03/05/2013

10,000 Breast Cancer Cases In UK

The number of women under the age of 50 being diagnosed with breast cancer each year has reached 10,000.

According to Cancer Research UK, one in five cases is among those under 50, though fewer than ever are dying of the disease in that age group.

Between 1993 and 1995, 38 women per 100,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer, this compares with 42 women per 100,000 between 2008 and 2010.

However, while a majority of the cases occurred in older women, the incidence rate of breast cancer in women under 50 increased by 11% over the same period. In 2010, 10,068 women under the age of 50 in the UK were diagnosed with the disease, 2,300 more than in 1995.

The charity said it wasn't clear what factors led to the increase in cases, but an increased use of the contraceptive pill, increased alcohol intake and having fewer children later in life could be reasons.

Sara Hiom, the organisation's director of health information, said the improvements in survival rates are linked to research, more awareness and better care, as well as the availability of new drugs that can be used to treat the disease.

(JP/CD)

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