Cancer delays are causing avoidable deaths 

PRESS RELEASE: Wednesday, 9 July: Cancer delays are causing avoidable deaths. That is the stark warning from the Irish Cancer Society today as it highlights new data showing delays in cancer tests and treatment across Ireland. The Society is calling for increased investment in Budget 2026 in cancer staff, buildings and equipment to ensure target waiting times are met.

The new comprehensive data highlights shocking variation across the country in terms of accessing life-saving chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment on time. It also spotlights deeply concerning delays for patients who have been referred for urgent breast and prostate tests. 

Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said: “Early treatment dramatically reduces your risk of dying from cancer. A person’s chances of surviving cancer are up to four times higher when treated at Stage 1 than at Stage 4. That’s why the National Cancer Strategy set target waiting times for cancer tests and treatment. Today’s figures highlight alarming failures to meet those targets in many cancer centres, due to shortages of staff, physical space, and equipment. They also reveal a shocking postcode lottery in Irish cancer care, with where you live determining how quickly you can access lifesaving tests and treatment.

“Research published in the British Medical Journal has found that every 4-week delay in starting cancer treatment can increase mortality by 10%. So, there is no question that these delays are causing avoidable deaths. Ireland already has the third highest rate of cancer mortality in Western Europe. With the number of people getting cancer set to double by 2045, things will only get worse if Government doesn’t significantly increase investment in cancer staff, equipment, and buildings in Budget 2026,” she said. 

The Society’s prebudget submission is backed by the Irish Society of Radiation Oncology, the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy, and the Irish Association for Nurses in Oncology.

Dr Michael McCarthy, President, Irish Society of Medical Oncology (ISMO) and Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospital Galway, said: “Working in the West of Ireland, I see the human cost of the postcode lottery in Irish cancer care every day. Once chemotherapy is prescribed, the National Cancer Strategy states that it should start within fifteen working days. The reality in Galway is that patients are now typically waiting seven to eight weeks for their first session. With every week that passes, the risk increases that their cancer will grow, or worse that it will spread to other parts of their body. 

“In 2016, the day ward in Galway University Hospital had 13,000 visits. By 2024, that had increased to 25,000. Our doctors, nurses, hospital pharmacists and others have done everything they can to minimise waiting times. However, we simply don’t have enough staff, space, or equipment to cope and patients are paying the price. Many of my colleagues in other hospitals across the country face similar challenges. That’s why the Irish Society of Medical Oncology is backing the Irish Cancer Society’s call for more investment in cancer services in Budget 2026”, he said. 

Professor John Armstrong, President, Irish Society of Radiation Oncology (ISRO) & Radiation Oncologist, St Luke’s Hospital, said: “Nobody working in cancer care wants to see patient delays. Across radiation oncology, in order to be able to deliver the care that cancer patients deserve in a timely manner, we need to see sustained investment to address the chronic staff shortages we are facing and to upgrade aging equipment. Existing staff shortages mean that even where we have working equipment, in some instances this is not being fully utilised, adding to delays for patients. 

He continued: “The replacement of radiation oncology equipment is an entirely predictable necessity. We need an ongoing replacement programme so that every ten years we don’t find ourselves in the unacceptable situation of relying on predictably inefficient machinery. We fully support the Irish Cancer Society’s call for investment in our National Cancer Strategy, in staffing and in new capital infrastructure.”

Some of the key gaps in staffing and infrastructure highlighted by the Society include:  

• A shortage of various cancer care professionals, including GPs, nurses, radiologists, consultants, and radiation therapists. 
• Failure to provide sufficient staffing for cancer services to avoid disruption for patients when staff are absent due to illness or family leave. 
• Radiotherapy equipment with a useful life of 10 years that is now 17 years old and subject to significantly more downtime for maintenance and repairs as a result. 
• No PET scanners in the public cancer centres in Galway, Waterford, or Limerick.

The Irish Cancer Society’s prebudget submission is calling on the Government to address these deficits by prioritising cancer infrastructure in the new National Development Plan and providing at least €20 million in new recurrent development funding for the National Cancer Strategy in Budget 2026. 

The Irish Cancer Society’s 2026 Pre-Budget Submission can be read in full here. 

For more information, please contact communications@irishcancer.ie | Tel: 087 645 3867.