HEALTH Minister David Anderson says he is concerned that statistics on breast cancer cases could be misused to ‘reignite unjustified fears’ about the island’s breast care services.
He questioned the motives of Douglas East MHK Brenda Cannell in asking a House of Keys question about the numbers of breast cancer cases received in the 12 months to April this year and how many of these had resulted in mastectomy or breast reconstruction on or off-island.
In his written reply, he said: ‘I do wonder what value you expect to derive from these statistics because a diagnosis of breast cancer can result in a wide range of clinical outcomes.
‘I would be very concerned at any attempt to misuse these statistics to reignite unjustified fears about breast surgery services which were raised in the minds of the Manx public last year.’
The minister was referring to the row over the appointment of a new breast care surgeon that dominated the news this year.
When the Department of Health announced it would be advertising for the permanent post of a general surgeon with an interest in breast care, critics, led in the Keys by Mrs Cannell, argued this would undermine the breast care service. Campaigners set up the Isle of Man Breast Cancer Action Group.
Minister Anderson accused Mrs Cannell of hijacking the issue as a ‘political football’ ahead of the general election.
He insists that following the appointment of Millie Bello to the post as of February 1 together with the introduction of a sentinel node biopsy service and a planned breast reconstruction service in the island, the breast care service has been significantly enhanced.
In his written reply, he said that as predicted, the number of new breast cancers diagnosed in the island had fallen from a temporary peak of 93 patients recorded in 2010, following the introduction of the breast call and recall screening programme, to the current level of 63.
He said this is a similar number to those detected prior to the introduction of screening.
Mr Anderson added: ‘We do anticipate a slow year on year increase in the number of breast cancer diagnoses in line with the general trend in the rest of Europe and have configured our breast service to deal with this expected trend.’
He said of the 63 recorded cases, 18 patients has so far undergone a mastectomy.
Of these 18, three had received breast reconstruction on-island, all of these since March 1 this year. Statistics for off-island reconstruction are not readily available. He said some patients attending UK trusts for surgery may well have undergone delayed reconstruction, and been diagnosed some considerable time ago.