Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I welcome this important and timely debate. I have had two members of my family die from cancer. One brother died from pulmonary cancer and the other from cancer of the oesophagus. I understand and appreciate the grave nature of the debate. In the past 24 hours a young man I knew since I moved to Mullingar has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. The cold fingers of cancer have touched the hearts and minds of everyone in society. Every family has been affected in some way.

Colorectal cancer is a common and lethal disease, the fourth most common cancer in the world and the second most common cause of cancer in Ireland after lung cancer. The prospects of preventing death from colorectal cancer are now more promising than ever. Focus on preventing death from cancer has shifted from treatment of established cancer to prevention of cancer in the form of screening. Screening for breast and cervical cancer is already under way in Ireland under the auspices of the national cancer screening service. The screening for colorectal cancer is performed in the USA and the UK.

The basic goal of colorectal cancer screening is to lower the number of people who die from the disease. This is done by a test that will detect lesions in the bowel that will turn into cancer if left too long. These lesions, or adenomas, are growths that slowly develop over ten years into cancer. Some cancers have a similar pre-malignant state making them suitable for screening. It is not the role of screening to find early or young cancer but rather to find the precursor lesions that can be removed easily and cheaply to remove the risk of cancer to that patient.

I welcome members of the Irish Cancer Society in the Visitors Gallery and a former Member, Kathleen O'Meara, who has a deep and ongoing interest in this matter. I also welcome Ms Lorna Jennings, who worked in this House in another capacity and is performing an important role with the association.

The Irish Cancer Society is committed to ensuring patients referred for a colonoscopy are seen as quickly as possible because early detection is key to survival. It is fair to say that, in reference to what Senator Buttimer said, in the previous Seanad I called for and was responsible for a debate on men's health. I have called for it again recently.

Men are not as proactive in looking after their health as their female counterparts. Men look after their cars and bring it for a regular service but they do not visit the general practitioner or the consultant in the same way as women.