BreastCheck puts pressure on TDs

The Irish Cancer Society is calling on people in Clare to bring pressure to bear on the four local TDs to support its campaign to extend the free national breast cancer screening programme, BreastCheck, to women aged 65 to 69 in 2015.

Women aged 60 to 69 have the second highest incidence of breast cancer and the second highest chance of dying from it. Yet only half of this age group is currently being screened. BreastCheck invites women aged 50 to 64 for free screening every two years. Women who are 65 to 69 are not being screened. The Cancer Society wants to ensure these women are not forgotten about.

The society’s head of advocacy and communications, Kathleen O’Meara said, “The 2011 Programme for Government promised an extension of BreastCheck to the 65 to 69 age range. Future Health, the Government’s reform plan for the health service, promised the roll-out would begin in 2014. This has not happened.

“The Irish Cancer Society is asking the Minister for Health to deliver the extension in the HSE’s National Services Plan 2015 this autumn. We are asking people to support this campaign and keep the pressure on the government to deliver on this broken promise: get online www.cancer.ie, email your local TD and sign our petition.”