Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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606. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the roll out of DNA screening of women aged between 30 and 49 as recommended by the Health Information and Quality Authority in their report published in spring 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41104/14]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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607. To ask the Minister for Health the achievements-recommendations of the working group that was established to agree appropriate structures and best practice in the identification and management of those with hereditary cancer mutations; if these recommendations have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41105/14]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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608. To ask the Minister for Health if the National Centre for Medical Genetics at Crumlin Hospital have been provided with the necessary capital and updated equipment necessary to carry out testing for BRCA and mutations of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41106/14]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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611. To ask the Minister for Health if BreastCheck will be extended to the siblings of diagnosed BRCA carriers; when will this be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41113/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 to 608, inclusive, and 611 together.

The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) has nine symptomatic breast cancer clinics operating in eight designated cancer centres, with a satellite unit in Letterkenny. When GPs refer women under the age of 50 who are deemed to be at high risk of breast cancer they are offered surveillance, as suggested in the HIQA Report on Breast Cancer Surveillance. That HIQA report outlined the potential benefits of a standardised surveillance programme for women aged less than 50 years who are also at high risk of breast cancer due to a genetic predisposition, or to a strong family history or other factors. There is no recommendation that well women under the age of 50 are routinely screened for BRCA 1 or 2 mutations. The National Centre for Medical Genetics (NCMG) in Crumlin Hospital and the NCCP jointly offer assessment and testing of well women who are direct relatives of patients with cancer who have been found to have BRCA 1 or 2 mutations.

A national hereditary cancer programme has been established by the NCCP, in collaboration with the NCMG, to improve access to assessment and genetic testing for those patients and their families whose cancer may have a hereditary component. The programme focuses on hereditary breast, ovarian and bowel cancer, as well as more rare hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes.

Patients can be seen at the NCMG in Crumlin, or at their outreach clinics in Cork and Galway. Further investment was made by the NCCP and the NCMG with the establishment in 2012 of clinics in St James's and the Mater Hospitals.

In the first half of 2013, over five hundred cancer patients, or their well relatives, have had genetic testing carried out in relation to their hereditary cancer risk. Approximately the same number of people received a cancer genetics opinion, without requiring genetic testing. There has been a 56% increase in testing to date this year, jointly funded by the NCMG and NCCP. Initial diagnostic testing for patients with breast or ovarian cancer is sent to a laboratory in the UK. Once a specific mutation has been identified, subsequent testing is carried out in Crumlin.

The NCCP and the NCMG will continue to collaborate via the hereditary cancer programme to ensure genetic testing is carried out in the most cost effective and clinically appropriate manner. Hereditary Cancer is a priority area for development and a new NCCP consultant post has been approved this year. Recruitment to that post is in progress.