Seanad debates

Wednesday, 16 April 2003

Cancer Treatment Services: Statements (Resumed).

 

Second, I have long since held the view that the Government must launch a huge campaign on testicular cancer and prostate cancer. The Minister of State, Deputy Lenihan, will be aware that because of the problems of getting many older men to doctors, and of confronting them with the high incidence of prostate and testicular cancer, people are needlessly losing their lives. We have to move, first, to a screening process – I think a pilot screening process is already in place – which would ensure that we build up the capacity and the confidence of men to go early to get screened for these conditions. Second, we must embark on a massive advertising campaign to encourage men to get these tests done at an early stage. Too often these diseases are not caught early enough and if they were, much better outcomes could be achieved.

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