The director of the Cancer Control Programme has said that all initial diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer will have transferred to the eight ‘centres of excellence’ by March.
The number of hospitals providing this service has reduced from 33 in June 2007 to 12 today.
Speaking at the fourth all-Ireland cancer conference in Dublin, Professor Tom Keane said that after the breast cancer organisation, he would focus on prostate and lung cancer service reform.
He said he was not fond of the term 'centres of excellence' and preferred that these facilities be called cancer centres.
New figures from the National Cancer Registry published at the conference show a marked improvement in cancer treatment and survival.
However, the number of newly-diagnosed cancers is set to double in the next 20 years.
