A BREAST-cancer patient has claimed that some women are choosing to have mastectomies because there is no option to have radiotherapy in the Island.
Catherine Syvret, who underwent radiotherapy in August after being diagnosed with the disease four months earlier, said some patients were making the life-changing decision due to the difficulties of travelling to England for appointments.
Mrs Syvret was speaking after a feasibility report on offering the treatment in Jersey was presented to the States by Health Minister Richard Renouf.
The report outlined a projected 50% increase in demand for radiotherapy over the next 20 years as a result of the Island’s growing and ageing population.
A new machine would only be used at around 45% of its maximum capacity, the report added, but this figure could be increased if private patients were added, or an agreement was struck with Guernsey for some cancer patients to have treatment in Jersey.
The report also stated that providing the treatment in Jersey could cost about £1million more per year than sending patients to the UK.
It was acknowledged that it would fall to the next Health Minister and Council of Ministers, plus the new States Assembly due to be sworn in at the end of June, to decide whether to take the matter forward and prepare a full business case for the new facility.
The minister’s report was prompted by a proposition from Deputy Montfort Tadier, as well as a petition by another cancer patient which attracted around 3,400 signatures.
Too much focus had been devoted to the cost of the proposed ‘LINAC’ machine, without acknowledging some of the hidden costs of the current system, Mrs Syvret argued.
Mrs Syvret said: ‘I don’t think all the other aspects of this have been factored in – there are costs if someone has to travel off-Island, and their partner goes with them, and their employers, who might be the government if they are teachers or nurses, have to get replacement staff in.’
In spite of considering herself to be ‘relatively young and fit’, Mrs Syvret said her week of radiotherapy last summer left her needing special assistance on her return journey to Jersey. This led to a situation where some women had chosen not to travel for treatment and instead to have surgery.
‘It’s astonishing and appalling that some women are having to make a choice like that about whether to have a breast removed,’ she said.
Mrs Syvret added: ‘The speed and expertise from specialists in Jersey is phenomenal, as is the support provided by organisations like Macmillan and ABC Breast Cancer Support, but then there’s this element that leaves a bad taste – why can’t we have a complete service?’
Campaigners have also highlighted the emotional stress for patients during spells away from home, when they do not have the support of their family and friends.
Deputy Tadier said he was moderately encouraged by the feasibility report, even though it was clear that any new facility would take at least five years to become operational.
He said: ‘The economic argument shouldn’t be a primary factor here, there are also social costs involved.
‘I don’t accept some of the arguments, for example that we would have to give up links with UK providers.
‘We will always need to have an off-Island provision for the 20% of cases requiring specialist treatment, and it would seem to make sense to fly a small number of staff over to operate the Jersey LINAC rather than a far larger number of patients to be flying to England, often for weeks at a time.’
Rose Shepherd, who lodged the petition with the States Assembly, said she would continue campaigning even after the petition is closed in early May, six months after it was launched.
She said: ‘There are women who are opting to have mastectomies when they could have lumps removed, followed by radiotherapy, if the service was available here.
‘There are also patients in the last year of life who could benefit from palliative radiotherapy to ease their condition, but they can’t travel and are suffering immense pain.’
Ms Shepherd said she was disappointed that some Islanders taking part in the debate did not appreciate all the facts around the matter.
