Survival from twenty adult cancers in the UK and Republic of Ireland in the late twentieth century

International studies have shown that cancer survival was generally low in the UK and the Republic of Ireland compared to western and northern European countries, but no systematic comparative analysis has been performed between the UK countries and the Republic of Ireland. Population-based survival for 20 adult malignancies was estimated for the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Data on adults (15-99 years) diagnosed between 1991 and 1999 in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (1993-1999) and the Republic of Ireland (1994-1999) were analyzed. Overall, cancer survival in UK and Republic of Ireland improved during the 1990s, but there was geographic variation in survival across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The geographic variations in survival seen across the UK and Republic of Ireland are narrower than between these countries and comparable European countries. Artifact is likely to explain some, but not all of the differences across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Geographic differences in stage at diagnosis, co-morbidity and other clinical factors may also be relevant.