Madam, - The current public lack of confidence in cancer services in Ireland demands that we have the development of true cancer centres. The US model of a cancer centre, overseen by the National Cancer Institute, is a facility with true expertise in all disciplines of cancer care and all necessary ancillary support.
These centres are staffed by personnel with specific training and offer extensive fellowship programmes to develop the national cancer plan. They offer the "gold standard" level of cancer care.
It is imperative that cancer centres in Ireland have several key resources: appropriate staffing by experts in cancer care, designated equipment and space to resource each centre and good access with accommodation for patients and family. This simple check list can be achieved with adequate funding and management.
I believe that many aspects of cancer care in Ireland already meet the "gold standard": our current breast-screening program is superior to what is available in the US. The key stakeholders in cancer care in Ireland are patients, not politicians or clinicians.
It is possible for Ireland to excel in cancer care and we now appear to have a window of opportunity to achieve this. I hope we seize this opportunity; for if we do not develop the national plan within the next couple of years I think change for the better Is unlikely. - Yours, etc,
MALCOLM R. KELL,
Consultant Surgical
Oncologist,
Eccles Street,
Dublin 7.