Charter for world-class breast cancer care launched

A CHARTER for best-practice breast cancer care has been launched and it is hoped it will be met by treatment centres throughout the country.

The Irish Breast Cancer Campaign, Europa Donna Ireland, published the 23-point charter yesterday, following input by more than 150 women.

Chairwoman Deirdre O’Donnell said it is designed to ensure Irish breast cancer centres follow best practice in delivering services, and most importantly give women standards by which to measure them.

“Irish women deserve to be part of a first-class system of breast cancer services and they deserve to know what that is. Ireland has a world-class economy. This charter is designed to give every woman with an actual or potential diagnosis of breast cancer the right to a world-class service,” Ms O’Connell said.

The charter states that Irish women have the right to be referred to a specialist breast centre with a multidisciplinary team of breast surgeon, breast nurse, radiologist, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist.

It also states that women have the right to a diagnosis within two weeks; to be seen in a private environment; to be examined by a consultant regularly; to be given information on fertility options; to have a second opinion; and to have access to a prosthesis fitting service by a skilled practitioner.

The charter sets out as a right free access to screening from age 50 onwards.

“Some Irish centres meet high standards but based on the feedback from women, others do not. There is a 25% to 30% increase in survival rates for women who attend specialist breast centres that are adequately staffed and resourced,” Ms O’Connell said.

She added that the new National Cancer Strategy calls for licensing and accreditation and breast cancer guidelines are being drawn up, but implementation of the strategy has been far too slow to date.

Her organisation will be sending the charter to cancer support groups and specialist breast centres, asking them to sign up to it.

They will also ask Health Minister Mary Harney to sign a memorandum of understanding that all centres offering breast cancer treatment in Ireland will meet the charter within an agreed time frame.