The Irish Cancer Society has responded to the publication of the National Cancer Registry’s (NCRI) Cancer Incidence Projections 2020-2045 report published today by demanding urgent action that could save thousands of lives in the years ahead.
The report, which is an expansion on figures published in November 2018, shows what cancer in Ireland will likely look like in the decades ahead.
CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, Averil Power said :“We are facing a future where one in two of us will get cancer. Although this fact is frightening, we have been given an opportunity to plan and invest in cancer services so that people are diagnosed early, treated quickly and know how to reduce their risk of getting cancer. Our existing cancer services are buckling under current pressure, the Government needs to make investment now to meet the huge surge in demand of the future.
The NCRI report shows that demand for surgery will increase by almost 8,000 patients a year, demand for radiotherapy will increase by 5,500 patients a year and demand for chemotherapy will increase by 4,500 patients a year. We already have a situation where the surgical and radiotherapy interim targets in the National Cancer Strategy are not being met. According to the HSE’s 2019 National Services Plan, ‘the National Cancer Control Programme allocation for 2019 will not enable the service to match referral demands in areas such as radiotherapy, rapid access cancer clinics and diagnostics. These significant spikes in future demand for cancer treatment are warning signals which Government needs to respond to with concrete actions."
She said:“We also need to invest in our diagnostic services to catch cancer earlier when it is more treatable. However, we are already in a situation where the system is unable to cope with the current demand. According to the HSE’s 2019 National Services Plan, ‘the National Cancer Control Programme allocation for 2019 will not enable the service to match referral demands in areas such as radiotherapy, rapid access cancer clinics and diagnostics’.
She said:“We are already looking at a situation where we can’t meet current demand because of lack of government funding and resources. This paints a worrying picture for the cancer patients of the future.
She said:“As well as investment in cancer services, we need to build on our health successes and redouble our efforts in health promotion and cancer prevention. Four in ten cancers are potentially preventable. The hard fought declines in smoking rates are stagnating, and there is much we can do to prevent other cancers, such as those of the skin, so as a society we cannot afford to be complacent. We can all reduce our risk of getting cancer by being more careful in the sun, exercising, watching how much we eat and limiting our alcohol intake. The HPV vaccine also gives us an incredible opportunity to virtually eliminate cervical cancer.
“Together, these actions could save thousands of lives in the years ahead”, she concluded.
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