James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 393: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made on the programme for Government commitment to introduce screening for prostate and other cancers as recommended by experts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30030/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Screening programmes are a key aspect of cancer prevention and early detection. I established the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) in January 2007 following the launch of the otrategy for Cancer Control in Ireland (2006).The NCSS encompasses BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme and CervicalCheck, the national cervical screening programme. BreastCheck provides free mammograms to women aged 50 to 64 years. The national roll-out of BreastCheck, which commenced in 2007, is almost complete. Screening has now reached 23 counties. The necessary consent process has begun in Co Clare and following this process appointments for screening in August will be issued. The consent process is scheduled to begin in Co Donegal in September and in Co Leitrim in October. In 2008, over 90,000 women were screened by BreastCheck and the target for 2009 is to screen 140,000 women.

CervicalCheck, the National Cervical Screening Programme, was launched nationally in September 2008 and provides free smear tests to women aged 25 to 60 who are eligible for screening. The programme has been very successful so far in terms of uptake, with nearly 65,000 women screened in 2008 and around 240,000 women to be screened in 2009. A successful national cervical screening programme has the potential to result in a reduction of up to 80% in deaths from this disease.

With regard to colorectal screening, I am very anxious, not withstanding the current budgetary situation, to introduce such a programme as soon as possible. Accordingly, I have requested the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to explore different ways of delivering a high quality colorectal cancer screening programme within existing resources, based on the range of advice contained in the two expert reports recently published by HIQA and the NCSS.

While my Department and the NCSS are keeping emerging international evidence in relation to prostate screening under review, including the results of randomised trials that are currently being conducted internationally, there is currently insufficient evidence in favour of a population based prostate screening programme. Rather, the focus is on improving services for those with prostate cancer and in this regard, Rapid Access Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Clinics are being established by the National Cancer Control Programme in each of the eight designated cancer centres. This development will enhance access to early diagnosis and multidisciplinary decision making for prostate cancer, with patients at higher risk based on agreed high risk criteria being fast tracked directly to these Clinics. These patients will have a definitive diagnosis established within two weeks of referral and, if confirmed as cancer, will have immediate access to a multidisciplinary specialist cancer consultation regarding appropriate management. The first two Rapid Access clinics have opened at University Hospital Galway (UHG) and St. James's Hospital, Dublin, with two more to be established in 2009 and a further four in 2010.