A NATIONAL bowel cancer screening programme would result in a 36 per cent reduction in deaths from the disease, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has predicted.
The authority and the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) yesterday launched related reports recommending screening for all men and women aged 55 to 74. Dr Patricia Harrington of Hiqa said the recommended programme “would result in a 14.7 per cent reduction in the incidence and 36 per cent reduction in mortality from colorectal cancer”.
She said a decision regarding the implementation of the recommended programme would be made by the Minister for Health Mary Harney. Ms Harney has now asked the authority to identify “innovative ways” of introducing the screening programme “within existing resources”.
She said colorectal cancer killed more than 900 people in Ireland every year. “I want to introduce a national programme of colorectal cancer screening as soon as possible,” she said.
“The expert reports confirm that a properly organised screening programme would have huge public health benefits and I want to find innovative ways of putting that in place.”
She has asked the authority to report to her by the end of September.
“I am pleased that Hiqa has agreed to use its skills and expertise to set out how the Irish healthcare system can deliver this important programme within existing resources,” she said.
The chief executive of the NCSS, Tony O’Brien, said a business plan had been compiled which could provide the foundation for a programme of the highest international standard.
“We believe there are a number of means of reducing programme implementation costs, including examining the potential integration of existing colonoscopy services, expanding the role of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner and recouping a portion of the approximate €3 million currently paid to private health insurers annually for screening related activities.”
The NCSS has recommended that four screening centres, each with two endoscopy suites, would be initially required to provide 11-12,000 colonoscopies per year.
Meanwhile, the Irish Cancer Society has offered funding towards the roll-out of a national programme.
The society’s chief executive John McCormack said a specific fundraising initiative would be undertaken to provide financial support to the Government.
“The level of support will then depend on the success of the fundraising initiative as well as our confidence that the screening programme proposed will meet the highest possible standards,” he said.
Bowel cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, after prostate cancer. After breast cancer, it is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in women.
There are about 2,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in Ireland per year.
Bowel cancer rates in Ireland rank among the highest in western Europe for both men and women, and the death rate is higher for men in Ireland than elsewhere in Europe.
