Resumption of cancer services must be made a priority - Tóibín
A CALL for the return of all cancer services has been made by Aontú leader, Peadar Tóibín, who is recovering from cancer treatment himself.
The Meath West Deputy, who said he got good news about his illness in the last few days, says that over the last few weeks, Aontu have been trying to put pressure on the government to reopen cancer services.
“I have spoken to doctors who have told me there are people whose outcomes will not be as positive as mine hopefully will be, and who will lose their lives,” he said on radio last week.
“Bowel and cervical screening is back up and running but the backlog needs to be dealt with. The Irish Cancer Society says €30 million is needed to catch up.
“Breast check screening is not back up yet and it could be October before it is back.
“It is ridiculous that we can go into a barbers and be in close physical proximity but we cannot have breast check.”
Deputy Tóibín has spoken frankly about his own cancer diagnosis.
“About eight or nine weeks ago I had a small lump on my head. It was there for the lockdown period.
“Because of lockdown, I thought it would be hard to get a doctors appointment and may have left it a bit late. I went to the doctor, had a biopsy and then 10 days later I got the phone call nobody wants to get, to say it was cancer and it was serious.
“I got the diagnosis quickly and the treatment quickly. Initially I had it taken out but got information that wasn't great, so two weeks ago they took away a piece about the size of the palm of my hand.
“I have a four-year-old who said my head looked as if it had been caved in and that is what it felt like at the time.”
He said that in recent days hours he had received more positive news.
“I have to have a pet scan now to see it hasn't travelled and if it hasn't, I'm probably on the right side of the diagnosis.”
Deputy Tóibín said he had felt perfectly healthy when he found the small scab about the size of a fingernail on his head.
“I had a similar lump on the top of my head about two years ago, but it was fine. Because it looked similar I was less conscious of it,” he said.
He advised people that if they have something on their skin, that is there a little while and not going away to have it checked out with a doctor.
“Irish people need to use more sunscreen and wear hats. It is important to make sure that children especially aren't out in direct hot sun.”
Deputy Tóibín will have appointments with a dermatologist every three months for the next three years, then twice a year for two years and then annually for the rest of his life.
He said his wife Deirdre had melanoma six years ago, “So we have experience of coming out the right side of it,” he said.