New research has found improved outcomes for patients with oesophageal cancer who have been treated with surgery.
In a study presented at a conference hosted by the Irish Cancer Society today, research of nearly 700 patients showed that 37 per cent of patients with oesophageal cancer (cancer of the gullet) treated with radical surgery were alive five years after diagnosis.
The five-year mark generally equates to a complete cure.
The study also found that the one-year survival rate was 80 per cent, while the three-year survival rate was 46 per cent.
Oesophageal cancer has a very poor survival rate and the treatment of the disease is generally considered very high risk.
Today's research was presented by the Oesophageal Cancer Multidisciplinary Team at St James's Hospital in association with St Luke's Hospital.
Professor John Reynolds, Consultant Surgeon at St James's, who presented the findings, said: "The figures are in line with the best reported outcomes in the western world for cancer of the oesophagus".
He said the results "highlight what can be achieved by the cancer multidisciplinary team in the right environment".
Oesophageal cancer is a tumour with the fastest growing incidence in the world.