Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-18-Speech-2-257"
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"en.20031118.8.2-257"2
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"Mr President, while I appreciate the Commission's proposals are an attempt to find best standards and establish common best standards across Europe, that will have to be done on the basis of Member States agreeing to cooperate in this area. It will require political commitment in many countries going far beyond the current commitment in terms of political will and financial investment in cancer testing and treatment.
Reports have shown that up to 90% of the people diagnosed with breast cancer can be cured if they are diagnosed early enough. It has been established that up to 100% of cervical cancers can be cured and prevented if proper testing is carried out in the correct age group along with FPV testing. Clearly this is an area where huge progress can be made in preventing mortality and also a lot of pain and suffering for the individuals concerned and for their families. It is important to have this debate.
I just want to give some statistics on the Irish situation specifically, not because I want to criticise the Irish Government but because, if we are to get cooperation across the board in this area, it is necessary to show how bad the situation is in some countries. For instance, less than 4 000 of the 12 000 patients who require radiotherapy in the Republic of Ireland each year receive it. Public patients face a three-month delay for radiation treatment they have been told is both necessary and urgent. The first five-year analysis of cancer trends in the Irish National Cancer Registry, published in February 2002, showed that 50% of patients with lung cancer received no cancer-specific treatment; 7% of those with leukaemia were not offered chemotherapy; two-thirds of patients in the Republic with last-stage stomach cancer received no cancer-specific treatment. Regional variations and the availability of radiotherapy have a particular impact on poorer patients, since many cancer sufferers have to travel long distances and stay away from home for long periods. The Republic's two radiotherapy units are based in Dublin and Cork, so, while 39% of patients nationally have radiotherapy for breast cancer, only 24% living in the west of Ireland have it. Unfortunately things are not getting any better, because funding for those services has been cut.
That is the kind of situation we are faced with. I appeal to the House to support the report before us and for the Commissioner to make it clear to all Member States where these appalling statistics apply that they must get to grips with this issue and save lives."@en1
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