Cancer numbers rise but patients surviving longer

The number of cancer cases in the Republic continues to rise, increasing the pressure on cancer services here, according to the…

The number of cancer cases in the Republic continues to rise, increasing the pressure on cancer services here, according to the latest annual report from the National Cancer Registry (NCR).

However, deaths from cancer are increasing at a much slower rate, which suggests that Irish cancer patients are surviving for longer with the disease, Dr Harry Comber, director of the NCR, said yesterday.

Dr Comber said if implemented, the Hollywood report into radiotherapy services would offer radiotherapy to twice as many people. "In terms of quality of life and survival, it is bound to make a difference," he said.

The NCR report "Cancer in Ireland, 1994-2002" found that men were almost twice as likely as women to die of bowel cancer.

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New cases of bowel cancer are increasing by 1.5 per cent a year in men; but by only 0.6 per cent in women.

"In comparison with most of our European neighbours, we seem to have a problem with bowel cancer in men," the report says. Only Austria has a higher incidence of colon cancer that the Republic.

"This is a particularly worrying problem in men, and is likely to be linked to dietary factors," Dr Comber said.

He noted a recent statement from the National Cancer Institute in the US which said there was strong evidence that diets high in total fats, protein and calories and low in calcium and folic acid are associated with an increased incidence of colorectal (bowel) cancer.

Men in the Republic consume this type of diet to a much greater extent than women, Dr Comber said. "Irish men are more likely than women to be overweight, not to be on weight-reduction diets and to eat fried foods."

Bowel cancer accounted for over 15 per cent of days spent in hospital by cancer patients in 1999, the report says. There are over 1,600 new case of colorectal cancer diagnosed every year.

Lung cancer in women has increased by 3 per cent, while in men it is falling. According to Dr Comber, this is a direct result of an increase in the number of younger women who smoke. The Republic is the only EU state with such a trend in lung cancer numbers.

Speaking at the launch of the report, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said that the statistics in relation to lung cancer "reaffirm the need for full and complete implementation of the workplace smoking ban". Last year 1,400 people died from lung cancer.

"Despite spectacular medical advances in the last 50 years, lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer," the Minister said.

Cancer of the prostate in men shows a 5 per cent increase. However Dr Comber said this was due to the effect of screening for the disease rather than a real increase in incidence.

He noted that patients with prostate and breast cancer have better treatment outcomes than before.

The report also found that the type of surgery for breast cancer has changed. Radical mastectomy decreased from 7 per cent of all breast cancer operations in 1994 to just over 3 per cent in 1999.

CANCER: Number of Deaths