Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the publication of the report by the National Cancer Registry on survival patterns of care. The report cover the period up to 2001, some six years ago. It shows improvements in survival rates for breast, colorectal and prostate cancers but not for lung cancer at national level during that time. It shows improvements in all regions for breast and prostate cancers and in most regions for colorectal and lung cancers. There is no doubt that there are regional disparities in cancer survival rates. The cancer strategy published last year, which was welcomed by all the stakeholders, is designed fundamentally to change that. One of the major objectives of that strategy is to improve the outcomes for cancer patients in every region.

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