Breast cancer mortality has declined faster in England and Wales than in any other country over the last 30 years, according to a new global analysis.
Between 1987 and 2013, mortality in England and Wales fell by 46%, according to the study reported to a US conference.
The French researchers found falling rates in 39 out of 47 countries studied.
There were increased rates in some Latin American countries and in South Korea – which still has quite a low mortality rate.
The mortality rate in the US fell by 42% but is nearly three times the rate in South Korea – at 14 deaths for 100,000 women compared with 5.3 per 100,000 women.
The findings were unveiled at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
The researchers found greater improvements in survival from the cancer among women under 50 than those over the age of 50.
Researcher Cécile Pizot of the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon, France, said there was no clear link between mortality rates and mammography programmes.
She said: "This finding underlines the difficulty of isolating a single, common factor that would have a major influence on mortality trends.
"Differences in health care systems and patient management could explain discrepancies in mortality reduction between similar countries. However, there is at present little data comparing the management of breast cancer patients across countries."
Abstract: Overview of breast cancer mortality trends in the world
Leave a Reply