By Muireann Duffy
There will be "excess and avoidable" cancer deaths unless there is immediate action on screening services, according to the Irish Cancer Society.
Speaking to the Oireachtas Special Committee on COVID-19, Director of Advocacy for the charity, Rachel Morrogh says hundreds of early detection have been missed on account of the pandemic.
"It is evident that without immediate action there will be excess and avoidable cancer deaths in the years to come as a result of people getting the care they need later than they should.
"An illustration of this is we would expect about 450 cancers and 1600 pre-cancers to have been diagnosed or to be detected in a typical four-month period if the screening services had been operating as normal.
While screening for cervical cancer is set to resume this month, BreastCheck and BowelScreen will not recommence until September, which Ms Mullogh hopes will be addressed.
In terms of screening, we want the screening programs to be restored as soon as possible.
"When you look at figures that were collected in the Irish Cancer Society I think you can start to understand that without our screening programs, we are missing a central plank in our cancer prevention and early detection strategies.
"If we don't restore them to the high-quality screening systems that were in place before COVID, then we risk the general public's health."
