Magherafelt’s cancer hot spots

TODAY the MAIL can reveal Magherafelt’s cancer hot spots.

Broken down by electoral ward, figures supplied by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) show that the town centre, Tobermore and Swatragh have the highest rates of cancer in the district.

Between 2007 and 2009, 43 people living within the Glebe area of Magherafelt town centre were diagnosed with a form of cancer. 33 of those received treatment within a year of being diagnosed and there were 19 registered deaths relating to the disease.

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In comparison, those living within the other two wards of Magherafelt town centre, Town Parks East and Towns Parks West, have some of the lowest numbers of cancer cases in the entire district compared to the more rural areas of the district.

During the same period, cancer cases recorded in the Town Parks West area, which takes in Coolshinney and Mullaghboy, stood at 26, with 18 of those cases receiving treatment within a year and there were 12 registered deaths. Towns Park East had the lowest number of cancer cases throughout the district with 25 cases of cancer recorded, 16 of which received treatment within a year. 15 deaths were also recorded in the same period.

Tobermore holds the second highest number of new cases of the disease. In two years the NICR recorded 41 new cancer cases, 31 people received treatment within a year of diagnosis and 13 people died..

The figures make up a total of 522 new cancer cases recorded within the Magherafelt council area district which also takes in Ballymaguigan, Knockcloughrim, and Bellaghy.

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The MAIL has designed a table charting the figures below for each of the area’s electoral wards.

Speaking about the figures the NICR said that whilst deaths at hospices and hospitals would be registered to the person’s residence, deaths at nursing homes would be registered as the nursing home address.

“The place of death is recorded on the registration, so that you can identify hospice, hospital, nursing home and home deaths.”

The MAIL asked NICR what kind of factors could influence variations in cancer incidence.

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The NICR said: “There will be variations in incidence accounted by the background population.

“For example certain cancers will be more commonly diagnosed in an older population, or more common in women etc. To look at incidence alone is misleading.”

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Magherafelt District Electoral Wards Cancer statistics (2007-2009)

Number of new cases Number treated Deaths

Glebe 43 33 19

Tobermore 41 31 13

Swatragh 39 30 17

Knockcloghrim 37 22 16

Ballymaguigan 36 27 13

Bellaghy 35 25 13

Lower Glenshane 35 27 21

Maghera 35 23 20

Castledawson 32 26 16

Draperstown 31 15 19

Gulladuff 28 20 7

Valley 27 21 14

Lecumpher 26 18 9

Town Parks West 26 18 12

Upperlands 26 15 13

Town Parks East 25 16 15