Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being present to discuss this issue. One of the first Topical Issues I raised here, with my colleague, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, regarded an extension of BreastCheck, the national screening programme to detect breast cancer among women. At the time, women aged between 50 and 64 could avail of this programme, but there was evidence that women from the ages of 64 to 69 were also at quite a high risk.

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The figures show that 87 women's lives would be saved a year if this was introduced. Thankfully, in last October's budget, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, agreed to this change and to extend it. No doubt by the end of the year or next year, the figures will show that countless lives will be saved.

We also have a screening programme called CervicalCheck for young women. At the age of 25, they receive a letter - it is something I received - to tell them that they can avail of a free smear test to check for cervical cancer. Sometimes young women can be shy or nervous about doing this, but when one gets a letter to say that the service is there, that it is free to avail of and that other young women of the same age are availing of it, one is more likely to go. These two services, combined with raising awareness on a national scale, will continue to save lives.

We have begun to talk about cancer a lot more in recent years than we have done in the past. It is not the secret that people kept a long time ago and the more we talk about it, the more we raise awareness.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in Ireland, apart from non-melanoma skin cancer which is a non-invasive cancer. Some 29% of all men diagnosed with cancer have a diagnosis of prostate cancer. It can be detected by a simple blood test. As with most cancers, if one diagnoses it early the likelihood of beating the disease and making a full recovery is extremely high.

However, sometimes men are reluctant to visit GPs. I hope men do not mind me saying this, but sometimes they have to be on their death-bed before they go to a GP or before their other half or a family member makes them go. If it were part of a screening programme and if they were to receive a letter to encourage them to go, it might encourage more men to do so. For example, a couple of weeks ago a gentleman in my constituency - he is not somebody who I would know - had a two-page article in the local newspaper essentially telling his story. He was 57 years old when he found out he had prostate cancer and it tore his world apart. He managed to survive it. One point he made with which I would agree is that there was no national programme to encourage men. There is advice but if men were to receive a letter through the door stating the service is there for them to avail of, they would be more likely to take it on board.

According to the statistics, over 3,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Sadly, approximately 500 of those will lose their lives. A startling figure is that 11% of all cancer deaths in Ireland are those of prostate patients.

I would ask the Minister to look at this. Previous studies have shown that there is not sufficient evidence to recommend the introductory programme but if one were to look at further figures, one in 10,000 men under the age of 40, one in 38 aged between 40 to 59, and one in 14 for ages 60 to 69 will be diagnosed. If one thinks of one's grandfather, father, brothers, uncles, cousins and neighbours and work colleagues, the likelihood is high of one, two or many more of those having prostate cancer in a couple of years' time and I do not see how introducing a screening programme that could detect this early would do any harm. Somebody stated it would do more harm than good but I do not see how that would be the case. This is an extremely important issue. CervicalCheck and BreastCheck have saved lives and I think we need something similar for men.

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