Oncology consultant warns of time-bomb

A LEADING specialist has warned of a cancer time-bomb if the Government fails to rapidly invest in the expansion of radiotherapy services.

Professor John Armstrong, a consultant radiation oncologist at St Luke’s Hospital in Dublin, described as “very disturbing” demographic data that points to a 41% increase in the incidence of cancer by 2015.

“We have an ageing population. We have the statistics which show cancer rates are growing. We don’t have a good track record in keeping ahead of the posse. Even at this moment in time, we don’t have the facilities in place to cope with the number of patients requiring radiotherapy treatment.”