Tag Archives: Kathleen O’Meara

The Irish Cancer Society has welcomed the decision, outlined in Budget 2015, to make the necessary investment to ensure that BreastCheck is extended to women aged 65-69. “Since 2011, the Irish Cancer Society has been campaigning for women between the ages of 65-69 to be screened for breast cancer,” said Kathleen O’Meara, head of advocacy and communications at the Irish Cancer Society. One in ten of all breast cancers occur in the 65-69 age group. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says that quality screening mammography carried out every two years in women who are 50-69 years of age should reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by about 35%. This means that one life will be saved for every 500 women screened. “Last month, the Irish Cancer Society highlighted the fact that extending BreastCheck to the 65-69 age group would save a minimum of 87 lives a year. We considered this to be a priority issue …

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 …