Common Questions regarding Cancer and Cancer Registries
- What is the latest year of complete cancer registration data?
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The National Cancer Registry provides data on cancer incidence and mortality in Ireland. A report containing the national figures is produced on an annual basis. These reports contain information on numbers and rates of cancers diagnosed per year broken down by cancer, site, age and sex These reports are available from the registry or can be downloaded from the registry website here.
- What causes cancer?
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It is rarely possible to find the cause of a cancer in an individual, but studies on groups of people with cancer have shown specific risk factors to be associated with specific cancers. This suggests that different types of cancer probably have different causes. These studies also indicate that cancer formation is a multi-step process, and that for most cancers the time from a cancer-causing exposure to a clinically diagnosable cancer averages about 20 years.
Among the known risk factors for cancer, tobacco stands out. Cigarette smoking is associated with lung cancers, and with a substantial proportion of cancers of the bladder, mouth and throat, stomach, pancreas and others. Diet is also a risk factor; higher cancer rates are seen in people who eat a diet high in fat and low in fresh vegetables and fruits. It is estimated that diet and tobacco together account for approximately two out of three cancers.
The well-established risk factors for breast cancer, the most common cancer in women, are not easily modifiable. About 50% of breast cancers are thought to be explained by known risk factors such as a family history of cancer and hormonal functions associated with early onset of menstruation and late menopause, delayed childbearing and having fewer children. Few risk factors have been defined for the most common cancer in men, prostate cancer.
Occupational studies have shown certain chemicals and other substances to be carcinogenic;these include asbestos, benzene, arsenic, vinyl chloride and other industrial products. Exposure to these substances is thought to account for about 5% of all cancers.
- What types of cancer are most common?
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Looking at incidence figures for 2005, the commonest cancer is skin (non-melanoma) followed by prostate, breast, colorectal and lung. In 2005 the largest number of cancer deaths overall was from lung cancer. One in three will develop cancer by the age of 75.
- Who gets cancer?
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Unfortunately,almost anyone can develop cancer, even children and young adults who lead active, healthy lives. The largest number of cancers occur in the 65+ age group.
- How does cancer compare with other causes of death in Ireland?
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The main causes of death in Ireland differ very little from one year to the next. The three main causes of death in Ireland are as follows:
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
- Diseases of the Respiratory System
- What is the latest year of complete cancer registration data?
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Cancer registrations are complete for 2007. The latest report provided information on incidence from 1994 to 2007 and mortality for 2005.
A report including information on cancer incidence in 2008 is due for publication later this year.
- Why are Irish Cancer Registry cancer data a few years behind?
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A number of circumstances are involved in this delay. The vast majority of newly diagnosed cancer cases are identified by the registry within 12 months of the diagnosis date. However, as cancer cases are identified through a number of sources such as pathology reports, scans, x-rays etc and from a number of health care providers, it is essential that all the reports be consolidated into a single record containing the best and most accurate information available. This is a very time consuming exercise and the NCR has limited resources. Stringent quality control is carried out in line with best international practise before completing the final report. The data cannot be published until case reporting is estimated to be at least 95% complete - and the last 10% is the most difficult to complete.
- How can I find out more about a particular cancer?
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The Irish Cancer Society has a very informative website and can be accessed at: http://www.cancer.ie
The National Cancer Institute in the US also has a very useful website at: http://www.cancer.gov.
The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Centre has excellent information at: http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu
- What can I do to lower my risk of developing or dying from cancer?
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- Do not smoke.
- Eat at least 5 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day.
- Cut down on the amount of fat in your diet.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
- Women need to examine their breasts once a month, as well as get regular breast examinations, mammograms, and Pap Smears.
- Men should examine their testes regularly.
- Ask your doctor for other specific recommendations, particularly if you have a family history of cancer.
- Does the National Cancer Registry investigate claims of cancer clusters in certain areas?
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Because it is so difficult to tell a true cancer cluster from a random number of cases which appears to be a cluster, the Registry has a protocol for investigating which cancer clusters might be worth investigating more fully. Often, studying much larger groups of people will shed more light on the causes of cancer than studying isolated clusters based on a small area. A fuller explanation can be found here
- How many newly diagnosed cancer cases are there in Ireland each year and how many deaths are there from cancer on an annual basis?
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Listed below is the number of cancer cases registered and number of cancer deaths registered by year.
Year Deaths Cases 1994 7412 12092 1995 7539 11910 1996 7389 12291 1997 7486 12681 1998 7480 12795 1999 7541 13051 2000 7666 13747 2001 7632 14121 2002 7503 15013 2003 7603 15090 2004 7828 15921 2005 7749 15733 2006 7868 16158 2007 16159
*excluding non-melanoms skin
**data provided by the Central Statistics Office (www.cso.ie)