Cancer survival rates poor, finds study

Survival rates in Ireland for the most common kinds of cancer are still well behind most developed countries according to a study by the OECD.

The most common forms of cancer are breast, prostate, lung and colorectal that each account for around one in eight cancers, and together make up half the total new cases of cancer in the 34 developed countries of the OECD.

Ireland is one of nine countries with the highest rates, along with Denmark, the US, Netherlands and France. The countries with the lowest — Mexico, Chile, Greece and Turkey record a third less per year. The report says that this is due to people’s risk habits, such as smoking, and to national policies such as screening and to the quality of reporting.