Faulty cancer kits-HSE reaction to tests not good enough

Cancer is a leading cause of deaths among men in this country, with more than 2,500 men diagnosed with prostate cancer annually. The risk rises with age, as men of 70 or older are almost seven times more likely to suffer from prostate cancer than men under 50.

It is vitally important, therefore, that men should be aware of the dangers and be checked for early symptoms, because the prognosis is so much better if the problem is detected early. It is disturbing to learn that a flawed test was being used at one of the largest hospitals in the country for over a year.

The Siemens Prostate Specific Antigen test kit — being used as an aid in detecting prostate cancer at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin — was withdrawn at the end of June, because it was giving elevated readings that were 20% to 23% too high in relation to the World Health Organisation standard. The PSA test, which measures the level of a protein produced by the prostate gland, can provide a warning of cancer, because a high PSA reading may indicate the presence of the disease.