Harney seeks EU support for total ban on sunbeds
Skin cancer rates prompt move
Cycling legend and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, the founder and chairman of Livestrong, speaks yesterday at the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit at the RDS in Dublin.
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Tuesday August 25 2009
SUNBEDS may be banned in Ireland if a new European Union law is approved.
Legislation is already being drawn up to prevent children using tanning beds after the World Health Organisation (WHO) decided in July that they be ranked at the highest danger level.
The WHO warned that sunbeds were as harmful to health as cigarettes. Legislation to protect children is being finalised -- however it has now emerged that it may be extended to include a ban on adult usage.
Health Minister Mary Harney said she has asked officials to probe whether there can be a total ban of the devices, which are used by 6pc of people in this country. But she said it was yet unclear if this complete ban can be achieved without the permission of the EU.
"It's a no-brainer -- we have a huge level of skin cancer in Ireland," she said at the first Livestrong global cancer summit in Dublin, which was instigated by the group founded by champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong.
Cancer is on course to become the world's main causes of death next year unless urgent action is taken at a global level. A patient is diagnosed with cancer every half hour in Ireland, and incidences are rising. While cases here are increasing, the consolation is that survival rates are also rising in line with other developed countries. However, Ireland still lags behind the best in Europe for cancer survival.
Elsewhere in many developing countries, with poorly resourced health systems, cancer remains a death sentence, the summit attended by 500 delegates was told.
More than half of new cancer cases, and nearly two-thirds of deaths, are recorded in developing countries.
Stigma
Patients with the disease also face stigma and are victim to myths that cancer is contagious.
Experts said one of the reasons cancer is rising is because we are living longer. The older we live, the more likely we are to develop the disease.
Dr Christopher Wild, of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said that although around 60pc of cancer can be prevented, there are still many unknowns surrounding common forms of the disease, including bowel and prostate cancer.
A report launched at the summit estimated that around $217bn (€152bn) more should be spent worldwide to ensure all countries are on par with those which have the lowest death rates from the disease. There was also a call for greater action by governments in the developing world and the United Nations to tackle the rise in cancer.
Only 5pc of global resources are spent on preventing the disease in these countries.
The report from the Economist Intelligence Unit estimated the direct and indirect costs of 15,396 of the most common cancers diagnosed in Ireland this year will be more than €419m ($629m).
Asked about the progress in transferring breast cancer services to the eight specialist cancer hospitals, Ms Harney said just two remain unmoved -- services in Tallaght Hospital which will happen in the coming weeks and those in the South Infirmary before the end of the year. She said she expected the reorganisation of services for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer to gather pace in the coming months. She also said she expects progress in lung cancer care by the end of the year.
Around 30pc of women -- mostly from lower socio-economic groups -- are still not taking up invitations for free breast cancer screening under Breastcheck and there was a continuing need to raise awareness, she added.
- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
