Cancer registry probes prostate cancer hike

The National Cancer Registry has announced plans to mount a cross-border investigation into the growing incidence of prostate cancer in recent years.

In a report published today, the registry said the incident of this cancer had risen dramatically between 1994 and 2001 and was still increasing by around 6% annually.

Up to 1,600 cases of the now being diagnosed each year, with the highest incidence in the south-west of the country.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Irish men, with around 500 dying from the disease every year.