Cancer in Jersey report
Produced by the
Public Health (Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance)
Authored by
Public Health England Knowledge and Intelligence Team (South West)
and published on
31 Jul 2013
Cost: £5,000.00
Summary
This report looks at why certain cancers have significantly higher incidence rates in Jersey than the southwest of England. It examines the major risk factors for these cancers and whether they provide an explanation for the higher rates observed.
The main findings of the report are:
- higher incidence of certain cancers in the Jersey population can be readily explained by the main risk factors associated with those cancers
- in an island with high sunshine hours, a legacy of cheap tobacco products and high per capita alcohol consumption, risk factors that are more prevalent in Jersey than SW England, the increased incidence of skin cancer, lung cancer and head and neck cancer is not unexpected
- those cancers most strongly associated with smoking eg squamous cell lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and tongue, have decreased in recent years, corresponding to decreasing smoking rates
- links to risks from radon were looked at and considered to be small. Smoking poses a much higher risk to an individual than exposure to radon alone
- as elsewhere in the world, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased and is considered to be due to better diagnostic techniques (better imaging). Deaths from this cancer have not increased
- the report found no evidence to support the need for a more in-depth study
- to reduce the burden of cancer in Jersey, Public Health focus should be on reducing smoking prevalence, reducing alcohol consumption (especially those drinking more than recommended amounts) and promoting sun protection messages
Download Cancer in Jersey report (size 271kb)
gov.je