ICS Launch New Five-Year Cancer Strategy

Cancer rates amongst poorer communities are “worryingly high”, according to the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), with related deaths in some disadvantaged areas double those in more affluent areas.

"Towards a Future Without Cancer", the ICS’s new five-year strategy will be launched later today.

Revealed in the report is that:

• Head and neck cancers are 1.7 times higher in the poorest areas

compared with better-off communities

• Men in areas with the poorest education levels have a 32pc

greater risk of lung cancer

• Women are worst hit by lung cancer if they live in an area with

large numbers of jobless, poor education levels and a high

proportion of elderly living alone

• Stomach cancer is 1.4 times higher in socially deprived areas

"Probably about 50% of the incidence is due to smoking,” ICS chairperson Professor John Kennedy told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

Adding: "Obviously smoking is much more common in disadvantaged populations.

"About 30% of all cancers are due to smoking, so probably about 50% of the life expectancy is due to smoking.

"Access to medical services is poor in disadvantaged communities, so that people who have a higher incidence of cancer probably present at a later stage.

"So you can see that all these things are related, but we think that those are probably two of the biggest issues."

ICS have stated their aim over the next five years is to reduce smoking and improve lifestyles.

It also called on the government to increase tax on tobacco products.

(H)