Gino Kenny urges screening age cut to 40 during breast cancer debate
Gino Kenny spoke about breast cancer screening during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and urged the minister to lower the screening age to at least 40. He argued the current programme misses younger women and called for enhanced diagnostics, revised BRCA criteria and education in schools.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month and recent loss
Gino Kenny opened by noting the timing of the debate during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and referenced the recent high-profile death of Sarah Harding as illustrating the disease's human impact. He said the National Cancer Control Programme presented an overall strategy at the Health Committee which he found informative.
Screening age and international evidence
He pressed the minister on the age of screening, saying the current extension to 69 does not address younger cases. He cited examples from Sweden and other EU countries that lowered screening to 40 and noted those countries saw death rates fall to 26% - arguing there is real merit in lowering the screening age to at least 40.
Concerns of younger women and diagnostic measures
Kenny said many women under the screening age are worried that they are "under the radar" and highlighted that a quarter of breast cancer cases in Ireland occur in women under 50. He urged expansion of diagnostics for younger women, including triple assessment and revised BRCA-related criteria, to improve early detection and outcomes.
Recommendations, disruption and calls for action
He reminded listeners that screening has been disrupted by the pandemic and recalled a motion submitted in March by People for Profits that included lowering the screening age and improving diagnostics. He concluded by appealing to the minister to address the screening-age issue urgently to prevent spread and save lives.
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I think it's very apt that we're having this discussion today in relation to Breast Cancer Awareness Month and obviously this is an issue I think kind of close to a lot of people's hearts as long as anybody in this chamber or this country that hasn't been affected by a loved one or a friend or family member that has been touched by breast cancer and I think the world was touched by the ravages of breast cancer when Sarah Harding died seven, eight weeks ago. Sarah there was only 29 and it was a pretty terrible loss for her family and the world and at the Health Committee yesterday Minister I think the National Cancer Control Programme gave an overall strategy in relation to breast cancer and I found it very, very informative and anybody that would have been listened to it would have been very informative because breast cancer is very evasive. in relation to this country. I'm slightly disappointed with one thing that was missing from your statement and that's in relation to the age of screening and I know it's extended to 69 but there is real, real merit now to lower that. Real merit. In Sweden for example and other countries in the European Union they've lowered it down to 40 and because they've lowered it down to 40 and particularly in Sweden the death rates. The death rates went down to 26% so there is merit to lower the age of screening and I'm slightly disappointed and maybe you can come back with that in relation to that. The good news is that those women and some men that are diagnosed with breast cancer, the chances of survival are extremely high because of diagnosis, treatment and so forth. And over the next 25, 20 years breast cancer will increase by 25%. Now that sounds alarming but that's better detection, better diagnostics and so forth. So that's welcome. But I've been talking to a lot of women under the age of the screening age and they're kind of quite concerned in relation to the screening age and they want it to be lowered. A quarter of all cases of all cases of breast cancer in Ireland are under the age of 50. So they're under the radar of screening. So that has to be, I think that has to be addressed, Minister, very, very quickly. Very, very quickly. We, as People for Profits submitted a motion in March in relation to all this and one of the four, I suppose the five kind of points was the age of screening to lower down to 40 and diagnostics for younger women. A triple assessment is very, very important. This is one thing that was kept kind of emerging all the time. Revised the criteria of the BRCA related to breast cancer. It's very, very important as well. And an educational programme in relation to breast examinations in schools. Because the early detection is, you know, is better outcomes for everybody. So look at, with that, I think, you know, you know, the screening programme is good. You know, it's obviously been disturbed because of pandemic. Everything has been kind of thrown up in the air. But I would really, really appeal to you, Minister, in relation to the screening. Even the experts at the Health Committee on Tuesday said there is no There is definitely merit in relation to, you know, they give, they did give another critique in relation to why it's at 50. And I do understand that. I do understand that. But there's definitely merit in relation to lowering the age to at least 40. And if that's the case, then we can prevent, you know, the spreading of the disease and saving women's lives. Thanks. Thanks. Thank you all.
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