Irish men have a higher risk than women of getting cancer and of dying from it
New report highlights men are almost one third more likely to die of cancer than women
Monday 30th September 2019: There are stark findings for men and their chances of surviving cancer in a new report out today, warned the Irish Cancer Society.
The Society was responding to new figures set out in the Annual Report of the National Cancer Registry which finds that men are both more likely to develop cancer and more likely to die from cancer.
Reacting to the report, Donal Buggy, Head of Services for the Irish Cancer Society said, “These figures could not be clearer. Men in Ireland are much more likely to get, and die from, cancer. An estimated 12,769 males are diagnosed with an invasive cancer each year, compared to just over 11,000 for women. When adjustments for age are made, this means an increased risk of getting cancer of almost a quarter.”
“If we look at mortality, the numbers are even more worrying. The report states that the risk of dying from cancer was about 32% higher for men than for women.
“It is vital that we all take collective action on it. Men’s health needs a renewed focus and funding by the State for cancer prevention programmes. We also need further research into what the barriers are for men when it comes to choosing healthy behaviours or accessing healthcare and screening.”
After non melanoma skin cancer, the most common cancers in men are prostate cancer, bowel cancer and lung cancer. They account for over 50% of cases every year.
Symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty passing urine, going to the toilet more often, especially at night and needing to rush to the toilet. Warning signs for bowel cancer are lasting changes in your bowel habits such as needing to go more often, diarrhoea or constipation, pain and blood in poo. A cough that doesn’t go away, difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing up blood and pain in the chest are all signs of lung cancer.
“I would urge all men to be aware of the early signs of cancer and to take immediate action if they notice any changes in their body. When cancer is caught early, your chances of surviving it are much higher” Buggy concluded.
If anyone has any concerns about cancer they can call the Cancer Nurseline for free on 1800 200 700, call into one of 13 Daffodil Centres nationwide or log on to www.cancer.ie.
