Cancer cases on the rise every year, new figures show

The National Cancer Registry reports the number of cancer cases in Ireland is growing by 3% every year, while the number of deaths is up by 1% year-on-year.

However, the report shows that long-term survival rates have increased dramatically over the past decade, with over 60% of patients surviving five years on from diagnosis.

Director of the National Cancer Registry, Dr Harry Comber, said while survival rates are improving, there are still concerns about the mortality rate of lung cancer - particularly amongst women.

Lung cancer is the most common killer, even though it is "almost completely avoidable".

"The prevalence of smoking among women in Ireland is very high," Dr Comber said.

"About a quarter of all women are current smokers, and although the prevalence of smoking in men has been going down, it hasn't been going down in women to the same extent."

"So the risk of lung cancer in women in Ireland is still going up - not by a lot - but it's still going up," he explained.

Lung cancer mortality among women is the fourth highest in Europe, and 50% higher than the European average.