Reorganised cancer services lead to speedier diagnoses
Positive Outlook - Five-year cancer survival rates 2002-2006: Lung - 11.7pc, Prostate - 87.2pc, Leukaemia - 54.6pc, Melanoma - 87.2pc.
Monday August 30 2010
The number of women with possible symptoms of breast cancer in need of urgent assessment who are seen within a two-week deadline is now as high as 95.6pc, according to new figures.
The eight hospitals now offering specialist breast cancer services have been told they should see 95pc of these "urgent referrals" in two weeks.
The figures for May show this target was exceeded but the success rate fell during the winter months and was at 93.5pc in January, 84pc in February and 82pc in March.
It meant that 432 women with symptoms that needed to be checked were not seen within the two-week time frame during those three months, when hospitals were under pressure due to admissions from emergency departments.
Women who are deemed non-urgent should be given an appointment within 12 weeks and the target for hospitals is again 95pc.
Hospitals have consistently met this deadline and in May 98.1pc of these women were seen within 12 weeks.
The figures from the National Cancer Control Programme also show that all women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer are now treated in one of the eight designated hospitals.
The most recent figures are good news for breast cancer patients and demonstrate that the reorganisation of services allowed faster and quicker access to diagnosis and treatment plans.
Dr Susan O'Reilly, from Canada, takes over as the new Director of Cancer Control from next month, the post previously held by Tom Keane.
Her task will be to sustain the improvements in breast cancer care and also extend the changes to enhance the survival rates of patients with other forms of the disease.
The director's office said that financial allocations for lung and prostate cancer care have been made to the eight hospitals and rapid access diagnostics are being set up with referral guidelines for doctors.
However the cancer care programme is not expected to escape the financial squeeze to be imposed on health spending in the next budget.
The most recent report from the National Cancer Registry showed that the number of Irish patients surviving at least five years after being diagnosed with the most common cancers is on the rise.
Progress in achieving survival rates in some forms of the illness are better than others but significant improvements have been seen in cancers of the prostate, breast, bowel and skin.
More screening, earlier detection, as well as access to more treatments and specialists are among the reasons for the improved prognosis. Survival for breast cancer patients was 80.6pc, compared to 74.2pc in the earlier years, and these was also a better chance of lung cancer patients being alive five years after diagnosis, up from 10.1pc to 11.7pc.
- Eilish O'Regan
Irish Independent
