Rise in obesity-linked cancers

The number of people suffering from obesity-related cancers has increased, a report revealed today.

The National Cancer Registry statistics showed cancer of the bowel was the most common, followed by breast, lung and prostate.

“Look at the cancers which are increasing kidney, lymphoma, breast and womb, these are known internationally to be associated with obesity,” Dr Harry Comber, director of the registry, said.

“The level of obesity has been increasing and it is a reasonable theory that there is a relationship between the two, and a number are associated with a rich diet.

“These are affluence related cancers and we want to look at it in better detail and see the level of obesity.”

The Government’s Health Promotion Unit has shown that one in every eight Irish people are now obese.

The report found the survival rate for breast and lung cancer in Ireland still lie far below the European average.

Labour Party health spokeswoman Liz McManus said: “There will not be a good survival rate unless it is detected early.

“There is a horrific situation for women in the south and west of the country who do not have BreastCheck, the screening programme.”

But the number of patients surviving the common cancers is now running close to European levels.

Half of all women diagnosed with cancer between 1998 and 2000 had battled it successfully, compared with a five-year survival rate of 48% between 1994 to 1997.

Figures showed that 44% of males who were diagnosed with cancer were now alive, up by 2% from the last period.

In the five years between 1995 to 2000 some 68% of patients had surgery, 20% radiotherapy, 15% chemotherapy and some 7% of patients received hormone treatments.

Dr Comber said the improvement in survival rates was related to the increase in treatments.

“Non-surgical treatment, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy was up 10 to 15%,” he said.

Dr Comber said the effects were being felt from the National Cancer Strategy plans to bring the state’s services up to international standards.

“We have more oncologists, more consultants and a lot of resources have gone in and we are seeing the early results now,” the director added.

However, lung cancer among men was the only disease which had not shown any improvement and was the leading cause of cancer deaths.

There were just over 7,500 deaths from cancer on average each year, with lung cancer accounting for 1,500.

The Cancer in Ireland 1994-2000 report found over 20,000 new cancers are diagnosed every year, with new cancer cases increasing by about 2% due to a growing and ageing population.

Cancer numbers are expected to reach 22,000 by 2005, with the biggest increases in cancer of skin, breast and prostate.

The largest rise was in cancer of the prostate, which increased by an average of of 7% per year.

Dr Comber said screenings had meant more breast and prostate cancer were being detected earlier.

Ms McManus said: “What we have to see is a vast programme of screening.”

She said the practice of prostate screening could be done through general practitioners, would not be expensive and would cut hospital costs.

It was estimated that around 3.1% of the population or 110,000 people are cancer patients or have survived the disease.