I propose to take Questions Nos. 194, 195, 196, 197, 198 and 199 together.
The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 was approved by Government in 2017. The main goals of the National Cancer Strategy are to reduce the cancer burden, provide optimal care, maximise patient involvement and quality of life, and enable and assure change. Effective prevention, early diagnosis, access to quality treatment, survivorship, patient involvement and safe high-quality patient-centred care are key aims of the Strategy.
This Government’s commitment to implementation of the National Cancer Strategy is evidenced by significant investment in recent years. New development funding of €20 million was allocated in 2021 and a further €20 million was provided for 2022. This funding was used to support ongoing initiatives and to drive improvements across all stages of the cancer continuum, including to continue provision of and improve performance of Rapid Access Clinics (RACs) for breast, lung and prostate cancers. These clinics are being used to help patients get access to early diagnosis and treatment and are important for addressing waiting lists for cancer services.
The National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) is charged with collecting and classifying information on all cancer cases that occur in Ireland. The NCRI produces annual reports covering cancer incidence, mortality and survival.
The most recent year for which the NCRI has published incident cancer case counts is for 2020. This data was published in its 2022 annual report, which is available at: www.ncri.ie/sites/ncri/files/pubs/NCRI_AnnualStatisticalReport_2022.pdf.
The below figures indicating stage of cancer at diagnosis have been provided by NCRI. These figures are for the period 2012-2018, which are the most recently available figures and are based on the major histological cancer subtype(s) at the sites listed. It is important to note that there have been changes in the staging criteria from 2014 onwards, meaning the figures are not directly comparable prior to and from 2014.
The numbers and proportions of diagnoses provided below are provisional and subject to further update by NCRI. Data for later years and for an “all cancer” group are not currently available.
Stage breakdown of cancers diagnosed 2012-2018, by number and proportion of cases by stage, by selected cancer site
Colorectal cancer (ICD-10 C18-20)
|
Stage I
|
Stage II
|
Stage III
|
Stage IV
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
2012
|
384 (16%)
|
627 (26%)
|
758 (31%)
|
480 (20%)
|
181 (7%)
|
2430
|
2013
|
326 (14%)
|
626 (26%)
|
728 (31%)
|
501(21%)
|
197 (8%)
|
2378
|
2014
|
376 (15%)
|
585 (24%)
|
739 (30%)
|
571 (23%)
|
177 (7%)
|
2448
|
2015
|
425 (16%)
|
618 (24%)
|
801 (31%)
|
565 (22%)
|
194 (7%)
|
2603
|
2016
|
426(17%)
|
634 (25%)
|
797 (31%)
|
526 (20%)
|
191 (7%)
|
2574
|
2017
|
371 (15%)
|
587 (23%)
|
705 (28%)
|
496 (20%)
|
371 (15%)
|
2530
|
2018
|
402 (15%)
|
635 (24%)
|
699 (27%)
|
475 (18%)
|
404 (15%)
|
2615
|
Lung cancer (ICD-10 C34)
|
Stage I
|
Stage II
|
Stage III
|
Stage IV
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
2012
|
504 (21%)
|
188 (8%)
|
593 (25%)
|
889 (38%)
|
189 (8%)
|
2363
|
2013
|
516 (21%)
|
193 (8%)
|
623 (25%)
|
909 (37%)
|
203 (8%)
|
2444
|
2014
|
523 (21%)
|
204 (8%)
|
559 (23%)
|
975 (40%)
|
188 (8%)
|
2449
|
2015
|
566 (22%)
|
257 (10%)
|
561 (22%)
|
993 (39%)
|
167 (7%)
|
2544
|
2016
|
548 (22%)
|
229 (9%)
|
568 (22%)
|
975 (38%)
|
238 (9%)
|
2558
|
2017
|
512 (19%)
|
206 (8%)
|
508(19%)
|
919 (34%)
|
558 (21%)
|
2703
|
2018
|
468 (18%)
|
206 (8%)
|
448 (17%)
|
808 (30%)
|
723 (27%)
|
2653
|
Breast cancer (ICD-10 C50)
|
Stage I
|
Stage II
|
Stage III
|
Stage IV
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
2012
|
966 (33%)
|
1260 (43%)
|
401 (14%)
|
191 (7%)
|
81 (3%)
|
2899
|
2013
|
996 (33%)
|
1355 (45%)
|
347 (12%)
|
238 (8%)
|
80 (3%)
|
3016
|
2014
|
1063 (36%)
|
1192 (40%)
|
414 (14%)
|
188 (6%)
|
87 (3%)
|
2944
|
2015
|
1176 (37%)
|
1301 (41%)
|
405 (13%)
|
197 (6%)
|
65 (2%)
|
3144
|
2016
|
1185 (36%)
|
1339 (41%)
|
420 (13%)
|
219 (7%)
|
132 (4%)
|
3295
|
2017
|
1041 (31%)
|
1135 (34%)
|
395 (12%)
|
184 (5%)
|
628 (19%)
|
3383
|
2018
|
1183 (33%)
|
1257 (35%)
|
417 (12%)
|
162 (4%)
|
596 (16%)
|
3615
|
Prostate cancer (ICD-10 C61)
|
Stage I
|
Stage II
|
Stage III
|
Stage IV
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
2012
|
38 (1%)
|
2393 (69%)
|
506 (15%)
|
310 (9%)
|
213 (6%)
|
3460
|
2013
|
20 (1%)
|
2275 (68%)
|
557 (17%)
|
305 (9%)
|
195 (6%)
|
3352
|
2014
|
1568 (45%)
|
773 (22%)
|
505 (15%)
|
401 (12%)
|
210 (6%)
|
3457
|
2015
|
1593 (49%)
|
683 (21%)
|
489 (15%)
|
352 (11%)
|
150 (5%)
|
3267
|
2016
|
1603 (46%)
|
724 (21%)
|
532 (15%)
|
421 (12%)
|
174 (5%)
|
3454
|
2017
|
1648 (44%)
|
620 (17%)
|
595 (16%)
|
398 (11%)
|
456 (12%)
|
3717
|
2018
|
1426 (37%)
|
652 (17%)
|
561 (14%)
|
305 (8%)
|
936 (24%)
|
3880
|
|
Stage I
|
Stage II
|
Stage III
|
Stage IV
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
2012
|
38 (1%)
|
2393 (69%)
|
506 (15%)
|
310 (9%)
|
213 (6%)
|
3460
|
2013
|
20 (1%)
|
2275 (68%)
|
557 (17%)
|
305 (9%)
|
195 (6%)
|
3352
|
2014
|
1568 (45%)
|
773 (22%)
|
505 (15%)
|
401 (12%)
|
210 (6%)
|
3457
|
2015
|
1593 (49%)
|
683 (21%)
|
489 (15%)
|
352 (11%)
|
150 (5%)
|
3267
|
2016
|
1603 (46%)
|
724 (21%)
|
532 (15%)
|
421 (12%)
|
174 (5%)
|
3454
|
2017
|
1648 (44%)
|
620 (17%)
|
595 (16%)
|
398 (11%)
|
456 (12%)
|
3717
|
2018
|
1426 (37%)
|
652 (17%)
|
561 (14%)
|
305 (8%)
|
936 (24%)
|
3880
|
Cervical cancer (ICD-10 C53)
|
Stage I
|
Stage II
|
Stage III
|
Stage IV
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
2012
|
144 (48%)
|
41 (14%)
|
66 (22%)
|
42 (14%)
|
6 (2%)
|
299
|
2013
|
138 (49%)
|
38 (13%)
|
59 (21%)
|
39 (14%)
|
9 (3%)
|
283
|
2014
|
134 (48%)
|
43 (15%)
|
56 (20%)
|
37 (13%)
|
11 (4%)
|
281
|
2015
|
125 (50%)
|
34 (14%)
|
51 (21%)
|
34 (14%)
|
4 (2%)
|
248
|
2016
|
153 (53%)
|
40 (14%)
|
61 (21%)
|
31 (11%)
|
6 (2%)
|
291
|
2017
|
133 (46%)
|
44 (15%)
|
72 (25%)
|
36 (12%)
|
5 (2%)
|
290
|
2018
|
132 (43%)
|
36 (12%)
|
66 (21%)
|
47 (15%)
|
26 (8%)
|
307
|
I hope this information is helpful to the Deputy.