Incidence
60 cases/ year; 40 girls (66%), 21 boys (34%)
1st most common cancer
33% of all cancers
Subtypes
<1% Adrenocortical carcinomas
21% Thyroid carcinomas
<1% Nasopharyngeal carcinomas
21% Malignant melanomas
17% Skin carcinomas
41% Other and unspecified carcinomas
Prevalence (on 31/12/2023)
1562 people diagnosed 16-24 still alive
5-year observed survival
1994-2003 : 90% (87%-92%)
2004-2013 : 92% (89%-94%)
2014-2023 : 95% (93% - 96%)
 

Incidence 2014-2023
51 cases/ year; 24 girls (48%), 27 boys (52%)
2nd most common cancer in children (both sexes)
27% of all childhood cancers
Subtypes
78% Lymphoid leukaemias
16% Acute myeloid leukaemias
3% Chronic myeloproliferative diseases
2% Myelodysplastic syndrome and other myeloproliferative disease
1% Unspecified and other specified leukaemias
Prevalence (on 31/12/2023)
1120 people diagnosed with leaukaemia between the ages of 0-15 years were still alive on 31/12/2023

5-year observed survival 2014-2023
1994 – 2003 : 77% (73%-81%)
2004-2013 : 84% (80%-87%)
2014-2023 : 92% (90%-94%)
 

Incidence
53 cases/ year; 28 girls (52%), 26 boys (48%)
1st most common cancer
28% of all cancers
Subtypes
9% Ependymomas and choroid plexus tumour
40% Astrocytomas
14% Intracranial and intraspinal embryonal tumours
13% Other gliomas
21% Other specified intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms
4% Unspecified intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms
Prevalence (on 31/12/2023)
934 people diagnosed 0-15 still alive
5-year observed survival
1994 – 2003 : 73% (68%-78%)
2004-2013 : 73% (68%-77%)
2014-2023 : 83% (79%-86%)
 

Fast Facts: Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer (16 – 24)
•    181 adolescent and young adult cancer cases per year
•    Number 1 cause of death by disease in adolescent and young adults in Ireland (aged 16 – 24)
•    90% of patients are alive five years after a childhood cancer diagnosis (2013 – 2020)
•    Adolescent and young adult cancer mortality remains low
•    The most common types of adolescent and young adult cancers are -  Epithelial Tumours & Melanomas, Lymphomas, Other, Brain & CNS Tumors, Gonadal & Germ Cell Tumours
 

Incidence
40 cases/ year; 18 girls (44%), 23 boys (56%)
2nd most common cancer
22% of all cancers
Subtypes
69% Hodgkin lymphomas
23% Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (except Burkitt lymphoma)
4% Burkitt lymphoma
2% Miscellaneous lymphoreticular neoplasms
1.5% Unspecified lymphomas
Prevalence (on 31/12/2023)
933 people diagnosed 16-24 still alive
5-year observed survival
1994-2003 : 87% (83%-91%)
2004-2013 : 93% (90%-95%)
2014-2023 : 96% (93%-97%)

Incidence
27 cases/ year; 15 girls (54%), 12 boys (46%)
3rd most common cancer
15% of all cancers
Subtypes
3% Ependymomas and choroid plexus tumour
29% Astrocytomas
2% Intracranial and intraspinal embryonal tumours
16% Other gliomas
42% Other specified intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms
8% Unspecified intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms
Prevalence (on 31/12/2023)
494 people diagnosed 16-24 still alive
5-year observed survival
1994-2003 : 71% (64%-77%)
2004-2013 : 82% (76%-87%)
2014-2023 : 84% (79%-88%)
 

Incidence
23 cases/ year; 8 girls (35%), 15 boys (65%)
3rd most common cancer
12% of all cancers
Subtypes
43% Hodgkin lymphomas
31% Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (except Burkitt lymphoma)
15% Burkitt lymphoma
11% Miscellaneous lymphoreticular neoplasms
Prevalence (on 31/12/2023)
522 people diagnosed 0-15 still alive
5-year observed survival
1994 – 2003 : 90% (84%-93%)
2004-2013 : 95% (91%-98%)
2014-2023 : 96% (93% - 98%)
 

Fast Facts: Childhood Cancer (0 – 15)

•    191 Childhood cancer cases per year
•    Number 1 cause of death by disease in children in Ireland (aged 1 – 14)
•    87% of patients are alive five years after a childhood cancer diagnosis 
•    Childhood cancer mortality remains low
•    The most common types of childhood cancer are -  Leukaemias, Brain and CNS Tumors, Lymphomas

• 46,818 registered tumours per year
• 26,528 invasive cancers per year * excl NMSC
• 48% male for all registered cancer cases
• 52% female for all registered cancer cases
• 10,258 deaths per year
• 29% of deaths in Ireland are attributed to cancer
• 1 in 5 cancer deaths are caused by lung cancer
• 1 in 23 of the population is a cancer survivor
• 33% overall increase 
• 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer * excl NMSC

Most common invasive cancers * excl NMSC

• Colorectal - 11%
• Lung - 11%
• Breast - 15%
• Prostate - 17%
   

Top causes of cancer death

• Prostate - 6%
• Breast - 8%
• Colorectal - 10%
• Lung - 20%

• Cancer is the leading cause of death in Ireland
• 10,007 deaths per year from
  invasive cancers
• 54%/46% male/ female split for invasive cancer deaths
• 29% of deaths in Ireland are attributed to cancer
• 1 in 10 cancer deaths are caused by colorectal cancer
• 1 in 5 cancer deaths are caused by lung cancer
• 1 in 16 cancer deaths caused by pancreatic cancer 
• 1 in 9 cancer deaths in men are caused by prostate cancer
• 1 in 6 cancer deaths in women are caused by breast cancer
   

Top causes of cancer death

• Prostate - 6%
• Breast - 8%
• Colorectal - 10%
• Lung - 20%

• Cancer survival has improved significantly in Ireland
• The 5 year overall survival rate increased from 50% (1999 - 2003) to 66% (2019 - 2023)
• There are 231K cancer survivors in Ireland this represents approx. 4.4% of the population
• 1 in 23 people are living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis
• Early diagnosis (e.g. stage I and II) leads to better survival outcomes
   

5 year survival (2019 - 2023) by cancer type

• Lung - 25%
• Colorectal - 66%
• Melanoma - 92%
• Prostate - 95%
• Breast - 89%

Fact Facts: Prostate Cancer

• Prostate Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed urological cancer
• It is the most common cancer in men in Ireland excl. NMSC
• 94% of patients are alive five years after a prostate cancer diagnosis
• Prostate cancer survival is among the highest of any cancer type
• Rapid access prostate clinics centralised diagnosis to cancer centres for men 50-70 years of age
• 4,500+ prostate cancer cases diagnosed per year
• Treatment has shifted toward active surveillance for suitable low risk cases. There has also been an increase in robotic-assisted surgery
• When reporting statistics provided or published by NCRI please include an appropriate acknowledgement

Fact Facts: Urological Cancers

• There are 5 types of Urological cancers: prostate, testis, penis, kidney, bladder
• Survival has improved or remained stable across all urological cancers
• Case numbers have risen over time, driven by Ireland’s ageing population
• Incidence rates have decreased or remained stable
• There has been a shift toward less‑invasive, organ‑preserving treatments
• Urological cancers are a major cancer burden in Ireland, especially in men
• 2 in 5 cancers in men are urological cancers
• Urological cancers account for 23% of all invasive cancers: 40% of all invasive cancers diagnosed in males and 3% in females
• When reporting statistics provided or published by NCRI please include an appropriate acknowledgement

Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cancer in Ireland

While Covid-19 severely disrupted cancer detection during 2020, Ireland’s cancer outcomes remained stable overall and there is no clear evidence to date of lasting harm to early survival or mortality

Report findings:

• No consistent rise in late-stage cancers was observed following the pandemic
• Survival rates for all cancer sites in 2020–2021 remained in line with previous years
• Cancer diagnoses did drop sharply (27%) in early 2020 as Covid-19 disrupted health services e.g., GP visits, hospital appointments, screening services
• The system reconfigured quickly during the pandemic and recovered quickly after; by 2022 the number of diagnosed cases had returned to expected levels

When reporting statistics provided or published by NCRI please include an appropriate acknowledgement

Fact Facts: Female Breast Cancer

• 179 Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Ireland excl. NMSC
• 3,600 breast cancer cases per year
• 88% of patients are alive five years after a breast cancer diagnosis
• 750 deaths per year   
• 2ND most common cause of cancer death in women
• 1 IN 7 in Ireland are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime
• Women aged 50 - 69 are eligible for free breast screening tests via BreastCheck the national breast screening programme

Fast Facts: Head and Neck Cancer

• 793 Head and neck cancer cases per year (2020 - 2022), 25% female, 75% male
• 7th most common cancer in Ireland
• Men are 3 times more likely than women to be diagnosed
• 59% of patients are alive five years after a head and neck cancer diagnosis (2029 - 2022)
• 278 deaths per year (2020 - 2022), 24% female, 76% male
• Head and neck cancer includes cancers from 18 subsites located in the head and neck.
• These subsites are found in the: mouth, throat, salivary glands, voice box, middle ear, nasal cavity

Fast Facts: Lung cancer and smoking

• 2,742 Lung cancer cases diagnosed in 2022
• Lung cancer is among the top four most common cancers in Ireland
• 1 in 5 cancer deaths are caused by lung cancer
• Lung cancer has the  highest mortality rate of all cancers in both men and women
• 25% of patients are alive five years after a lung cancer diagnosis (2019 - 2022)
• Median age at diagnosis for both males and females is 71 years
• Lung cancer accounts for the highest number of tobacco-related cancer cases in both men and women
• 2,010 lung cancer cases attributable to smoking and 12 lung cancer cases attributable to second-hand smoking in 2022
• Smoking accounts for 73% of all lung cancers

How The National Cancer Registry Accesses Personal Data

For over 30 years the National Cancer Registry (NCRI) has been collecting, classifying, recording and storing information on all new cancer cases in Ireland.

Did you know that NCRI may collect data about you?

NCRI collects information on cancer cases diagnosed in Ireland and other related personal health data. It is authorised by law to do this for public health and cancer research purposes.

What does this mean for you?
If you have received a cancer diagnosis it is likely that NCRI holds information about you in its records. NCRI obtains your information directly from hospitals and other health care service providers. NCRI may also collect relevant information about persons who have not been diagnosed with cancer, for example, participants in cancer screening programmes.

How is your information used?
Your information is used for:

Public health planning
Monitoring and evaluation of services
Patient care improvements
Epidemiological research
Funding and resource allocation
Advocacy and awareness

How is your privacy and confidentiality protected?
NCRI is fully committed to respecting your confidentiality and privacy rights. Its team of experienced Electronic Cancer Data Registrars (eCDRs), IT specialists, researchers and data analysts is committed to maintaining the highest standards of data integrity and confidentiality, and respecting the privacy of individuals. Security measures are of utmost importance. Strong encryption protocols, multi-factor authentication, regular security audits, and strict access controls ensure data remains protected and secure.

For further information
You can read more about the work of the NCRI and your data protection rights on the NCRI website:
www.ncri.ie

If you would like any additional information please contact:

Data Protection Officer
National Cancer Registry
Building 6800, Cork Airport Business Park
Cork - T12 CDF7
Tel: 021 4318014 
Email: dpo@ncri.ie