Lung cancer survival rates lower than European neighbours

SURVIVAL rates for lung cancer are substantially poorer in Ireland than many European countries.

A report by the National Cancer Registry shows the five-year survival of lung cancer in Ireland of 11% is significantly behind many European countries such as Germany (14.75%), Poland (14%) Sweden (14%) and the Netherlands (13%).

It is only marginally higher than the North (10.7%), Wales (10.4%), England (8.4%) and Scotland (8.2%).

The report found lung cancer has overtaken breast cancer as the cancer most likely to kill women, particularly younger women.

The incidence in women is rising by over 2% a year, with the largest increase, at 4% a year, in women under the age of 55.

Both the incidence and mortality rates from lung cancer in men are falling.

However, treatment outcomes are improving for both sexes, with 11% of patients alive five years after diagnosis between 2004 and 2007, compared with 8% between 1994 and 1999.

The report found that older patients, those living in the south and west of Ireland and those living in deprived areas were less likely to get treated for the disease.

The percentage of patients undergoing chemotherapy rose from 15% in 1996-1999 to 32% in 2004-2007.

Registry director Dr Harry Comber said that, despite the good news about improved survival, the continuing increase in lung cancer cases and deaths in women, particularly younger women, was worrying.

“This is a cancer which is almost completely preventable,” he said.

It is estimated that 90% of lung cancer cases can be directly attributed to tobacco smoking.

The report says that, if progress is to be made in reducing the incidence of lung cancer in Ireland, renewed efforts must be made to reduce tobacco use, especially in women.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer suffered in Ireland in men and women, accounting for almost 14% of cancers in men and over 9% in women.

The report shows that 1,059 men and 652 women were diagnosed with lung cancer each year on average between 1994 and 2008.

It also found that the incidence of lung cancer among women in Ireland was higher than among women in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Britain.

Countries with a higher incidence of lung cancer among women than Ireland were Norway, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands and the US.