Every cancer sufferer deserves an equal shot at survival

Irish Examiner journalist Karen Funnell was diagnosed with cancer five years ago. She is adamant that every cancer sufferer and survivor — regardless of age, location, or economic or social divide — deserves the same tools to fight the disease.

You can’t buy a clean bill of health but if you are lucky enough to live in the right part of town, you have a lower risk of getting cancer and, even if you are diagnosed, a better shot at surviving to tell the tale.

According to a major report released last week by the National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI), deprivation, age and where you live — urban or rural — influence the incidence, treatment, and survival rates of one of Ireland’s greatest killers.