Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan for raising this issue. I know she has been a strong advocate in respect of cancer in Ireland for many years. I welcome the opportunity to speak on lung cancer. On average, 2,500 patients are diagnosed with lung cancer in Ireland annually with over 1,800 deaths each year attributable to this disease. However, much work has been done to address this. Survival rates for lung cancer are improving. In the last two decades, lung cancer five-year survival rates have increased from 8% to 16% in males and from 9% to 21% in females.

Prevention is a cornerstone of the national cancer strategy for 2017 to 2026. It is estimated that the proportion of cancers attributable to lifestyle and environmental risks that can be modified is in the region of 30% to 40%. It is vital that we are effective in getting the message across to the population that each person can impact significantly on their level of risk in developing cancer. Effective health promotion and disease prevention initiatives result in less chronic disease. The Government has already initiated policy to improve our nation's health through the Healthy Ireland programme. The Healthy Ireland programme takes a whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach to improving health and well-being with a focus on prevention. With at least 85% of lung cancer attributable to smoking, Tobacco Free Ireland, the national tobacco control strategy, is an important initiative in reducing the incidence of lung cancer in Ireland.

It has the key goal of making Ireland tobacco free by 2025. There is evidence that past changes in behaviour with regard to smoking have led to current better health for individuals and this is something which can be built on to promote further behavioural change.

Increasing the number of cancers diagnosed at an early stage is a key aspect of the cancer strategy. Cancers that are diagnosed at an earlier stage are generally more likely to lead to better treatment options and improve survival outcomes. Raising awareness in people that unusual or persistent symptoms need to be checked out is a critical step in the early diagnoses of cancers.

Recommendation seven of the national cancer strategy states that the HSE national cancer control programme, in partnership with the HSE's health and well-being directorate and voluntary sector, will develop a rolling programme of public awareness campaigns aimed at the early detection of specific cancers. Work is now progressing on the development of such a campaign for lung cancer.

Rapid access clinics for patients with suspected lung cancer have been established in eight designated cancer centres. These clinics seek to ensure that lung cancer is diagnosed and patients enter treatment as soon as possible. So far this year, 87% of patients referred to these clinics have been seen within ten days. With the ongoing implementation of the national cancer strategy, I look forward to increasingly successful prevention measures for lung cancer with early diagnoses and effective treatment leading to further improvements for patients.

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