres, endoscopy units, and upgrade scanning equipment. CEO Averil Power warned these changes and many others, including better funding for the society, are needed to address the rising need for cancer care in Ireland. 'The OECD and European Commission country cancer profile for Ireland shows that Irish people are more likely to get – and die – from cancer in Ireland than in many other European countries,' she said. 'We have the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the EU, and the third-highest cancer mortality rate in western Europe. These shocking statistics must serve as a wake-up call to Government.' Averil Power: 'We have the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the EU, and the third-highest cancer mortality rate in western Europe.' Picture Andres Poveda The society's county-level data shows in Cork during 2023, some 3,208 people were diagnosed with cancer and 1,164 people died. In Kerry there were 919 new diagnoses and 373 deaths from cancer. In Limerick, some 1,051 new cancer diagnoses were made and 447 cancer patients died. Across Tipperary, 925 new diagnoses were made and 405 cancer patients died. In Waterford, there were 699 new cancer diagnoses and 315 deaths, while there were 653 new diagnoses in Clare and 281 deaths from cancer during 2023. More supports are also needed from the Department of Social Protection to help with the costs of cancer and changed living circumstances, the submission said. This should include automatic entitlement to supports such as the household benefits package for cancer patients with a terminal diagnosis. The criteria for getting the Partial Capacity Benefit should be expanded to make it easier for employers to allow to people return to work in a phased manner.
