West must wake up on breast cancer

“The Government needs to get real about cancer.” That’s according to a local support group after statistics this week revealed the breast cancer survival rate in the West of Ireland was lower than all other areas of the country.

The National Healthcare Quality Reporting System’s annual report showed that the survival rate from breast cancer in the West was 80 per cent – compared to 86.6 per cent in the South; 86.3 per cent in Dublin and mid-Leinster; and 85.9 per cent in the North East.

Director of Services at the Ballinasloe-based East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support, Jacqueline Daly, said that one of the biggest issues facing those with cancer in the West was a lack of resources and infrastructure.

“What was a waiting room in UHG is now a treatment room, and each nurse that’s there only has two hands,” said Ms Daly.

“Cancer doesn’t care about geography – everyone in Ireland should be given the same chance,” she continued, adding that the care provided by staff in UHG and Portiuncula “could not be faulted” – but it was the lack of staff that was the problem.

TD for Galway East and Minister of State Seán Canney has called on the Minister for Health to urgently launch a full investigation to identify why breast cancer survival rates were lower in the West.

“It is not acceptable that we have poorer outcomes for patients and we need to find out why,” said Minister Canney.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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