{"id":5256,"date":"2019-01-23T12:23:38","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T17:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=5256"},"modified":"2019-01-26T09:25:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-26T14:25:00","slug":"women-suffering-from-cervical-cancer-to-be-given-pembro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=5256","title":{"rendered":"Women Suffering from Cervical Cancer to be given Pembro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Women suffering with cervical cancer are to be offered the drug Pembro for their treatment after a high profile campaign.<\/p>\n

The drug had only been available to the victims of the CervicalCheck scandal until now.<\/p>\n

Doctors will be able to offer it on a case by case basis if they deem it could help the woman.<\/p>\n

The cost will be footed by the State and it will only be available to cervical cancer sufferers.<\/p>\n

Labour’s Health Spokesperson said he was “delighted” with the news, as did Vicky Phelan, who thanked Mr Kelly for his “perseverance and dedication”.<\/p>\n

The announcement comes after it emerged today that several smear tests carried out last year will have to be repeated.<\/p>\n

This is due to some of the tests expiring because of a backlog in the program, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n

Not all the women affected have been informed as yet.<\/p>\n

Last year, it was announced that every woman in Ireland would have the opportunity to avail of free smear tests.<\/p>\n

Mr Varadkar said today that these had been offered in good faith, but he understood that this had subsequently placed a lot of pressure on the program.<\/p>\n

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