asked the Minister for Health the statistics for lung cancer for the last four years for which figures are available; and, if statistics are kept, the percentage which were smokers and non-smokers.
Written Answers. - Lung Cancer Statistics.
92.
The statistics for deaths from lung cancer in recent years are set out in the following table. The exact percentage of people who died from lung cancer who were smokers is unknown. However, international studies would indicate that 90 per cent of those who die of lung cancer are smokers. Cigarette smokers are on average ten times as likely to develop lung cancer as non-smokers.
Deaths from lung cancer.
1981 |
1982 |
1983 |
1984 |
|||||
Age |
M |
F |
M |
F |
M |
F |
M |
F |
15-24 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
25-34 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
35-44 |
14 |
10 |
13 |
6 |
14 |
5 |
16 |
8 |
45-54 |
76 |
24 |
73 |
36 |
91 |
34 |
85 |
36 |
55-64 |
263 |
97 |
237 |
104 |
269 |
102 |
266 |
107 |
65-74 |
438 |
145 |
398 |
130 |
412 |
175 |
420 |
181 |
75-84 |
222 |
77 |
199 |
84 |
227 |
101 |
257 |
95 |
85+ |
28 |
16 |
23 |
13 |
20 |
18 |
27 |
17 |
Totals |
1,042 |
371 |
944 |
377 |
1,036 |
435 |
1,074 |
445 |