IRELAND HAS the second-highest rate of oesophageal cancer in Europe, according to new estimates by the World Health Organisation.
The figures are particularly worrying because cancer of the oesophagus – the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach – is closely related to lifestyle issues such as smoking, drinking and obesity.
The league table, compiled by the World Cancer Research Fund using WHO figures, found that Britain has the highest level of oesophageal cancer in Europe, with 6.4 people per 100,000 contracting the disease every year.
Ireland is next with a rate of 5.9 per 100,000, nearly twice the European average of 3.3.
About 400 Irish people, mostly men, are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year. The incidence in Ireland and most of the West has increased more than any other cancer over the past 20 years.
Only about 9 per cent of those who get the disease are alive five years after diagnosis, though the prognosis is improving.
It can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, cutting down on alcohol and eating more of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Early warning signs include difficulty with swallowing and chronic or very severe acid digestion.
