Survival from breast cancer is very high in women whose cancer
has been diagnosed at an early stage, according to a new report
released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
(AIHW) and the National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC).
The report, Breast cancer survival by size and nodal status in
Australia, examined survival rates for over 10,000 women diagnosed
with breast cancer in 1997 and found that the five-year survival
rate for women whose cancers were 10 mm or less in diameter was
almost as high as for women without breast cancer (98% relative
survival rate).
'This declined to 73% for women with cancers 30 mm or more in
diameter, and to 49% for women with advanced cancer where size had
not been measured,' said Christine Sturrock of the AIHW's Health
Registers and Cancer Monitoring Unit.
In 1997, 20% of breast cancers diagnosed were 10 mm or less, 17%
were 30 mm or more, and 11% did not have a measured size.
'Five-year relative survival was 97% when the cancer had not
spread to the lymph nodes, compared with 80% relative survival when
the nodes were positive for cancer spread, and 71% when nodal
status of the cancer was unknown,' Ms Sturrock said.
'The findings strongly support the importance of early detection
in surviving breast cancer,' said Dr Helen Zorbas, Director of the
National Breast Cancer Centre.
'Women with smaller tumours and whose cancer hadn't spread to
the lymph nodes had significantly better survival than those whose
cancer had spread,' Dr Zorbas said.
A significant finding of the report is that survival was lower
for women younger than 40 years for all tumour sizes (95% relative
survival rate for women with cancers 10 mm or less in diameter and
67% for cancers of 30 mm or more). Although the incidence of cancer
in this age group is low, the outcome is often not as good.
'This is because younger women's breast cancers tend to be
larger and more aggressive tumours. As there is no routine
screening program for this age group, breast awareness and early
and effective investigation of breast symptoms is vital,' Dr Zorbas
said.
'Also of concern was the finding that survival was significantly
lower for women in the least socio-economically advantaged areas
compared with women in the most advantaged areas. We need to better
understand and address the factors that affect survival outcomes
for women in this demographic,' said Dr Zorbas.
3 October 2007
Further information: Ms Chris Sturrock, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1118 or 0401 700 779
To interview Dr Helen Zorbas, contact Ms Bree Stevens, NBCC, 02
9036 3036 or 0438 209 833
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Breast cancer
survival by size and nodal status in Australia.