'Tsunami of cancer diagnoses' feared post-pandemic 

The Irish Cancer Society estimates that about 2,000 cases may have slipped through the cracks.

Cancer diagnoses are down between 10%-14%, leading to concerns of a "tsunami of cancer diagnoses" when the pandemic has passed.

A new report from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) found one in eight cancer cases that were expected to be detected last year were not.

The NCRI said the pandemic-related decrease in diagnoses in 2020 is in line with international experience.

Definitive statistics are not yet available so the full impact of the reduction is not yet known but will be a focus for the registry going forward.

The Irish Cancer Society estimates that about 2,000 cases may have slipped through the cracks.

It is urging anyone with symptoms that they suspect may be cancer-related to speak to their GP as soon as possible.

Chief executive Averil Power said reluctance to visit the doctor during the pandemic and difficulties accessing services during Covid will likely have played a part in the decrease in diagnoses.

"We are really worried that some of these people may still not know that they have cancer and that late diagnosis may affect their chances of surviving the disease," said Ms Power.

The Marie Keating Foundation says it was expecting a "tsunami of cancer diagnoses" and has called on the Government to prepare for a surge in cancer cases over the next decade.

Liz Yeates, chief executive of the foundation, said it was crucial that resources and investments were put in place now.

Positive trends

The NCRI report, published on Thursday, found a number of positive trends among cancer patients in Ireland.

Substantial progress has been made in relation to the mortality rates for the four major cancers – prostate, breast, lung and colorectal – with incidence rates falling for both lung and colorectal cancers.

The number of cancer survivors living through or after cancer treatment is increasing year-on-year. At the end of 2019, there were almost 200,000 people living after a cancer diagnosis.

Between 2017 and 2019, there were an average of 24,146 cancers diagnosed annually in the State.

Rates of invasive cancers were 21% higher for men than women with prostate, bowel and lung cancer the most common cancers found in males.

The most common cancers among females were breast, lung and bowel.

Cancer is the most common cause of death in Ireland, accounting for more than 30% of all deaths in 2018.

Lung cancer was found to be the leading cause of death among both sexes, accounting for 20% of cancer deaths in women and 22% in men.

Overall, cancer mortality rates have declined steadily since 1994 but are still increasing for some cancers, notably liver and oropharyngeal (a cancer of the throat) cancer in men and liver and uterine cancer and melanoma in women.