Families with a history of cancer are being exposed because of the underfunding of cancer risk-assessment clinics, a conference was told yesterday.
Prof Andrew Greene, professor of genetics at UCD and a director of the National Centre for Medical Genetics, said the Health Service Executive (HSE) should make high-quality family cancer risk-assessment clinics a priority when they are considering resourcing the proposed eight new cancer care centres.
Between 5 and 10 per cent of three of the commonest forms of cancer (breast, ovarian and colon) are of a hereditary nature. They account for 180 cases of breast cancer, 100 cases of colon cancer and 30 cases of ovarian cancer each year in Ireland.
Currently families are referred to risk-assessment clinics at some of the biggest teaching hospitals in Dublin and Cork, while potential high-risk individuals are referred to the National Centre for Medical Genetics at Our Lady's hospital in Crumlin.
At the Irish Cancer Society conference on cancer risk-assessment in Stillorgan yesterday, Prof Greene said: "People who carry cancer predisposition genes are at significant risk of developing cancer and some women may opt for prophylactic surgery such as mastectomy.
He added: "There are too few genetic nurses working these risk-assessment clinics and the hereditary cancer service in the National Centre for Medical Genetics is also understaffed."
