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03/02/2014
One In Three Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Are Over 70
One in three women diagnosed with breast cancer in England each year are aged 70 or over.
This age group also accounts for more than half of all breast cancer deaths annually, latest figures show. This age group also accounts for more than half of all breast cancer deaths annually, latest figures show.
This comes as Public Health England launches a new national Be Clear on Cancer campaign to remind older women 'don't assume you're past it', and to visit their doctor if they spot any changes in their breasts.
Two thirds of women aged 70 and over (67%) wrongly think women of all ages are equally likely to get breast cancer, when in fact a woman's risk of breast cancer increases with age.
Around 13,500 women aged 70 and over are diagnosed with breast cancer in England each year, yet survival rates are lower in this age group compared to younger women. Lack of awareness of symptoms other than a lump, such as changes in the shape or size of the breast, is believed to be one of the reasons for this, which the campaign aims to change.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Regional Director at Public Health England, said: "Research shows that women over 70 have low awareness of breast cancer symptoms, other than a lump.
"They're also more likely to delay presenting to their GP with breast cancer, which could ultimately affect their chance of survival."
The Be Clear on Cancer campaign will see new national adverts running on TV from today until 16 March.
(CD/JP)
This age group also accounts for more than half of all breast cancer deaths annually, latest figures show. This age group also accounts for more than half of all breast cancer deaths annually, latest figures show.
This comes as Public Health England launches a new national Be Clear on Cancer campaign to remind older women 'don't assume you're past it', and to visit their doctor if they spot any changes in their breasts.
Two thirds of women aged 70 and over (67%) wrongly think women of all ages are equally likely to get breast cancer, when in fact a woman's risk of breast cancer increases with age.
Around 13,500 women aged 70 and over are diagnosed with breast cancer in England each year, yet survival rates are lower in this age group compared to younger women. Lack of awareness of symptoms other than a lump, such as changes in the shape or size of the breast, is believed to be one of the reasons for this, which the campaign aims to change.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Regional Director at Public Health England, said: "Research shows that women over 70 have low awareness of breast cancer symptoms, other than a lump.
"They're also more likely to delay presenting to their GP with breast cancer, which could ultimately affect their chance of survival."
The Be Clear on Cancer campaign will see new national adverts running on TV from today until 16 March.
(CD/JP)
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'Next big step' in breast cancer treatment launched
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Cancer Research UK scientists will today embark on the next big step towards preventing breast cancer with the launch of a major new trial called IBIS II. The 10-year study will test a new drug called anastrozole and involve 10,000 healthy women who are at an increased risk of the disease.
12 August 2010
UK's Breast Cancer Deaths Fall
Population-based breast cancer mortality rates in the UK have dropped steeply in the last two decades - more than in any other major European country - according to a study published on bmj.com. These results challenge claims that survival after breast cancer is worse in the UK than elsewhere in western Europe.
UK's Breast Cancer Deaths Fall
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12 April 2006
Breast cancer patient wins Herceptin court battle
A breast cancer patient has won an appeal to receive the drug Herceptin on the NHS. Ann Marie Rogers, 54, from Swindon went to the Court of Appeal after the High Court ruled that Swindon Primary Care Trust had not acted unlawfully in refusing to give her the drug.
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A breast cancer patient has won an appeal to receive the drug Herceptin on the NHS. Ann Marie Rogers, 54, from Swindon went to the Court of Appeal after the High Court ruled that Swindon Primary Care Trust had not acted unlawfully in refusing to give her the drug.
13 June 2008
'Denied' Cancer Drug Now Available
A costly cancer drug that could have prolonged the life of a patient is now being made widely available in the UK. However, it is too late for charity-fund raiser, Jane Tomlinson, 43, who passed away last September. She was denied the drug, Lapatinib, because her NHS trust would not pay the £6,700 cost.
'Denied' Cancer Drug Now Available
A costly cancer drug that could have prolonged the life of a patient is now being made widely available in the UK. However, it is too late for charity-fund raiser, Jane Tomlinson, 43, who passed away last September. She was denied the drug, Lapatinib, because her NHS trust would not pay the £6,700 cost.
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