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Queen’s study reveals new cancer cases in Northern Ireland on the rise
Dr Anna Gavin
Dr Anna Gavin

Over 8,300 new cases of cancer (4,250 in men and 4,100 in women) were diagnosed on average each year in Northern Ireland between 2007 and 2011, according to the latest statistical release from Queen's Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Cancer Incidence and Survival Statistics for Northern Ireland 2007-2011.

These statistics reveal that the latest figures are up almost a third from an average of 6,300 cases per year between 1993 and 1997. In addition, there were on average 3,050 cases per year of non-melanoma skin cancer.

According to Dr Anna Gavin, Director of Queen's Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, an ageing population is the main reason for the increase, with the risk for most types of cancer being greater in older people.

Speaking about the latest figures, she said: “In another study just last week we revealed that only 11 per cent of those surveyed in Northern Ireland were aware that cancer risk is generally much higher among older people. We all need to do what we can to raise awareness of this increased risk by talking to our older friends and family members and encouraging them to go to their GPs when they first become notice anything out of the ordinary. ”

Dr Gavin also revealed that five-year survival rates have improved by almost ten per cent. She added: “Between 2002 and 2006 51 per cent of patients diagnosed survived five years or more, compared with 41.6 per cent of patients diagnosed between 1993-1996.”

The statistics also reveal that cancer levels are different in different social groups. A large proportion of the difference is due to lung cancers and caused by smoking. Lung cancer rates were almost three times higher in deprived areas – 80 out of 100,000, as opposed to 30 out of 100,000 in non-deprived areas.

Dr Gavin said, “Lung cancer is a preventable disease if tobacco use was reduced. The release has shown a fall in numbers among men but not among women”

“If the lung cancer incidence rates of the most deprived areas were the same as in the least deprived, there would be 180 fewer cases of lung cancer in women and 220 fewer cases in men diagnosed each year.”

Other key findings included in the release are as follows:

Overall:

  • Overall cancer incidence rates for 2007-2011 were 448 cases per 100,000 males in the Northern Ireland population, and 375 cases per 100,000 females.

Females:

  • During 2007-2011 the most common cancer in women was breast cancer with 1,208 cases diagnosed each year (118 cases per 100,000 females).
  • This was followed by colorectal cancer, with an average of 522 cases diagnosed each year.
  • Among women, diagnosis rates for breast, lung and malignant melanoma cancer are increasing over time.

Males:

  • During 2007-2011 the most common cancer in men was prostate cancer with 1,007 cases diagnosed each year (106 cases per 100,000 males).
  • This was followed by lung cancer (630 cases) and colorectal (522 cases).
  • Among men, diagnosis rates for malignant melanoma cancer are increasing over time, while those for lung cancer are decreasing.

Survival rates:

  • Five year survival rates for patients diagnosed from 2002-2006 were as follows: female breast (80.1 per cent), colorectal (52.4 per cent), prostate (84.1 per cent), lung (10.8 per cent). These survival rates have all shown improvement compared to patients diagnosed in the period 1993-1996, though only slightly for lung cancer. Improvements are expected to continue in the period 2007-2011. 

Socio-economic background:

  • Female-breast cancer, prostate cancer and malignant melanoma incidence rates were higher in the more affluent areas of Northern Ireland, while male-colorectal, cervical and lung cancer incidence rates were higher in the most deprived areas.

 

The full release is available online at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/CancerData/

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