Over 82,000 people were provided with information and support by the Irish Cancer Society's Cancer Information Service (CIS) last year, a new report has shown.

The CIS is made up of the National Cancer Helpline, online services and Daffodil Centres, which provide information and support in local hospitals. The report assessed the impact and effectiveness of this service, which is expected to only get busier in the coming years as the number of people being diagnosed with cancer increases.

According to the report, in 2013, over 82,000 people received information and support, 40% of whom had or were recovering from cancer.

Almost three in four contacts were made by women and almost four in 10 involved people who were making contact on behalf of someone who had been diagnosed with cancer, such as a family member or friend.

Altogether, the National Cancer Helpline received almost 17,500 calls last year, while over 30,000 contacts were made via online and social media channels. Meanwhile, over 35,000 people made contact with the 10 Daffodil Centres that were open in Irish hospitals nationwide in 2013. This year, another two of these centres have opened.

The report noted that while awareness of the society is high among healthcare professionals, they can be slow to recommend its services to their patients and families.

It also noted that better engagement is needed with a number of different groups, including men, people with disabilities and older people.

Commenting on the report, Donal Buggy of the society said that anecdotal evidence suggests that the CIS is ‘making an impact and improving lives'.

"The report bears this out and the feedback is extremely positive with an overall satisfaction rating of 95%. We now have the evidence which will allow us to improve and develop our service to meet the challenges ahead. We are committed to evolving and improving in areas such as how we engage with men, disadvantaged communities, older people and non-Irish nationals," he explained.

He added that the society needs to ‘engage more readily' with healthcare professionals so that they are assured that they are ‘directing their patients to a trusted, accredited source of support and information, delivered by a professional and expert organisation'.

The report, which was led by Prof Jonathan Drennan of the University of Southampton and formerly of UCD, is the largest and most in-depth research of any CIS in the world.

The National Cancer Helpline is available from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 7pm, and Friday, 9am to 5pm, on 1800 200 700. Calls are free of charge.

For information on how to contact the service in other ways, such as via email or social media, click here.

Meanwhile, the country's 12 Daffodil Centres are located at:

-University Hospital, Waterford
-Bon Secours Hospital, Cork
-Cork University Hospital, Cork
-Letterkenny General Hospital, Donegal
-Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
-Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin
-Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin
-James's Hospital, Dublin
-Tallaght Hospital, Dublin
-University Hospital, Galway
-University Hospital, Limerick
-Hermitage Medical Clinic, Dublin