Third of Irish people get cancer, report shows

A third of all people in Ireland will develop some form of cancer by the age of 74, according to a cross-border report published today.

The report, entitled All-Ireland Cancer Statistics, is the result of the first collaborative project undertaken by the departments of health on both sides of the Border. It is intended to document the differences and similarities in the incidence of cancer on the island of Ireland as a whole.

In a joint statement, the Minister for Health and Children in the Republic, Mr Martin, and the North’s Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Ms de Brún, said that the report shows that, after heart disease and strokes, cancer accounts for more deaths every year than any other cause.

"We cannot emphasise too strongly the importance of stopping smoking, which is responsible for the majority of lung cancers and many other cancers besides," they said.

The report, undertaken in partnership with the US National Cancer Institute, also shows that one in four cancer deaths in men were due to lung cancer, whilst breast cancer caused one in five cancer deaths in women. Men were 30 per cent more likely to develop cancer than women, while mortality rates among males was 50 per cent higher than in females.

Urban dwellers displayed higher incidences of cancer than those from rural communities, with men 15 per cent and women 10 per cent more prone to the disease.

Overall, the report showed that one in eight women will die of cancer by the age of 74, the figure rising to one in six of all men at the same age.

The Ministers said the report "gives us strong pointers for future action to help prevent cancer, improve care and treatment services, and strengthen research arrangements on the island."

The launch of the report this morning was also attended by the Director of theUS National Cancer Institute, Dr Richard Klausner.

"This report is among the first major initiatives to come out of the year-old Ireland-Northern Ireland Cancer Institute Cancer Consortium," Dr Klausner said. "It holds real promise for the future cooperation between both health departments and the United States to enhance cancer research, treatment and care on the island."