Australia has one of the highest rates of breast cancer diagnoses in the world, however its mortality rate is gradually falling, a new study has found.
Research from University of Sydney, University of Queensland and Alberta Health Services in Canada analysed global breast cancer incidence and death rates in 185 countries.
The findings show one in 20 women globally were diagnosed with breast cancer, while one in 70 were likely to die from the disease.
While breast cancer affects women widely around the globe, the study found incidence rates were highest in Australia and New Zealand.
University of Sydney public health professor Dr Nehmat Houssami, an author of the study, said there were several factors contributing to the high breast cancer diagnosis rates in Australia and New Zealand.
“There are various reasons for this related to the population structure — for example, aging and risk factor profile,” she said.
“Breast cancer risk factors that women may be less aware of include alcohol consumption, low physical activity, and postmenopausal obesity — so we need to improve support for women to reduce these potentially modifiable risk factors.”
Breast cancer mortality rates
Rates of death from breast cancer had a more positive outlook in Australia and New Zealand, as the study found both countries were reducing their breast cancer mortality by 2.1 per cent per year.
It’s a mortality rate that’s on the way to meeting the World Health Organisation Global Breast Cancer Initiative goal of 2.5 per cent per year.
The study also found that world regions with lower Human Development Index (HDI) ratings had disproportionately high breast cancer mortality rates. The lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer was highest in Fiji and Africa.
The authors investigated mortality rates of breast cancer across 10 years in 46 countries. While mortality rates appear to be decreasing in 30 countries, only seven countries are meeting the WHO GBCI goal of reducing mortality by 2.5 per cent per year: Malta, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Lithuania, Netherlands, and Slovenia.