It didn't register right away. But not long after I finished doing some research yesterday on breast cancer screening tools did I realize the statistics on breast cancer incidence have changed for 2007. Not only did they change -- they're moving in exactly the right direction.Think about this:
The American Cancer Society reports that 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2007. This number was 212,920 in 2006. Deaths by breast cancer -- there were 40,970 in 2006 -- will number 40,910 this year.
Just as it had become second nature for me to rattle off 200,000 as the general number of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year, I must learn a new number. I love it.
1. Happy news indeed!
and the Canadian Cancer Society says that Canada's death rates from breast cancer are down 25% over the past 20 years as well. The CCS says the age-standardized death rate has fallen to about 22 cases per 100,000 from 30 since 1986, a drop of 25 per cent, and that 86 per cent of women now survive at least five years after a diagnosis.
These improved numbers are attributed to better screening and better treatment. Isn't progress grand!
Posted at 2:07PM on Apr 12th 2007 by Liane