NI Cancer Survival Rates Improve

Cancer survival rates in Northern Ireland have improved in recent years, according to a major new report. The report from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry studied every NI cancer case between 1993 and 2004.

It proposes two main reasons why more people are now living longer after cancer diagnosis – better treatment and re-organised cancer services.

The re-organisation means patients are more likely to be treated by teams of cancer specialists.

The report, published on Thursday, also points up that more women live longer with a cancer diagnosis than men.

It is thought this is largely because more men get tobacco-related cancers, such as lung cancer, which have poor survival rates.