This article is from page 3 of the 2007-09-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
BREAST cancer diagnosis and care in the mid-west was in crisis last week as a Limerick private hospital was asked by the State to cease pro- viding breast cancer services.
The unprecedented move came as the care and treatment of 10 women attending Barrington’s private hospi- tal came under scrutiny.
Breast cancer services are in disar- ray, the investigation following close- ly on the high-profile case of a Killa- loe mother who was diagnosed with
advanced breast cancer 14 months after she was given the all-clear and the case just weeks ago of a Tipper- ary woman who was also incorrectly given the all-clear.
The 51-year-old Tipperary woman attended Barrington’s Hospital for the first time in September 2005 with a breast lump.
The following day, she underwent a mammogram which confirmed a “poorly” defined “mass” highly sug- gestive of malignancy.
The lump was removed the same day and the specimen sent to the Pa-
thology Laboratory at the University College Hospital in Galway, which reported no evidence of malignancy.
She returned again to Barrington’s in June 2006 with continuing con- cerns regarding her breast.
A mammogram was_ performed which, she was informed, was nor- mal.
In March this year, she returned to the Limerick private hospital and a biopsy showed evidence of cancer.
She went through a mastectomy and removal of glands and referred to the regional director of cancer serv-
ices in the west, Professor Rajnish K Gumpta, in April and is currently un- dergoing intensive chemotherapy.
The case of 10 patients at the hos- pital between 2003 and August 2007 are now being vetted. One of the women has since died.
The investigation began following concerns raised in a report commis- sioned by the Health Information and Quality Authority.
Professor Gumpta also raised a series of concerns about diagnoisis treatment at the hospital.
The cancer specialist has repeated
his belief on many occasions that breast cancer patients should be treat- ed in specialist triple assent units.
Management from _ Barrington’s Hospital were last night meeting with the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, to discuss the establishment of an independent review of patients who attended the breast cancer serv- ice at the hospital between Septem- ber 2003 and August 2007.
“The department has also asked Barrington’s Hospital to assess how many patients may be involved,” said Minister Harney.