The incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in women aged
50-69 years was twice that of women aged 40-49 or 70 years and
over, according to a report released today by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare and the iSource National Breast
Cancer Centre.
DCIS is a disease closely associated with breast cancer and one
that significantly increases a woman's risk of developing breast
cancer.
Epidemiologist at the iSource National Breast Cancer Centre, Dr
Anne Kricker said 1200 Australian women a year are diagnosed with
DCIS-a disease that involves changes in the cells in the ducts of
the breast and is not in itself life-threatening.
'More than half of the women diagnosed with DCIS were between 50
and 69 years of age, with the mean age at diagnosis being around 59
years,' Dr Kricker said.
DCIS is not normally palpable (able to be felt), and before the
introduction of national mammographic screening in 1991 was rarely
found.
Head of the AIHW's Health Registers and Cancer Monitoring Unit,
John Harding, said that 58% of all cases were diagnosed through the
BreastScreen Australia, with the remainder through other
mammographic services.
'The high incidence of DCIS in women provides another reason for
women in BreastScreen Australia's target age group, 50-69 years, to
have regular mammographic screening,' Mr Harding said.
DCIS is mainly detectable through screening. Mammographic
screening is available free through BreastScreen Australia.
DCIS figures were compiled in association with the State and
Territory cancer registries, BreastScreen Australia, and the
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
1 December 2000
Further information: John Harding, AIHW, tel.
02 6244 1168 (bh) or 02 6248 6905 (ah). Anne Kricker, National
Breast Cancer Centre, tel. 0407 952 649.
For media copies of the report: Publications Officer,
tel. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability.