Victor Boyhan urges Minister to address pancreatic cancer gaps
Victor Boyhan spoke about pancreatic cancer and the outgoing national cancer strategy, urging the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to discuss next steps. He called for analysis of the 2.17 to 2.26 strategy and for rapid diagnostic and treatment pathways to prevent lives being cut short.
Immediate request
Victor Boyhan asked the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Health to be invited in the very near future to discuss the national cancer strategy, noting the current strategy ran from 2.17 to 2.26 and ends next year. He said a review of the outgoing strategy is necessary before engaging on a new strategy.
Concerns over diagnosis and pathways
He reported evidence heard from Pancreatic Cancer of Ireland and remarks from the AV room that people can receive an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer but face a lack of a rapid pathway for diagnostics and treatment. He warned that this shortfall is cutting lives terribly short and noted people are now presenting in their 30s and 40s.
Event and testimony
Boyhan thanked Pancreatic Cancer of Ireland and Senator Mark Duffy for hosting the event and bringing forward harrowing personal stories on National Designation Day for Pancreatic Cancer. He said the presence of those with lived experience makes debates more impactful and emphasised the emotional and family-wide toll of cancer.
Call for cross-house priority
He called for pancreatic cancer to become a priority with support right across the houses and said he intends to press for a full debate that includes people who have experienced the disease. He urged members to respond to the ask made by the campaigning group and to translate briefing-room discussion into parliamentary action.
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Thank you, Cahirlic. I will be brief. I just want to follow on what Senator Wilson was saying, because he was in the AV room as well. I want to thank particularly the Pancreatic Cancer of Ireland who came, and also our Senator, Mark Duffy, who hosted today's event. And we heard there some very harrowing stories, but personal experiences. And clearly we're now at the end of our national cancer strategy, which was 2.17 to 2.26. So I think it's timely, because before we engage on a new strategy, we need to do an analysis of the outgoing strategy, which was 2.17 to 2.26, which is next year. So, Leader, I would ask that in the very near future you might be in a position to invite the Minister for Health in here to discuss specifically the cancer strategy in going forward. And what we heard clearly today was that people can get an early diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, but because there is a lack of a rapid pathway for diagnostics and for treatment, their lives are cut terribly short. And we're hearing now, as we heard today in this evidence, that people now are presenting in their 30s and 40s, and people are dying all along. Cancer is a horrific illness. It affects the entire family. It's an emotional drain on people and everything. And I think today we've had a call from the Pancreatic Cancer Ireland on this, the National Designation Day for Pancreatic Cancer. And I think we've got to respond, because too often we go into the AV room or we go into briefings. There's a lot of talk and a lot of noise in politics. But they have made an ask of us today, and I think we need to respond. And I think our most positive response we can do is to have a discussion both on pancreatic cancer, but in the context of the bigger national strategy for cancer. And I hope that soon, and I intend, and I hope all of us will intend, fill these galleries with people who have experienced it to be in here. Because I think it's a much more impactful debate when people who have walked the journey, who have suffered, are in with us in the dialogue. So I would ask that this now would become a priority and would have support right across these houses, which I have no doubt would be the case. Thank you.
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