Some 73 per cent of women invited for breast cancer screening took up the offer over the past two years, according to the first annual report from BreastCheck, the cancer screening programme.
The check-ups are only available to about half the women in the "at risk" 50-64 year age group as they are limited to health board regions in the midlands and east of the State. The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said yesterday he was committed to the expansion of the service and a decision would be made on this in the budgetary allocations for 2003.
This State has one of the highest rates of the disease in Europe, with about 650 deaths from breast cancer every year. During 2000 and 2001, 45,321 women in the 50-64 year age group were screened for the cancer. Less than 1 per cent of those (410 women) were diagnosed with the cancer.
Uptake was greatest in the North Eastern Health Board region, at 77. 9 per cent, while the Midland Health Board recorded the lowest take-up of 71.6 per cent. Eligible women who moved outside the health board regions during this period had a poorer attendance rate.
If the programme was expanded, it would take two years to provide screening all over the State, according to Mr Tony O'Brien, BreastCheck director. He estimated an initial cost of €28 million to provide the expanded programme.
If approved, the board of BreastCheck would install a clinical unit at University College Hospital Galway, with two mobile units covering the northwest, west and north Tipperary.
Another clinical unit would be housed in the South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital in Cork, with three mobile units covering the South and Waterford. An additional 18,600 women would be screened in Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow under the plan. Breast cancer screening began in February 2000, with a targeted take-up of 70 per cent and a remit to reduce breast cancer death rates by 20 per cent in ten years.
Prof Peter Boyle, epidemiological director of the European Institute of Oncology described the screening programme as "top-class" and said the 73 per cent take-up was a "very, very high figure".
He pointed out that the Scottish programme had reduced breast cancer death rates by more than 25 per cent between 1990 and 2000, and said this programme had similar potential.
Attendance was as high as 80-85 per cent in some rural areas, according to Dr Fidelma Flanagan clinical director of the Eccles screening unit, attached to the Mater Hospital. She said good local media coverage had helped to increase attendance rates in rural areas, but this effect was diluted in cities.
"A bad headline can kill people," Dr Flanagan said, pointing out that negative reports about screening could deter people from attending check-ups.
