The number of cancer cases is on the rise. The annual report from the National Cancer Registry says the number of cases is growing by 3% every year while the number of deaths is up by 1% year-on-year.

However the report shows that long-term survival rates have increased dramatically over the past decade with over 60% of patients surviving five years on from diagnosis.

It adds that survival for some cancers - testis, prostate and thyroid - is now over 90% at five years.

There are currently over 100,000 cancer survivors in Ireland. Although the number of male and female survivors is about the same, the registry says that about 25% of all survivors are women with breast cancer.

The number of women smoking remains very high

The number of patients having chemotherapy has increased by 13% between 2000-2004 and 2005-2009. The largest increase was for cancers which had a previously low rate of chemotherapy.

While the numbers having surgery have increased by 2%, and radiotherapy by 4%.

It shows that the most common cancers are breast cancer in women (32% of the total) and prostate cancer in men (31%), while colorectal - or bowel 0 and lung are the commonest cancers affecting both sexes.

The registry says that lung cancer remains the commonest cause of cancer death in both sexes at 20%. The mortality of lung cancer in Irish women is the 4th highest in Europe and is more than 50% above the European average and still increasing.

Director of the National Cancer Registry is Dr. Harry Comber. He says while survival rates are improving - there are still concerns about the mortality rate of lung cancer - particularly amongst women.