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ATLANTA 2005/09/22 -A new report from the American Cancer Society finds progress in early detection and treatment of breast cancer continues to result in a slow, steady drop in mortality rates, a trend that started in 1990. The latest figures show the death rate from breast cancer dropped by 2.3 percent a year since 1990, with the drop most evident in younger women.
The findings are published in Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2005-2006 (available online). First published in 1996, this biannual report provides estimates of cases and deaths for the current year and presents information on known risk factors of the disease, factors that influence survival, as well as the latest on prevention and early detection, treatment, and ongoing research on the disease.
Highlights of Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2005-2006 include:
- Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. women (excluding cancers of the skin), with 211,240 cases of invasive breast cancer expected in 2005. This accounts for nearly one out of three cancers diagnosed in U.S. women.
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As far as cancer deaths are concerned, breast cancer ranks second in U.S. women (after lung cancer), with 40,410 deaths expected in 2005.
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In 2002 (the latest year figures are available), nearly 2.3 million women living in the U.S. had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
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Between 1987 and 2002, incidence rates increased by 0.3 percent per year overall, with the increase limited to women age 50 and older. Rates actually declined among women 40 to 49, and there has been little change among women under 40 during that same time period.
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Much of the long-term underlying increase in incidence among women is due to historical changes in reproductive patterns, such as delayed childbearing and having fewer children.
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Between 1975 and 2002, the incidence of male breast cancer increased by 1.1 percent per year. The reasons for the increase are largely unknown.
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The death rate from breast cancer in women decreased by 2.3 percent per year between 1990 and 2002. Death rates decreased by 3.3 percent per year among women younger than 50, and by 2.0 percent per year among women 50 and older.
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The decline in breast cancer death rates since 1990 has been attributed to improvements in treatment and to early detection.
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The overall five-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer is 88 percent. The ten-year relative survival rate is 80 percent.
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The five-year relative survival rate for white women is 90 percent compared to 76 percent for African American women; the difference attributed in part to later stage at detection and poorer stage-specific survival.
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While utilization of mammography has been increasing, women below the poverty level are still less likely to have had a mammogram within the past two years than women at or above the poverty level.
"The steady decrease in death rates since 1990 shows that we are making progress against breast cancer," said Stephen F. Sener, MD, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. "However, breast cancer is still the number two cancer killer among women; clearly we have more to do. This year the Society is supporting 188 research projects totaling nearly $104 million, studying everything from biological pathways that turn benign breast lesions into cancer, to the relationship between tumor growth and body mass index."
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
David Sampson
Director, Media Relations
American Cancer Society
213 368-8523
david.sampson@cancer.org
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