National breast cancer awareness month
25 October, 2000
Younger women face greater risk of later stage breast cancer diagnosis, warned National Breast Cancer Centre chief executive Professor Sally Redman at a Pink Ribbon Breakfast on Australia's Breast Cancer Day.
Professor Redman said that NSW Cancer Council research showed that 38% of breast cancer in Australian women has spread from the breast to the lymph nodes by the time it is diagnosed when the chance of effective treatment is significantly decreased.
‘These findings are disappointing and indicate that a greater effort is needed to encourage women to act quickly when they find a change in their breast which could be breast cancer,’ said Professor Redman.
Director of Research at the NSW Cancer Council, Professor Bruce Armstrong, under whose supervision the research was conducted, said breast cancer was more likely to have spread to the lymph nodes at diagnosis in younger than in older women, particularly those aged 20-39 years.
‘Fifty one per cent of women in this age group had breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes, or further, compared with 38% in all women with breast cancer,’ said Professor Armstrong.
‘We do not appear to be making much progress against later stage breast cancer,’ said Professor Armstrong. ‘The Cancer Registry data show that there was no decrease in the rates of large cancers diagnosed over the period 1992 to 1997.’
According to the NSW Cancer Council, with the advances in treatment and diagnosis, more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before. In the last two decades, survival from the disease has improved by 30 per cent, and today 8 out of 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer will be alive 5 years on.
On a positive note, the Prime Minister, John Howard said the Federal Government is considering extending its free breast screening service to women under the age of 40.
Last Reviewed: 25 October 2000
