Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 September 2022
581. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date on implementing recommendation 19 of the National Cancer Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44867/22]
View answerRecommendation 19 of the Strategy sets out that the NCCP will further develop the programme for hereditary cancers to ensure that evaluation, counselling, testing and risk reduction interventions are available as appropriate, and that services are available to patients on the basis of need.
Significant Government funding allocated for implementation of the National Cancer Strategy in 2021 (€20m) and again in 2022 (€20m) has facilitated work in the area of hereditary cancer genetics, including:
- Recruitment of staff to cancer genetics services.
- Development of GP referral guidelines for breast family history.
- Completion of a needs assessment for those with a BRCA gene alteration, focused on the identification and assessment of those with possible hereditary cancer risk, developed with a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives of those with a BRCA gene alteration.
- Planning for consent training for health care professionals delivering mainstream BRCA testing.
- Recommendations on universal tumour screening for possible Lynch Syndrome, an inherited condition which causes people to have a higher risk of developing certain colorectal cancers.
The NCCP has established an Advisory Group for Hereditary Cancer which is working to develop a framework model of care for hereditary cancer services, incorporating the identification of those with an inherited cancer predisposition and their ongoing management.
