Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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329. To ask the Minister for Health the measures being used to educate, advise and caution in promoting awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37716/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Ireland and early diagnosis is crucial. According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland, latest five year survival in people diagnosed at stage 1 is 43.1%.  This drops sharply to 9.4% in people diagnosed at stage 3, and to 3% in people diagnosed at stage 4.

Lung cancer has been chosen as the first cancer on which to focus in the implementation of the National Cancer Strategy Recommendation 7 “The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and the HSE Health & Wellbeing Directorate, in partnership with the voluntary sector, will develop a rolling programme of targeted multi-media based public awareness and education campaigns, aimed at the early detection of specific cancers and with particular focus on at-risk populations.”  

Work commenced on the delivery of this recommendation through review of extensive international research, drawing on a Multi-sector Advisory Group, completing the National Lung Cancer Awareness survey and working with University College Cork to gain further insights with the population at high risk of lung cancer.

A Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign was scheduled to proceed at end April 2020, but this was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.  In response to a decline in referrals to cancer diagnostic clinics in April/May as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) carried out public awareness campaigns, and healthcare professional education on early detection of cancers. This included messages on early signs and symptoms of lung cancer. Following the campaign, an increase in e-referrals in rapid access cancer clinics was reported.

Interventions focused on the early detection of lung cancer recommenced roll out from September 2020, tailored to align with the Covid 19 public health guidance.  The following has been delivered:

- launch of new "Think Lung" resources to improve the early detection of lung cancer for use by primary care and community organisations who work with the populations at risk;

- delivery of tailored education sessions on early detection of lung cancer to ICGP and GP trainees; and

- provision of educational material to health care professional and community organisations.

The NCCP has co-operated with the Irish Cancer Society in their Early Detection of Lung Cancer Public Awareness work. The NCCP are also supporting the Marie Keating Foundation in their efforts to develop and deliver an early detection of lung cancer campaign at the end of this month.