A new report says the chances of men being diagnosed with cancer, which had been rising steadily since 1994, may have plateaued.
The National Cancer Registry annual report says that rates for the top three cancers in men - prostate, colorectal (bowel) and lung - are now declining, or static.
However, the report says this was balanced against steady increases in the incidence of lymphomas and melanoma of the skin.
The rate of breast cancer in women has decreased since 2008.
The registry also says that the total number of cancers continues to rise, mainly due to the ageing population.
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Ireland.
Female lung cancer rates continue to rise and is now the second most common major cancer in women.
Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women between 2011 and 2013.
The report also says that survival from cancer continues to improve, which means cancer support services must be expanded over the coming years.
The report says that 43% of all cancer patients on the registry during 1994 to 2014 - excluding non-melanoma skin cancer patients - were still alive by the end of 2014.
The top six most common cancer diagnoses among survivors were breast, prostate and colorectal cancer, skin melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Professor of Cancer Epidemiology at University College Cork Kerri Clough-Gorr said improved survival rates are down to a mix of early detection, improved treatments, and effectiveness of healthcare mixed in with lifestyle factors.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Prof Clough-Gorr said most of the risk associated with lung cancer comes from tobacco use, and that people have a significant influence on their own cancer risk.
"Cancer has changed from being a disease of diagnosis and death to a disease of diagnosis and living with it. And we need to be ready to address those issues.
"People are surviving a long time after a cancer diagnosis and a big issue is disease free survival, what is happening with recurrences and what is happening to those who don't have a recurrence."
Prof Clough-Gorr said the Irish healthcare system needs to be responsive to this.
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