While the incidence of breast cancer continues to rise, more
Australian women are surviving the disease than ever before,
according to the latest national report on breast cancer released
today by the National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC) and the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Breast cancer in Australia: an overview,
2006, was launched today by the Minister for Health and
Ageing, Tony Abbott, at the National Breast Cancer Centre's Pink
Ribbon Breakfast in Sydney.
It brings together the most recent statistics available on
breast cancer in Australia for both women and men. It provides for
the first time information about the number of people living in
Australia after a diagnosis of breast cancer - with 113,801 women
and 730 men alive who have been diagnosed in the past 20 years.
Mr John Harding, Head of the AIHW Cancer Monitoring Unit, said,
'The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has more than
doubled in the past 20 years - increasing from 5,318 women in 1983
to 12,027 women in 2002.'
It is estimated that 13,261 women and about 100 men will be
diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia this year.
The risk of a diagnosis by age 85 years has increased to one in
eight for women, up from one in 12 in 1983, while the risk for a
male is one in 763. However, the good news is a woman's risk of
dying from breast cancer before the age of 75 years has been
declining, from a one in 43 risk in 1983 to a one in 56 risk in
2004.
Dr Helen Zorbas, Director of the National Breast Cancer Centre
said, 'Significant advances in the early detection and treatment of
breast cancer mean more women are surviving the disease than ever
before. Importantly this improvement shows little sign of
abating.
'Overall 86 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer today
can expect to be living five years after their diagnosis. In the
period 1982-1986 only 71 per cent of women diagnosed with breast
cancer could expect to live five years after their diagnosis.
'The significant improvement in survival rates means our next
challenge is to ensure we expand our focus to include life beyond
breast cancer or 'survivorship'.
'Many breast cancer survivors experience high levels of stress
and anxiety associated with the fear that cancer may return.
Survivors can also experience a range of problems about body image
after surgery, loss of fertility for younger women, fatigue,
financial, work and relationship issues. These issues traditionally
coincide with a time when there is reduced contact with the health
care team.'
'For many women, life beyond breast cancer is about re-defining
a sense of normality,' said Dr Zorbas.
The National Breast Cancer Centre is funded by the
Australian Government and works with consumers, health
professionals, cancer organisations, researchers and governments to
improve health outcomes in breast and ovarian cancer.
16 October 2006
Further information: Mr John Harding, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1140, or 0427 107 033. To interview Dr Helen Zorbas,
NBCC, contact Bree Stevens 0438 209 833
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Breast cancer in
Australia: an overview, 2006.