City’s crime-ridden estates ‘are cancer blackspots’

UNUSUALLY high cancer levels have been recorded in Limerick’s poor and crime-ridden council estates compared with the suburbs.

Cancer rates are reportedly over 16% above the national average in the city’s housing estates, predominantly those run by local authorities.

Research reportedly shows a link between adverse health indicators and high rates of crime.

Meanwhile, a report published by the Mid-West Health Service Executive (HSE) dismissed claims that people in the Askeaton area — where animals have been stricken with a mysterious fatal sickness for 10 years — were more at risk of getting cancer than people in other parts of the region.

The mid-west region, as a whole, has a cancer rate 11% below the national average but the inner city rate was 16% above the national average.

Dr Grealy, director of public health in the mid-west, said: “I think the root cause for the cancer rate in Limerick inner city is lack of amenities and poverty.

“There is no evidence that fear of crime causes cancer but there is a linkage between the kind of adverse health indicators and high rates of crime.”

While inner Limerick city was reported to be the region’s worst cancer blackspot, the more affluent suburbs of the city had a cancer rate 13% below the regional average — pointing to a massive 26% gap between parts of Limerick less than two miles apart.

Dr Grealy attributed the gap to three central factors — lifestyle, smoking and diet, which she said were due to poverty and lack of amenities.

The report also found that Co Clare had the lowest cancer rate in the region and possibly the lowest in the country.

Of the 409 electoral areas surveyed in the mid-west, only four in Co Clare had a cancer rate higher than the regional average.

Co Tipperary also came out in a good light in relation to cancer levels.

Dr Grealy said more than 1,500 people in the region were diagnosed with cancer yearly. Among those, more than 1,000 would have an invasive form of the disease.

The report found that the most common types of invasive cancers were colorectal, lung, breast and prostrate, which closely reflected national trends.