Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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440. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to address the growing number of men in County Donegal who have to travel to County Galway to receive treatment for prostate cancer; if he will confirm that Letterkenny General Hospital will be provided with the requisite staff to serve these patients [36156/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Rapid access prostate cancer clinics have been established in the eight designated cancer centres to ensure that men who have symptoms of prostate cancer can be seen in a timely way and that they undergo comprehensive assessment with appropriate imaging and biopsies where necessary. The treatment of men subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer is discussed at multidisciplinary team meetings and they may be offered a range of options including surveillance, surgery, prostate brachytherapy or external beam radiotherapy.

Donegal patients have been referred to the Rapid Access Prostate Clinic at University Hospital Galway since its establishment in 2009. Patients needing radical surgery for prostate cancer are admitted to Galway University Hospital and those considered suitable for brachytherapy are referred to either Galway or Dublin. Patients considered suitable for external beam radiotherapy are also treated in Galway or Dublin and from Autumn 2016 such patients will be referred to a new radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry.

Patients for surveillance with respect to prostate or bladder cancer are seen at Letterkenny General Hospital.