Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

233. To ask the Minister for Health when two new treatments for colon cancer (details supplied) will be made available in hospitals here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28364/19]

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

234. To ask the Minister for Health the reason new treatments for colon cancer have not been made available to patients in view of the fact that some oncologists working in hospitals here have been trained to deliver the new treatments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28367/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 234 together.

Hepatic Arterial Infusion (HAI) is a medical procedure that delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver. A number of innovative liver-directed treatments are utilised in Irish hospitals including Radio-Frequency Ablation which uses heat to kill cancer cells and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) which delivers chemotherapy directly to the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity.

The HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) provides some funding for a variety of chemotherapy programmes including HIPEC, as agreed during the HSE service planning process. The funding of any new services requiring additional resources takes place via the HSE service planning process.