Nearly one-in-three patients attending the country's eight rapid access hospital lung cancer clinics last year were detected were diagnosed with lung cancer, new figures show.

A total of 869 primary cancers were detected the eight National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) rapid access lung cancer clinics last year.This represents a 30% detection rate.

According to provisional HSE data, the clinics saw 2,890 patients, representing an increase of 5% from 2012 when a total of 2,751 patients were seen.

Overall attendances at the clinic have increased by 20% since they were fully established in 2011, with new attendances up by 5%.

This latest data was published at the NCCP Second Annual Lung Cancer Quality and Audit Forum held in Farmleigh, Dublin. The conference was also told lung cancer survival rates in Ireland are improving.

According to Beaumont Hospital respiratory consultant Dr Ross Morgan, the establishment by the NCCP of rapid access lung clinics in eight designated hospital cancer centres has significantly improved the service now available.

"The previous pathway for the diagnosis of lung cancer was through the referral of patients to general respiratory clinics in hospitals across the country. As a result there was no dedicated pathway to allow for suspect cases to be fast tracked and diagnosed on an urgent basis."

However, Dr Morgan said with with lung cancer patients often presenting late and in the absence of a dedicated system of urgent referral, access to treatment and surgery had been low before the designated rapid access centres were set up.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Ireland, representing approximately 20% of all deaths due to cancer.

According to the NCCP, lung cancer kills more Irish people every year than breast and colon cancer combined.

The most recent five-year relative survival figure for Ireland is at 13%, compared to 9.4% 10 years ago.

A total of 2,165 new lung cancer cases are recorded annually in Ireland - 904 female and 1,261 male.

The incidence of lung cancer in women has been rising steadily over past 30 years and is expected to increase by 141% in women and 61% in men between 2010 and 2030.

Over 90% of lung cancer in Ireland is linked to smoking tobacco and is therefore theoretically preventable, the NCCP says.

According to NCCP National Director Dr Susan O'Reilly, the lung cancer diagnosis rate in rapid access clinics at 30% illustrates that they are providing a very good service that fast-tracks patients into the system, ensuring that they are provided with their diagnosis within an appropriate timeframe.

"Our aim is to increase survival from lung cancer. Timely access to curative treatment for suitable patients is vital to achieve this. If there is undue delay to surgery, the disease can progress within a short timeframe to becoming inoperable," Dr O'Reilly added.

Surgery for lung cancer ptients is currently concentated in four designated hospital centres around the country.

Find out more about lung cancer here