The national breast cancer screening programme will begin in September, according to the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen. It is expected to reduce premature deaths from the disease by 25 per cent.
The programme will begin on a phased basis in the Eastern, North Eastern and Midlands Health Board areas, aimed at 120,000 women aged 50 to 64 years. The full programme is expected to be in place by the new millennium.
Two centres are to be opened in Dublin where a high level of expertise will be built up to deal with diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, which causes 640 deaths per annum. Two mobile units will operate outside Dublin.
Dr Sheelah Ryan, chairwoman of the National Steering Committee for the Breast Cancer Screening Programme, said these centres would be "one-stop-shops" for women.
"The whole effectiveness of the programme depends on keeping up the expertise. Every X-ray will be seen at those two centres. There will be a team discussion about every possible lump or lesion with a surgeon, oncologist and a pathologist. It will be like a high street well woman centre associated with women coming for screening and staying healthy," said Dr Ryan.
She was speaking at an information seminar on the programme yesterday in Dublin. She said Ireland was different from other countries because it did not have a "single unique identifier" such as a national ID number to identify women in the target group.
The biggest task for those involved was to set up a population register and design a database. Once new legislation was introduced agencies such as the VHI, BUPA and the GMS would be able to give the names of women in the target group.
For every 1,000 women screened, she said, about six would be asked back for further examination and up to four would have cancer.