Screening programmes for a range of cancers need to be rolled out across the State to ensure early detection of more cases of the disease and to improve survival rates, according to a report published yesterday.
The report from the National Cancer Forum recommends breast-cancer screening be extended to include all women aged between 50 and 69. At present BreastCheck is only available in some regions and covers women from 50-64.
It also says a cervical-screening programme should be rolled out nationally as quickly as possible. This screening has been provided on a pilot basis in the midwest since 2000 but has not been extended nationwide.
The forum, which has devised the latest strategy for cancer control in the State from now until 2015, also calls for a colo-rectal screening programme to be established for men and women.
Colo-rectal cancer is now the second most common cancer in the State after skin cancer and is "a serious public health problem", according to the report. About 1,800 cases of this cancer are diagnosed every year.
However, the forum concludes there is insufficient evidence to recommend the introduction of a national prostate-cancer screening programme. Much of the screening provided at present, particularly cervical screening, is availed of on an opportunistic basis with patients deciding themselves to present to their GPs for smear tests.
However, the forum report cautions against this form of testing, saying it "does not carry the benefits of organised population-based screening and may actually be injurious to health".
It continues: "Opportunistic testing for cancer among asymptomatic people is therefore not recommended. However, it is recognised that there is a considerable volume of opportunistic testing taking place at present.
"Patients should not undergo such testing unless they and their attending health professionals both know and understand its significant limitations".
The document from the forum, which is the national advisory body on cancer policy to the Minister for Health and includes among its members many eminent cancer specialists, also focuses on measures which should be taken to prevent cancer.
It says the World Health Organisation has produced clear evidence that public health action by governments and the promotion of healthy lifestyles could prevent as many as a third of cancers worldwide.
Lifestyle issues which need to be tackled, it says, are smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity.
It recommends that excise duty on cigarettes be substantially increased each year above the rate of inflation as evidence shows the most effective measure against smoking in the short term consists of sharp price increases. Tobacco use accounts for almost a third of all cancer deaths, it says.
Nicotine replacement therapy should be made available free of charge to all medical card holders, it says, and it calls for the recommendations of the 2002 report from the strategic task force on alcohol and the 2005 report from the national obesity taskforce to be implemented.
The report says one in three Irish people will develop invasive cancer and one in four will die from it.
Minister for Health Mary Harney has said a national cancer screening board will be set up to be responsible for delivering all required cancer screening programmes. BreastCheck, she added, would be rolled out nationally next year and her goal was to have a national cervical screening programme by 2008.