There's a call for action to be taken to help prevent cancer rates from doubling by 2045.
It comes as the latest annual report of the National Cancer Registry (NCRI) estimates that there were 33,460 invasive cancers diagnosed annually during the last three years - or 22,640 cancers when the generally non-fatal non-melanoma cancers of skin are excluded.
This year's figures show that the risk of developing cancer was higher for men than for women overall, as well as for most cancer types.
The most commonly diagnosed cancers were non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer.
Image: NCRI
While there's an average of around 8,875 deaths from invasive cancer every year, the NCRI also notes that survival rates have "improved markedly" since the mid-1990s.
Overall, the registry's figures indicate that cancer rates could double by 2045 compared to 2015 - but the increase could be limited to 50% if trends such as declining rates of some cancers continue.
Averil Power, the CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, says the latest figures should serve as a ‘wake-up call’.
She observed: "While these projections are stark, they need not become a reality.
"By improving our lifestyles and availing of free screening each of us can dramatically reduce our risk of getting cancer."
She added that the Government implementing cancer prevention recommendations and addressing inequalities in the health system could save "thousands of lives" in the coming years.
