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Dublin: 11 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

44 per cent of death claims lodged with Irish Life last year linked to cancer

The insurer says that almost two in ten death claims were linked to heart disease.

Image: AP Photo/Matt Rourke/PA Images

CANCER ACCOUNTED for more than four in ten deaths covered by Irish Life life assurance and two-thirds of all claims for serious illness last year, according to figures released by the insurer today.

Almost one in five death claims (18 per cent) were linked to heart disease.

Accidents accounted for more than one in ten of all claims (11 per cent), while 40 per cent of accidents involved a person under 40 years of age. Irish Life says that alcohol was a factor in one in seven of all accident-related death claims last year.

Irish Life head of underwriting Martin Duffy said the figures show that although significant progress has been made in fighting cancer in Ireland, “the reality is that cancer continues to be a dominant cause of illness and death”.

Of the 603 cancer-linked claims settled by Irish Life last year, 28 per cent involved breast cancer, prostate cancer accounted for 8.5 per cent, and colon cancer for 4.8 per cent.

A recent study by the World Cancer Research Fund warned that the number of people being diagnosed with cancer in Ireland is set to jump by 72 per cent by 2030.

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Comments (8 Comments)

  • Breast cancer is at epidemic levels. The funding for research to cure cancers are dwarfed by Military spending. What can the ordinary person do to effect a change in their mindset !

    Reply
    • Not much on the whole. its not in interest of big pharma. Genetics aside, if you quit or never smoke, eat someway healthy, not abuse the booze and exercise somewhat regularly your chances of cancer and hd drop dramatically. oh, and trust me on the sunscreen.

      Reply
  • P Wurple 06/02/12 #

    It is absolutely in the interests of pharmaceutical companies to find cures and treatments for cancers. That comment is completely dismissive of the researchers and people on trials who devote their lives to this work.

    We all live much longer than people did a few generations ago. If I live long enough, I will probably get cancer eventually.

    Reply
  • Want to cure yourself of all ailments?? Then please take one hour to watch this video called ; Run From The Cure by Rick Simpson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0psJhQHk_GI

    If you don’t believe the claims made by this man and you doubt the Hemp oil he produces would amount to much well then please watch this 5 min video showing a UK Pharmacy company making the same stuff but would cost you €500 per month to use, IF it was even available here in good olde Éire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkp2mXlb6oI

    Wouldn’t you rather grow your own and be done with the pharmacy companies who helped keep this cure from you, me and everyone in the world for over €50 years until they were ready to sell it. My Mum died, as far as I’m concerned this would have been a better treatment than Chemo and Radio “therapy”!!

    Educate yourself

    Reply
  • After years of heavy taxes on cigarettes. And 8 years after the introduction of the smoking ban we learn that we are going to have a huge jump in the incidence of cancer.

    Where as places like Spain , Bulgaria France etc are only going to have marginal increases despite the fact a large portion of their populations smoke the absolute shite out of it.

    Reply
  • But wurple the uk is forecasted to see a 48 per cent increase . They have the same average life expectancy as us.
    If you live in the uk you have a 24 per cent less chance of getting cancer no matter what age you are. These figures were in an article in yesterdays independent.

    Reply

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