A LEADING cancer specialist has boycotted the all-island lung cancer conference because of the decision by the Minister for Health Mary Harney not to proceed with plans to implement a national immunisation scheme against cancer of the cervix and in protest at her planned presence at the event.
During his introductory remarks, Prof Des Carney, consultant medical oncologist at the Mater hospital, Dublin, said he had been asked by an unnamed cancer specialist to read an e-mail to the meeting. The e-mail explained the consultant’s position on the cervical cancer issue as well as referring to Ms Harney’s “track record of selective public appearances” as the reason why the specialist could not attend the event. The Minister for Health had been due to open the conference on Saturday, but sent her apologies, citing other pressing commitments.
Prof Carney specifically dissociated himself from his colleague’s remarks, commenting that he did not see a boycott as a productive means of registering protest at the cervical cancer vaccine decision.
Last August, Ms Harney announced she would be following the lead of many western countries by providing a national immunisation programme for all 12-year-old girls against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is known to cause more than 99 per cent of cases of cancer of the neck of the womb. However, in the run-up to the Budget in October, she said the free programme would not now go ahead because of the worsening state of the public finances. Demand for screening for the disease has increased significantly during the final illness of reality TV personality Jade Goody, who died from cervical cancer yesterday.