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Cancer Incidence

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 January 2014

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Questions (772)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

772. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the medical reasons for prioritising the treatment of cancer by means of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery as opposed to treating it by natural products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4302/14]

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Written answers

The HSE-National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) works within international standards of practice that reflect best available evidence.

The NCCP was set up in 2007 to provide a comprehensive programme of cancer control in Ireland, to transform how cancer care is delivered and to ensure that cancer services meet the highest standards. Cancer services have been reorganised in line with best practice to ensure that patients are treated in locations that have the expertise, multi-disciplinary specialist skills and case volume to provide optimum treatment.

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are prioritised for cancer treatment because of the weight of evidence supporting such approaches and because of the outcomes being achieved. A huge range of alternative and complementary treatments are marketed but unless there is compelling evidence to indicate that a particular medication is of clinical benefit to a patient, physicians would generally not recommend them.

Ireland has achieved significant improvement in the rates of cancer survival in recent years. Five-year survival rates for all cancers has increased to 56.4% for people diagnosed between 2003-2007, compared to 49.6% for people diagnosed in 1998-2002.

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