The number of new cancers diagnosed in the State continues to increase year on year, according to a new report published yesterday by the National Cancer Registry.
There were 26,776 new cancers diagnosed in 2005, the latest year for which data is available, and the most common types were non-melanoma skin cancer (6,196 cases), followed by cancer of the prostate (2,407 cases), breast cancer (2,379 cases) and colorectal or bowel cancer (2,184 cases).
The total number of new cases diagnosed in 2005 was 21 per cent more than the 1994 to 2005 average.
Dr Harry Comber, director of the National Cancer Registry, said most of the increase in new cases could be attributed to our ageing and growing population.
But he said that while the risk of being diagnosed with certain cancers was increasing year on year, the risk of dying from cancer is falling by 1.5 per cent a year. This meant, he said, that there were about 110 fewer deaths a year from cancer here now than might have been expected.
He stressed though that while the risk of dying from most cancers is falling, for certain cancers, such as melanoma of the skin, which is due to sun exposure, the risk of death is increasing.
Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer death among men and breast cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women.
The risk of men and women developing certain cancers, Dr Comber said, is increasing for a variety of reasons including smoking, sun exposure and obesity.
The risk of men, for example, developing cancer of the prostate is increasing by 7 per cent a year, while their risk of developing melanoma of the skin is increasing by 4 per cent a year. For women, the risk of them developing cancer of the breast and lung is increasing by 2 per cent per year.
"There is no single explanation for these trends. Of concern is the continuing upward trend in lung cancer in women, which is due to smoking. Equally worrying are the trends in melanoma of the skin, which is related to sun exposure. It is striking that a number of these cancers [ those of the kidney, breast and uterus] have all been linked to weight and obesity, which are rapidly increasing in Ireland. This gives concern for the future, if the trends in weight gain continue," Dr Comber said.
The report shows that the risk of developing certain cancers is higher in Dublin. These include stomach, lung, prostate and breast cancer, as well as melanoma in men. Colorectal, prostate and pancreatic cancers, as well as melanoma, have an above average incidence in Cork.
However, none of the geographical differences observed were major, Dr Comber said.
The National Cancer Registry is working on a more detailed analysis of the relationship between area of residence and cancer risk.