Approximately 2,800 people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer this year, with 1,000 dying from it, according to the Irish Cancer Society.
It comes as patients are waiting more than three months for a colonoscopy.
The Irish Cancer Society is calling for 'urgent action' to be taken as almost one in two patients are affected by longer waiting periods.
Head of Services at the Irish Cancer Society Donal Buggy said investment in capital infrastructure is needed to ensure that there is enough endoscopy suites for all of the colonoscopies that will be done.
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"We also need to have the medics, to have the gastroentrerologists employed in our services to ensure that patients who are waiting for these life-saving tests get them in a timely manner."
