PEOPLE living in North Wales face a higher risk of developing certain cancers than the rest of the country, a report found.

A new report from North West Cancer Research said 23 per cent more cases of cancer are recorded overall in Denbighshire than any other North Wales county.

Conwy has the third highest incidence rate overall across the six North Wales counties, and over indexes on more cancers than any other county in North Wales.

The study recorded spikes in bladder cancer. Conwy recorded a 76 per cent higher incidence rate than the national average and Denbighshire recorded a 64 per cent higher average rate.

Denbighshire has a high incidence of prostate cancer, with more than 240 cases recorded in 2016.

This is 34 per cent over the national average.

Alastair Richards, North West Cancer Research CEO, said: "We assessed the impact of the 25 key cancers across the North West and the 37 key cancers across North Wales. Of the cancers we looked at, the North West over-indexed on 14 key cancers. North Wales over-indexed on 23 key cancers.

"Some of the findings were particularly alarming and highlight significant regional disparities. We found, for example, that incidences of lung, trachea and bronchus cancers are 26 per cent higher in the North West compared to rates across the rest of England.

"Lung cancer is also a key challenge for North Wales, with an incidence rate 12 per cent higher than the Welsh average."

The report, which aims to 'strategically assess' key areas of need across the region and provide an overview of the health challenges faced, found head and neck cancers were a 'burden' for North Wales.

Four of the six counties showed significantly higher rates than those recorded across the rest of the country.

Conwy recorded a 50 per cent higher incidence rate than the rest of Wales.

North Wales had higher rates of colon cancer than the rest of the country, with an 18 per cent higher average rate of incidence.

Gwynedd has the highest incidence of colon cancer in the region, with a 48 per cent higher incidence rate than the national average.

North Wales over-indexes on 17 cancers compared to the Welsh average. This means people living in North Wales face a higher risk of developing these cancers than the rest of the country.

Mr Richards added: "Bladder cancer is another area of concern.

"North Wales recorded an incidence rate 18 per cent higher than the national average, while communities across the North West showed a 13 per cent higher rate than the rest of England, with four of its five counties recording higher than average incidences of the disease."

In Denbighshire, ovary and fallopian tube and breast cancer rates are both 47 per cent higher than the national average.

Rates of cancer of the uterus are also high, with 43 cases recorded, 35 per cent over the national average in 2016.

Conwy ranked higher than the Welsh average for 25 of the 37 cancers referenced

Testicular cancer rates are 73 per cent higher than the rest of Wales and incidences of acute myeloid leukaemia are 67 per cent higher in Conwy than the rest of Wales.

Conwy recorded high rates of melanoma, with an average rate 54 per cent higher than the rest of Wales.

Public Health Wales said they were unable to comment on the report.

Read the report at www.nwcr.org