It is a startling fact that around 21,500 people living in Ireland will develop cancer in 2005 and as many as 8,000 will actually die of the disease.

The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) runs an annual Daffodil Day campaign each year to support their work in preventing and treating cancer. This year's event will take place on Friday, March 11 2005 and the Irish Cancer Society is hoping to raise at least ?3 million to help fund its free patient care and specialist nursing services for people with cancer and their families.

Friday 11th March is Daffodil Day 2005 in aid of the Irish Cancer Society

The number of new cases of cancer is increasing steadily by 1.5% each year, mainly due to the growth in our population and increased life expectancy. But the good news is that because of early detection and advances in treatment through research, many people with a diagnosis of cancer have an excellent chance of long-term survival.

John McCormack, chairman of the ICS says that in light of this there is an ever-growing need for the society's nursing care services.

This is the 18th Daffodil Day and since its inception, over ?25 million has been raised. Last year's event raised ?3.1 million and that money is being allocated to a number of services this year, including:

• 1.5 million to be spent on the ICS night nursing service.
  
• 1 million to be allocated to cancer homecare teams, who work in the community to provide specialist palliative care nursing to patients in their own home.
  
• 40,000 to be allocated to fund a play specialist for the children's cancer unit in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.

The ICS is calling on the people of Castlebar and Mayo to support Daffodil Day by buying a daffodil on March 11, holding a daffodil coffee morning or acting as a volunteer selling daffodils in the community or workplace.