Health cuts will worsen surge in cancer

The country’s leading cancer expert has warned that new cases of the disease in Ireland are likely to rise dramatically over the next 20 years — and existing cancer patients may be denied potentially life-saving drugs as a result of ongoing health service cutbacks.

Professor John Crown, a consultant oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, admitted that World Cancer Research Fund predictions that the number of new cancer cases in Ireland could rise by 72% by 2030 are “very plausible”.

While confident about the general level of health services for cancer patients, Prof Crown said he was concerned about signals there could be cutbacks in the provision of cancer-treating drugs.

“People with cancer should, in general, be reassured that in the public health system in this country they will still get good access to good treatment,” said Prof Crown, an independent member of the Seanad.

“I would be dishonest if I didn’t say I was a little worried that there have been a few hints there may be change, specifically in the availability of anti-cancer drugs. There are clear hints that this is an area that may be targeted at a time of cutbacks.”

However, Prof Crown stressed there was no evidence that recent cutbacks had caused any deaths.

He said it was vital for all medical staff to keep highlighting how budgets for cancer-treating drugs should not be affected while there were savings to be made in non-frontline services. He pointed to levels of bureaucracy in the HSE that still needed to be trimmed.

However, Prof Crown said he had great respect for James Reilly.

“He is head and shoulders the best minister for health we have had. He is committed to reforming the health service. The reality is that if we had done the reform in the health services during the good years, we’d be in a better position for dealing with the desperate shortfalls we are facing right now.”

Commenting on a World Cancer Research Fund report estimating the annual number of new cancer cases would rise from 19,454 in 2008 to 33,416 in 18 years from now, he said the figures were “very plausible”.

The research puts Ireland on track to record the highest per capita increase of any of the 27 EU member states over the next two decades. Prof Crown said there are a number of factors that explain the projected increase.

“Cancer is primarily an illness affecting the middle-aged and the elderly. However, Irish people have also become heavier, more obese and are doing less exercise. They also have higher calorie intake and higher blood sugar levels.”

Prof Crown expects breast and bowel cancers to rise and said forward planning was needed to cope with the upsurge.

Prof Crown was speaking at the launch of the 2012 Fighting Cancer Triathlon which takes place in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, on June 16. The annual event has already raised €1.4m for the Cancer Clinical Research Trust.