A senior medical consultant has called on the Minister for Health, Micheál Martin TD, to set out a timetable for the extension of BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme.
Dr John Kennedy, speaking at the launch of the Irish Cancer Society's Action Breast Cancerawareness project, said screening can help the detection of breast cancer at an early stage.
Dr Kennedy, who is a Consultant Medical Oncologist in the Breast Unit at St James’s Hospital, said women in many parts of the country are still waiting for the setting up of a proper centre of excellence in their area and that women with breast cancer "had a right to be treated in a specialist breast unit."
Calling for the extension of BreastCheck, Dr Kennedy called for the full establishment by the health boards of the thirteen Government approved specialist breast units around the country.
Today's launch of the Action Breast Cancerproject marked the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month which takes place in October.
More than 50 breast cancer survivors attended the launch, at which the campaign’s Project Leader, Ms Abby Langtry, called on women to be more aware of the disease and said they should go to their GP if changes are noticed and when possible, to BreastCheck.
Some 3,000 calls have been received by the Action Breast Cancer Helpline since its launch last year. Some 60 per cent of calls analysed were made by women who were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Action Breast Cancer’s campaign is operating a mobile information unit which will bring the message of early detection to the community in every county.
The ‘All About Cancer Awareness’ tour will be staffed by health promotion nurses who will give advice about cancer.
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