Breast cancer up 80% in 30 years
The TimesOnline has an article pointing to a British study indicating that breast cancer is up 80% (36,939 in 2004), but deaths have fallen by a fifth:
The rise has been blamed on dietary changes, an ageing population and because women are having smaller familes and breast-feeding less.
Mark Matfield, scientific consultant for the Association for International Cancer Research, said: “It is hard to pin down exactly what has caused this rise.” Lifestyle factors, such as the increase in obesity and alcohol consumption, had a significant impact “but so has the introduction of the national screening programme in the late 1980s”.
Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, notes that 4 of 5 new cases of breast cancer appear in women over 50, and that both longer lifespans and increasing bodyweight are contributing to an increased risk of breast cancer.
“Fortunately, more women than ever are surviving breast cancer, thanks to early detection of the disease through the national screening programme and substantial improvement in treatments.”
MOST COMMON IN WOMEN
36,939 (31.9 per cent of total) cases were breast cancer in 2004
13,020 (11.2 per cent) were bowel cancer
12,337 (10.7 per cent) were lung cancer
MOST COMMON IN MEN
29,406 (25 per cent) cases were prostate cancer in 2004
18,071 (15.3 per cent) were lung cancer
15,817 (13.4 per cent) were bowel cancer