Death rates for cancer sufferers in Northern Ireland are around 4% lower compared to those in the Republic, a report on survival rates has revealed.

According to the document, compiled by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) and the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) which is out today, survival rates for cancer were rising despite an increase in the number of cases being diagnosed.

It also found that the total incidence of cancer was 10% higher for men and 2.2% higher for women in the Republic compared to across the border — which could be attributed to differences in prostate cancer diagnosis through increased testing in the south.

‘Cancer incidence, mortality, treatment and survival in the North and South of Ireland: 1994-2004’ is the third joint report between the two organisations and is the first such report to compare treatment differences.

It says that more than 21,000 people across Ireland are diagnosed with a form of cancer each year, with the most common being breast, colorectal, prostate and lung cancers.

Between 1994 and 2004 the most common cancers in men were prostate, colorectal, lung cancers and lymphoma, while among women breast, colorectal, lung and ovarian cancers were most often diagnosed.

While the overall number of cancers has increased due to population growth and ageing and increased detection for some cancers, including prostate and breast cancer, the number of cancer deaths has fallen. Improvements in survival for breast, colorectal and prostate cancer were recorded over the last decade and survival rates were not falling for any cancer.

Dr Anna Gavin, director of NICR which is based at Queen’s University in Belfast, said the report highlighted that even though they were dealing with two different health care systems, there was little “variation” in treatment.

“This is the first time we have been able to compare treatment differences in addition to the usual incidence, mortality and survival,” she said. “Surprisingly, even though we are dealing with two different healthcare systems there is remarkably little variation in treatment, with improvements over time in both countries. Cancer is a significant burden on health and this comparative analysis will point to areas for further research to improve cancer prevention and standardise care for patients.

“Over 94,000 people who were diagnosed with cancer between 1994 and 2004 were still alive at the end of 2004. Many of them have been cured but many others still need care and treatment so support services are extremely important.”

Lead author of the report, Dr David Donnelly, said some of the major cancers such as lung, oesophagael, stomach and kidney, were preventable and all had a common risk factor — tobacco use. He explained people could prevent certain forms of cancer by not smoking, reducing their alcohol intake, following a healthy diet, exercising and taking care in the sun.

“Most of these cancers especially lung, oesophagus and stomach have very poor survival,” he said.

“Tobacco use is also a major factor in explaining higher rates of cancer in the urban areas of Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Derry and in the most deprived geographic areas in Ireland compared to the most affluent. Fortunately incidence of several smoking-related cancers has fallen among males, although incidence of lung cancer among females in Ireland is increasing.

“Poor diet and obesity also increase the risk of several cancers, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer, two of the major cancers in Ireland. Improvements in diet and increased physical exercise would likely result in a reduction in the levels of colorectal cancer, and help reverse the increases in breast cancer seen over the last decade.”