The coronavirus pandemic is having a "disastrous effect" on cancer screenings and trials, one prominent patient advocate has said.
It comes after new research has revealed thousands of clinical trials for potential new treatments for serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease have been suspended or closed down in the UK due to COVID-19.
Here in Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society has previously warned that the "double whammy of chronic underfunding and COVID restrictions could lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients".
Screening programmes here have been resuming over the past two months after being suspended earlier this year due to the pandemic.
John Wall, who is living with stage four prostate cancer, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about the impact of COVID-19 on cancer screening and trials.
He said: "It's having a disastrous effect.
"CervicalCheck, the diabetic RetinaScreen, bowel screening and BreastCheck screening... they ground to a halt in March at the start of the COVID crisis, and they're gradually being restarted.
"Of more concerns are cancers that are detected outside of the screening process - I take myself as an example there. I went to a GP with sciatica, and came out with cancer.
"There are so many people in this country who don't realise they have cancer.
"They're not going to their GP with relatively routine things, and they don't know they have it. By the time it's detected, it will have advanced to a point, possibly in some cases, where it's manageable, but just manageable. People will have to live with a stage three or possibly even a stage four diagnosis."
'Absolutely massive' problem
Mr Wall said cancer trials are potentially what will keep people such as himself alive.
While figures on suspended trials in Ireland aren't available, he pointed to the stats from the UK - where 1,500 trials for treatments for serious illnesses have been closed and over 9,000 suspended.
He said: "That gives you an indication of the problem that we have here: it's absolutely massive.
"It's hugely important that the cancer support services - which are largely run by the voluntary sector... the system needs to start engaging with them, because it's a collective approach that's needed.
"Whilst COVID has wreaked havoc and continues to reach havoc - and I'm not detracting from that for one moment - cancer has been here for many, many years. Many of us are dying from cancer, and that can be prevented in many cases."
He said he hopes Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is questioned about the issues around screening and trials when he appears before the Oireachtas COVID-19 committee later today.
