Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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643. To ask the Minister for Health the number of new patients who started anti-cancer therapy in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [53129/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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644. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to any increase or perceived increase in the number of persons since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, or any increase or perceived increase in the number of persons diagnosed with stage four cancer since the start of the pandemic; if he will provide any data or statistics held by his Department which detail annual trends in cancer diagnosis over the past decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53130/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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During Wave 1 of Covid in March-May 2020, in line with experiences internationally, there was a significant drop in the numbers of people presenting with cancer concerns.

From the outset of the pandemic, great focus was placed by the cancer services on providing safe patient pathways and encouraging people to come forward. Urgent cancer services were maintained throughout the pandemic.

The Department of Health and the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) systematically study the impact of Covid-19 on cancer services through data monitoring and monthly review meetings.

This includes the the close monitoring of trends in numbers coming forward to diagnostic services, and the level of attendances for appointments for treatment. These services are important to ensure that early diagnosis and action is available for patients, particularly as services continue to recover from Covid-19. The following key figures are based on the most recent figures available:

- From January–August this year, GP e-referrals are at 136.5% of 2019 activity for the same period. In August, this figure was 152.8%

- Attendances at Rapid Access Clinics (RACs) for 2021 as a whole were at 130.5% of 2019 levels

- Cancers diagnosed in RACs from January-July this year (3,431) are at 95.6% of the figure in 2019 for the same period (3,588).

- Cancers diagnosed in RACs for 2021 (6,072) were at 98% of the 2019 figure (6,197).

In December 2021, the Royal College of Physicians Ireland, in conjunction with organisations such as the National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) and NCCP, published a report titled 'Cancer care in Ireland in 2020 – The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic'.NCRI data included in the report indicates that, as expected, the number of cancer diagnoses in 2020 was lower than in 2019 due to Covid-19. While the full extent of the impact of Covid-19 on cancer patients will not be known until the NCRI 2020 data reaches maturity, the NCRI suggests that the reduction may be between 10% and 14% of the expected figure, which allows for increasing trends due to our increasing and ageing population. When the 2020 data is available from NCRI, this should show the number of persons receiving an initial diagnosis of stage 4 cancer and any increase as a result of Covid-19, as per the Deputy's question.

Data collected by the NCRI on Cancer Diagnosis show that over the last 10 years there has been a small decrease in the number of people diagnosed with cancer per 100,000 of the population. In this same time period there has also been a marked increase in the number of cancer survivors living in the Irish population.