Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. The figures show incidence rates per 100,000 population for the ten most frequently reported sites broken down by health board area of residence and by sex.
The data derives from the National Cancer Registry which started to collect national data on the incidence, i.e. number of new cases, of cancer for the first time in respect of 1994. The registry will shortly publish its first report which will contain considerable detail about cancer in Ireland. The Deputy will see from the table below that there are variations between males and females in the incidence of certain types of cancer. These variations may be due to the use of tobacco and alcohol, differences in diet and other lifestyle factors. However, cancer is generally seen as a multifactorial disease and it is rarely possible to identify a single causative factor. Overall variations in crude incidence rates will also result from differences in the population age profile in each region.
It is important to note that the data attached refer to new cases of cancer recorded in 1994. The total number of persons with cancer, i.e., prevalence as opposed to incidence, would be much higher than these figures. The National Cancer Registry's data on the prevalence of cancer will improve as data over a number of years from 1994 onwards become available.
Cancer incidence per 100,000 population in 1994 for the ten most common sites by Health Board area
Males