According to Dr Harry Comber, one of the report's authors, Ireland's aging population is the main reason for the increase. "We didn't find any significant alteration in the risk of getting prostate cancer. The increased mortality rate is directly related to the increase in older people in the country."

Comber said men born during the baby boom of 1945-1960 are reaching the age when they are most at risk of developing the cancer. "Unfortunately, " he said, "even though we have that knowledge, there's a limited amount we can to do prevent it. We know very little about prostate cancer, or how to cure it. " The huge increase in prostate cancer mortality will coincide with an overall explosion of cancer cases in Ireland over the next two decades, said Comber. "There is absolutely no doubt that this implies a need for more services. The current services will simply not be equipped to deal with the numbers of people who will need treatment and aftercare."