Residents assured on cancer rate
The data included all cancer cases diagnosed in the MWHB area between 1994 and 1998, showing that some areas around Croagh had cancer rates above the national average. By definition, the cancer rate in half of the districts in Ireland will be above average and half will be below.
In fact, of the 25 districts in the area, only the six (much fewer than half) noted by Mr Geoghegan had rates above average. These six districts each had only a single cancer case more than expected over a period of six years, a difference of only a few percent from the average. This tiny number of extra cases would not be noticeable to local doctors or to anyone else. These small differences happen by chance and are of absolutely no significance. While it is possible that cancer rates in the area for 2000 and subsequent years have been higher than for 1999, there is nothing in our preliminary data to suggest that this is the case. Cancers take many years to develop and it would be against all our experience to find a major change in cancer numbers in such a short period.
