Cancer cases and deaths are on the rise across Europe with Ireland having the second highest incidence of all cancer types in the EU in 2022.
A new report published by the European Commission estimates that 641.6 out of every 100,000 people in the Republic were affected by cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, last year.
It is the second highest incidence rate of cancer among the 27 EU member states after Denmark with 728.5 cancer cases per 100,000 population.
Bulgaria has the lowest incidence of cancer with 422.4 cases.
The incidence of cancer in Ireland is estimated to be 12.3 per cent above the average EU rate.
The report estimates that there were almost 26,900 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the Republic in 2022.
However, mortality rates from cancer in Ireland are below the EU average, reflecting the effectiveness of cancer care treatment in the Republic.
The latest figures estimate that there were 260.1 deaths per 100,000 population from cancer in Ireland in 2022.
It translates as around 10,310 deaths from cancer in the Republic last year.
It is the 15th highest rate among the 27 EU countries and below the EU average of 264.3 deaths per 100,000 population.
The mortality rate ranges from 208.9 deaths in Malta to 330.5 deaths in Poland
The figures highlight how Irish females still experience the 8th highest mortality rate in the EU at 230.7 deaths per 100,000.
(Irish women have the 4th highest mortality rate for breast cancer at 40.4 deaths per 100,000 population – a rate 16 per cent over the EU average.)
In contrast, the mortality rate from cancer of Irish males at 297.5 per 100,000 is the 5th lowest in the EU.
The report published by the EU’s Joint Research Centre found the number of new cancer cases across the EU rose by 2.3 per cent last year compared to 2020 to reach 2.74 million.
Over the same period, the number of cancer deaths increased by 2.4 per cent to just under 1.3 million.
In general, it found that the incidence of cancer is higher in western and northern EU countries, but mortality rates from cancer are higher in eastern EU countries.
The report said geographical differences can result from the prevalence of key risk factors for specific cancers, the effective delivery of national cancer control plans and the effective implementation of screening programmes for certain types of cancer as well as variations in diagnostic practices.
New estimates published in the report show that 31 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women in EU member states are expected to be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 75.
The JRC also estimates that 14 per cent of men and nine per cent of women will die from cancer before reaching 75 years.
Overall, cancer affects slightly more men than women with 53 per cent of new cancer cases and 55% of cancer deaths occurring in males.
The report shows that breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer across the EU with an estimated 380,000 new cases per annum – almost 14 per cent of all cancer diagnoses.
It is followed by colorectal cancer which accounts for 356,000 cases or 13 per cent of all new cases, ahead of prostate cancer with 330,000 cases or 12.1 per cent and lung cancer with 319,000 or 11.6 per cent.
In terms of mortality, lung cancer is the most common cancer cause of death in the EU, accounting for almost 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths, followed by colorectal (12.3 per cent), breast (7.5 per cent) and pancreatic cancer (7.4 per cent).
